Letter to Ed Rendell, Governor of Pennsylvania

On July 7, 2005, I sent the following letter to Ed Rendell, Governor for the state of Pennsylvania, and to several other state officials concerning the ongoing plans to build a Casino a short distance from the town and Battlefield of Gettysburg.

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To the Honorable Governor Ed Rendell:

With all due respect sir, I must say to you that I find inconceivable that any American would consider for a moment the building of a casino anywhere near the historic town and sacred fields of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The obvious attempt at exploitation disgusts me. Thousands of men bled and died on those fields. Thirty thousand emerged from those ferocious three days of fighting no longer whole. President Lincoln permanently etched into the soul of our nation the meaning of the sacrifices offered on those now deathless lands. He did so on the grounds where thousands who died to preserve this Union lay now in a place of honor at eternal rest.

Few places in the United States can match Gettysburg for the degree of sacrifice and historical significance. As the smoke of battle faded, the men who struggled there understood and asked for their sacrifice one thing in return. They left molded in bronze and stone their earnest plea that we never forget. A casino near the battlefield, attempting to capitalize on the honored name of Gettysburg and the memory of such valor, would disgrace this state in my eyes and those of the nation.

I trust that you will oppose the existence of this stain, this desecration, of that hallowed ground. The fields, monuments, and indeed the lands around Gettysburg which cradle this most precious of national treasures must be vigorously protected. We owe as much to those who came before us and the generations yet to come.

Although frequently quoted, the power of these words hold even today. "It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us--that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion--that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth."

The Gettysburg Address, Abraham Lincoln, November 19, 1863.

Very Respectfully and Sincerely:

Randy

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If you share these concerns, or if you simply have questions about the issue, please visit www.nocasinogettysburg.com. If you also wish to express your concern, please see the "politics" section of the NoCasinoGettysburg site for contact information.

Thank you.

Sincerely

Randy

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