|
|
4-9-98 Dennis Prager laughed at the hysteria over the California lotto and its $102 million prize. You were 600 times more likely to be hit by lightning than to win the prize. Prager opposes the government sponsoring gambling, and advertising gambling. The government should not foster gambling any more than fostering cigarette smoking. Prager says gambling hurts the poor [implying that the poor are stupid]. A caller said that Prager should not be so negative. These lotteries give people hope and it is ok for them to pray for it. In the second hour, Prager quoted from the April 6, 1998 Weekly Standard's article by professor David Gelernter. This religious Jew was injured by a bomb from the Unabomber then wrote a book that Prager recommends. Gelernter decried America's lack of seriousness in fighting evil. Prager worried about fascination with the dark side. DP thought the movie Bonnie & Clyde marked a turning point when murder and mayhem became cool. DP's son David is fascinated by the Mafia. How the Mafia dress, walk, and comport themselves. A caller introduced Dennis to Marilyn Manson, punk rocker. Marilyn is the name of the band. Each of the band members have added the last name of a serial murder. Marilyn Manson obviously takes his name from Charles. Prager admits that he has flirted with the dark but he did not elaborate. P says that many young people do not have a counter measure… They do not participate in an organized religion which celebrates life and holiness. Callers and Prager worred about the celebration of death and morbidity in so-called Gothic rock. Rock from the '80s supposedly celebrated fun by contrast. Pablum From Prager's Web Site: Thursday, April 9, 1998 Dennis discussed the drawing last night for 100 million dollars for the California state lottery. He said that he was having a meal at an outdoor cafe at a normally quiet location. But he noticed a steady line of people at a nearby convenience store. He said that during the hour he was there the line never got below fifteen people even though usually it is a quiet location. He also reported how police had to be called in at a location in San Diego after a near riot broke out when the machine broke down. He said that there were certain locations, such as one in southern CA, in Hawthorne, where there were constantly hundreds of people on line. Dennis said that he thinks it is wrong for the state to sponsor gambling; that they spend a large amount of money on anti-smoking campaigns and then turn around and encourage people to gamble. Dennis said that this especially hurts poor people. One caller told Dennis that it is good for people, especially the poor because it gives them hope. Dennis said that it was a false hope. He gave a statistic that he heard on the ABC news broadcast that a person has a 600 times greater chance of being hit by lightening than winning the lottery. Dennis also noted that some people were praying to win the lottery. He said that when you do that, in effect, you are praying that others don't win. He said that he doesn't particularly like prayers like that. He understands them but would like to see religion taken more seriously.
Dennis also discussed an article in the April 6, 1998 Weekly Standard, by David Gelernter. He is a professor at Yale and a victim of the Unabomber. He wrote a book that Dennis highly recommended on his show called, Drawing Life, Surviving the Unabomber. In the article, Professor Gerlernter is angered over a course at Harvard that studies the Unabomber's writings. He wrote that the only reason why he is being studied is because he murdered and maimed innocent people. His goal was to have his name immortalized and Harvard is acquiescing to this desire. He wrote that Harvard is making the announcement, by teaching this course, if you murder, your name will live on at Harvard and anything you have written will be studied by our students. Dennis agreed with the professor's assessment and was equally angered at Harvard. |
|