Religious group, city come to terms over security of street
Texarkana Gazette
September 14, 2006
Religious group, city come to terms over security of street
Tony Alamo Ministries is, to say the least, a controversial group. They were recently at the center of even more controversy in their adopted hometown of Fouke, Ark.
After a bullet was fired at their church, Alamo Ministries hired a security firm to guard church property.
It seems the firm was a bit too zealous, turning South Circle Drive where the church owns property into something of a no man’s land, turning away Fouke residents who attempted to enter the street.
But Alamo Ministries doesn’t own South Circle Drive. It’s a public street, where anyone has a right to go.
After complaints from the public, the city says the matter has been resolved and the guards will no longer block access to the street.
That doesn’t mean everyone in Fouke is comfortable with the idea of a church hiring security patrols. But then not everyone in Fouke is comfortable with the presence of Alamo Ministries at all.
Supporters say the Alamo Ministries is just another Christian church and deserves the same respect accorded to larger and more recognized denominations. Alamo himself is quick to point out the contributions he and his group have made to the Fouke community since coming to the area. Even the city has acknowledged some of the group’s good works.
Critics, however, see the group as a dangerous cult and charge that leader Tony Alamo is a convicted felon who rules the group with an iron hand.
Whatever one’s feelings about Tony Alamo and his ministry, the fact remains that any group has the right to protect itself from threats. And someone firing a firearm through a window is a real threat.
But no private group has the right to commandeer public property such as a city street.
But no private group has the right to commandeer public property such as a city street.
It seems the situation in Fouke has been worked out amicably between the city and the Alamo group for the present. Alamo and his flock have a right to feel secure but must follow the law while doing so. And the city must see that the group has the same protection afforded other citizens, but also must make sure the group’s own efforts to that end do not violate the rights of their neighbors.
As for the rest of us who live in this region, let’s hope this is not a sign of things to come. It is a sad state of affairs when security guards—armed or otherwise—have to be posted outside our churches.