Gambling figured in killing on Facebook

Gambling figured in killing on Facebook

While the media are in a flurry about how Facebook contributed to the senseless murder of Charles Godwin in Cleveland last week, they are completely missing the greater story. None of the events of Sunday through Tuesday would have taken place had it not been for Steve Stephens’ out-of-control gambling disorder. He showed all of the symptomatic extremes of a gambler on a downward spiral

While Facebook allowed the event to be brought to be in a very public manner, Mr. Stevens’ reported obsession with casino gambling is the classic case of problem gambling taken to its extreme.

His girlfriend reported a deterioration of their relationship as a result of his gambling, primarily attributed to money losses and time devoted to gambling that took away quality time with loved ones. She also reported extreme mood swings, and insisted he go for help. But as often happens, his urge to gamble exceeded his desire for help.

Last Sunday, it culminated in a rant that cycled from depression and self-hatred to a homicidal rage that led to the death of an innocent bystander and threats against his girlfriend and more innocents who might be in the wrong place at the wrong moment. Problem gamblers are noted for their tendency for rage and abuse of loved ones. Lethality is part of the end scenario for a problem gambler. If they don’t harm others they are likely to attempt suicide. And in this case that process was completed Tuesday in a vehicle on a street in Erie.

It would benefit the powers that be to not only take a close look at Facebook, but also at the concerns of problem gamblers and their loved ones whose plight is often minimized as a result of our desire to look only at the winner’s fun side of gambling.

Help is available, hopefully before another Steve Stevens makes headlines, The Problem Gambling Hotline (1-800-549-9966 or local 211) provides referrals and resources that just may head off the next tragedy.

Lynn Burkey, Youngstown

Burkey is a national certified gambling counselor with Meridian Healthcare.

Trump wreaks havoc on our Bill of Rights

The five rights guaranteed in the First Amendment to the Constitution are religion, speech, press, the right to peaceably assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. After watching President Trump’s news conference recently, I think that his administration will probably try to eliminate two of them: speech and the press. His news conference was a vendetta against the freedom of the press. Every question he was asked, he would skirt and then blame the press for telling lies.

This press conference was a golden opportunity to take this president to task on some of his lowlife escapades. If I was a reporter assigned to this conference I would ask questions like, “Have you put your hand up any woman’s dress ...”

Or how about “cheating contractors out of their hard earned money while working on your bankrupt business?” You better believe that some of his thugs would have me escorted out of the building.

Well, all I can say is religious people helped put him in office, women helped put him in office, union people helped put him in office, white supremacists helped put him in office and after all of his idiotic speeches and insults especially about women and the handicapped, don’t you think that a gigantic mistake was made? Come on now, admit it.

Bud McKelvey, Hermitage, Pa.

Stop blasting Trump, live as true Americans

People should stop complaining about the president and choose to live lives as true Americans should and be a blessing to our nation. It is not the president or government that determines the state of the country but the people who live in it.

People don’t realize what a great country we have in spite of it having many problems and trouble with our leadership. A Black Panther leader fled America and then returned saying that he would rather be in jail in America than free anywhere else in the world.

We have the freedom to do what is right, and people abuse this freedom and them complain because they are lazy and want the government to take care of them.

The Bible says that if a man doesn’t work he shouldn’t eat. Men should take care of their wives and children and pay taxes. They should pray for our government instead of criticizing our leaders and maybe the country could still change for the better.

Leo Feher, Youngstown