Rabbi Eric Walker, who calls himself a “Jewish minister of the gospel,” served as guest host for the first hour of Wednesday’s “Priority Talk” on WXJC, 100.1 FM in Birmingham.
The show’s first hour featured a discussion with Peter Rosenberger of “Standing With Hope,” an organization that educates and equips caregivers.
Walker began by saying the approaching Veterans Day was a good reminder to honor men and women who served in the military, many of whom need caregivers.
“In my lifetime of nearly 70 years, we’ve had 118,800,000 men and women in uniform,” Walker noted. “Every Veterans Day I take time to apologize to the Vietnam-era service personnel who came home and were disrespected. [Former Georgia Sen.] Max Cleland died a few days ago and he was one who served in Vietnam and suffered horribly.
“We must maintain our vigilance and care for our wounded.”
Honoring soldiers
Rosenberger described Veterans Day as honoring soldiers who “took off their uniforms,” and Memorial Day for those who never took them off.
“I’m struck by how one of David’s loyal soldiers, Uriah, is mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1,” he said. “Uriah wasn’t in the lineage of David or Jesus, but his name is there as a name of honor. He was a military officer who was treated badly, but who served faithfully.
“Many vets are struggling mightily,” Rosenberger continued. “We need to point them to safety, whether to an Army chaplain, a veteran’s counselor or some other helpers.”
Rosenberger said the larger caregiving world includes some 65 million caregivers in America who minister to physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual needs.
“As baby boomers age, more of them will need care,” he noted. “Our bodies are living longer but sometimes our minds don’t last as long. And we still don’t know what the two years of COVID-19 lockdown has done to us.”
Rosenberger, who said he’s learned to “speak fluent caregiving” after helping his wife with disabilities, hosts “Hope For The Caregiver ” on Saturdays on American Family Radio. He is author of a book by the same title.
The addiction of gambling
Greg Davis, the usual host of ‘Priority Talk’, was at Shocco Springs Baptist Assembly on Wednesday for the board meeting of Stop Predatory Gambling, hosted by the Alabama Citizens Action Program. Davis also is the outgoing president of First Priority Alabama and president-elect of ALCAP. He broadcast the second hour from the conference center with his guest, Harry Levant of the Ethical Gambling Reform Group. Also, you can try Pacific Ridge, if you’re looking for addiction treatment centers.
Levant told about his own gambling addiction.
“This disorder is, indeed, an addiction; it’s not pretty, it’s ugly and painful,” he asserted. “Gambling has been called ‘the silent addiction’ since those trapped seem perfectly normal. I was a little league umpire and a soccer coach and nobody knew about my addiction.”
Levant said he began to bet on football games at age 12, and went to casinos at 16.
“This was part of my family life,” he recalled. “It was never a healthy relationship and always a struggle.”
Levant worked as a trial lawyer in Philadelphia where his addiction grew.
“It became pathological and took control of my life,” he said. “Gambling is not about money. I say money is the ‘needle’ for this drug, but the ‘high’ is action. Gamblers think they have a sliver of opportunity to make it big, but it’s the ultimate con. Casinos have ‘hosts’ whose income is based on what their clients lose. And gamblers lose $60 billion every year in this country.”
As Levant grew disenchanted, he enrolled at LaSalle University to study for a new career as a drug, alcohol and gambling counselor.
“Gambling is often overlooked as harmful,” he said. “The NFL is partnering with gambling organizations to promote gambling as normal and fun. Medical screeners ask about tobacco and alcohol use but not about gambling. Since it is an addictive product, we must try to prevent access and exposure to it. There’s been exponential harm in other states that have brought in gambling under the guise of education or helping seniors.”
Davis agreed gambling is part of current political discussion in Alabama, with many leaders promoting it as a panacea to financial problems.
Rosenberger’s website is standingwithhope.com
Levant’s website is ethicalgamblingreformgroup.com. Also see stoppredatorygambling.org.
Share with others: