Lottery-Laden Limbs Furrow Lawmaker's Brow
by Jim Brown
December 9, 2005
(AgapePress) - - A Christmas tree decorated with used lottery tickets by elementary school students in south central Oklahoma City has been removed from the state Capitol. The "lotto tree" was entered by Westwood Elementary in a Christmas tree decorating contest at the Capitol. School spokeswomen Sherry Fair said students had been studying the state lottery, and know that lottery money helps public schools -- so they developed the theme about the "gift of education," she explains. However, citing a lapse in judgment, Principal Jan Borelli apologized and asked that the tree be removed.
State Representative Randy Terrill says the lotto tree was "incredibly inappropriate and distasteful." The state lawmaker knows the Reason for the season.
"Christmas is about celebrating the birth of Christ," he says, "and ... I know there are differing views of this, but to many people [the Christmas tree] is somewhat symbolic of the cross, in that it represents the giving of oneself to and for the benefit of others."
But Terrill admits that when he saw the lottery tree, "it symbolized corruption and exploitation of others, and particularly children who are the most innocent among us."
Two-thirds of the students at Westwood are on free and reduced meal plans and speak English as their second language. Terrill says instead of having its students study the lottery and telling them lottery money helps public schools, Westwood Elementary should be teaching students reading, writing, and arithmetic.
"I think that the lottery tree conveys exactly the wrong message to that group of disadvantaged youngsters," the representative shares. "Not only does it twist the meaning of Christmas, it also tells them [not to] worry about the value of hard work as a means to getting ahead in life or [about] your education as a means of getting ahead in life because you, too, might be able to go buy a lottery ticket and strike it rich."
There is still some dispute as to whether the lottery tickets were used or unused before they were given to students to decorate the tree. In Oklahoma it is a criminal offense for a minor to possess lottery tickets or for an adult to give a minor lottery tickets.
Jim Brown, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
