Consider casinos

In response to Fred Gralenski’s letter (BDN, Dec. 14-15) regarding Aimee Dolloff’s Dec. 12 op-ed piece on gambling, Gralenski should reconsider writing a letter to the editor without the correct facts.

Gralenski points out that a casino should not be what creates wealth in Maine, but rather “creativity, productivity, imagination, freedom, knowledge and a strong work ethic.” These, he says, are the necessities. Although Gralenski is right on the money, he fails to realize that Dolloff never considered casinos a necessity for Mainers, but merely an option to contemplate. Nor did she state that with the existence of casinos, educational and moral values would be tossed out the window. Gralenski should examine what is and what is not said in columns more carefully before he voices his criticism.

Among the things Dolloff did not say that Gralenski credits her with saying, is the idea that the only reason Mainers would support casinos is because we are all in need of “a little drinking, smoking, gambling and overdosing on Burger King’s Whoppers for entertainment.” Hasty generalizations are not appropriate. At least Dolloff understands this notion. Perhaps Gralenski should take some of those English and journalism courses he so tactfully belittled instead of advising Dolloff of the economics courses she should enroll in.

Angela Fiandaca

Orono