Amendments 2 and 5 are efforts to expand the population of Missouri to the addictive disease of gambling. For 1% of the participants who become pathological, it means tragedy to their families and problematic for 3%. This 4% has no relation to IQ, position in society or income — it may be your banker or your accountant who succumbs to the addiction.

The state politicians are attracted by the opportunity but it is often a regressive tax taking money from those who eventually can least afford it.

It’s no wonder why our forefathers originally placed it in the desert.