On the date of this writing, April 10, in 1942, the “Bataan Death March” began in the Philippines during World War II. After the surrender of Luzon, there were 75,000 Filipino and American troops trapped and captured on the Bataan Peninsula.

They were forced marched by the Japanese 85 miles to a prison camp near Cabanatuan. The march lasted six days with numerous deaths along the way from atrocities by their captors including food and water deprivation.

They had one meal of rice during the cruel ordeal with only the strong surviving.

One of those survivors was my good friend, the late Bill Thomas of Selma.

Bill was one of the most gentle, caring, and patriotic men I have ever known. He was honored for his service by the American Legion Post 20 and featured in The Selma Times-Journal in December 2003.

You might ask what the above has to do with the rest of this article? However in reality, it has everything to do with it.

Had it not been for the  courageous men and women in our past, we might not be at liberty to discuss, pick and choose our paths for the future.

Just as in every session I can recall of the Alabama Legislature, the issue of legalized gambling comes up.

The Democrats seem obsessed with gambling for the state. It has become an annual affair devoting too much time of the legislative session arguing about legalizing gambling.

It was turned down by the voters no later than 1999, and now the clarion call again to let the people vote.

Personally, I am not against placing it on the ballot again.

Perhaps, proponents feel the country and Alabamians have changed enough the past six years to embrace gambling and all the negative aspects of it. However, just because other states allow it is not justification for Alabama to follow suit. Last time I checked, Mississippi, a casino gambling state, still ranks well below us in teacher pay and expenditure per student.  But do not take my word for it, look it up yourself on the National Education Association web site.

Of course, Democrats will point toward the General Fund as being short, and short it is.

If the state would get serious about curbing spending and cutting unnecessary expenditures and personnel, the budget would balance. Alabama has the same problem as the federal government, too big and bloated.

Gov. Robert Bentley should appoint an independent non-political commission to study, and make recommendations to the legislature on implementation of expenditure and personnel reductions, and other reforms.

Two problems that should be addressed is prison overcrowding and Medicaid reform.

As for me, my vote for gambling will always be no.