One of the reasons I don’t support the states legalizing and encouraging gambling—be it the lottery or casinos—is because it appeals to the idea that we can get rich by doing nothing. I realize that for many, gambling is a form of entertainment. Yet very often the people who have the least are the ones who buy into this mind-set.

It just tugs at my heart when I see a poor individual standing there in the convenience store, buying all those lottery tickets—sometimes with young children resting on both arms. I cringe when I think about how much of their already meager wages are going into this pipe dream that they will find instant wealth. This type of thinking just doesn’t make sense. It’s a sign of a person’s lack of understanding. And unfortunately, the state encourages it. And even worse, in my state, the lottery is a sick way of taking money from the poor to pay for affluent kids’ college educations. How unjust can that be?

We must not only learn how to spend money wisely; we need to make sure we understand how to pursue money in a way that makes sense. Playing the lottery just isn’t one of them.