Gambling with the American Dream

If people never thought that by sticking a quarter into a slot machine or paying a buck for a lottery ticket they had the chance to win a sum of money beyond their wildest dreams, there would be no medical condition called, compulsive gambling. But the lure of doing little to earn much is too great for mankind's nature to refuse, and it draws millions of Americans to the casinos every year, feeding their hard-earned money to card-sharks and one-armed bandits.

The "get-rich quick" virus is not new to the American people. In fact, if you look back on the history of this country, you will see that throughout our short 231 years of being a nation, the people of the United States have always had the idea that if only get "lucky," they will fame and fortune galore. The California Gold Rush is no exception. Thousands took off for ol' California with the dreams of going down to a stream, scooping up some gold, and strolling down to the bank to cash it in for a wad of US greenbacks. But the hordes of newcomers had not taken into consideration the back-breaking labor and the incredible amount of time that goes into even finding gold, let alone cutting it out of the mountains! (Very little gold was actually in streams.) They also did not consider what it would cost: time, money, hardship, hunger, cold, filth, exhaustion, more money, more time, and countless other things involved in the life of a miner in the 1800's. As a result, many men were left with nothing, much less than they had before they "gambled" on striking it rich in the hills of California.

There is a scintillating essay on compulsive gambling called, Going for Broke by Matea Gold and David Ferrell that tells the stories of people who were promised great riches if they only gave little. . . and a little more. . . and a little more. . . until they were left with nothing but misery, pain, and suffering caused by an addiction that they brought upon their own selves.