Quote:
MARCO ISLAND, Fla. (Jan. 1) - The Salvation Army will not accept a $100,000 donation from a Florida Lotto winner because its local leader didn't want to take money associated with gambling.
David L. Rush, 71, announced the gift last week. He held one of four winning tickets in the $100 million Florida Lotto jackpot drawing of Dec. 14 and took a $14.3 million lump sum payment.
Maj. Cleo Damon, head of the Salvation Army office in Naples, told Rush that he could not take his money and returned the check, which another official had accepted.
``There are times where Major Damon is counseling families who are about to become homeless because of gambling,'' said spokeswoman Maribeth Shanahan. ``He really believes that if he had accepted the money, he would be talking out of both sides of his mouth.''
``Everybody has a right to be sanctimonious if they want to be,'' said Rush. ``I respect the Salvation Army's decision. I do not agree with it, but that is their prerogative.'' He said he has been giving money to the Salvation Army, an evangelical Christian organization, for 40 years."
Aside from the question about just 'HOW' gambling is the lottery, as long as the Salvation Army officials are not doing the gambling, is it really 'Forked Tongue' to accept necessary funding without regard to the source?
