Readers share views on Fouke, Alamo
Texarkana Gazette
September 20, 2006
Letters to the Editor
TO THE EDITOR:
The streets surrounding Alamo’s “church” were being shut off. Everyone that had tried to enter had been met by armed guards. They have been stopped, questioned, tag numbers ran, told to leave and intimidated.
When the guards (RG Security) have encountered someone who knows their civil rights and refuses to answer them, they get upset. Not until all the fed-up citizens started really complaining to the mayor were the guards told to back off.
The citizens’ incidents with Alamo followers and the guards have been reported to the county sheriff, unlike Alamo’s rantings & ravings. Alamo said (by phone) that first he had the guards to protect the church, then it was for his black members, then his schoolchildren. What he needs to say is that he’s scared someone will come into his compound and discover what’s really going on in there. Alamo fears for himself and that’s all, as he has for years. His gifts to the city have bought him some time.
That is what Alamo does.
Research this group. But do not do it by reading his pamphlets as our
Councilwoman Pam Attaway must have done. She said all the bad things
That’s told about Alamo are rumors. I believe Pam is getting Alamo mixed up with Fouke’s real rumor “The Fouke Monster.”
David V. Coker
Fouke, Ark.
TO THE EDITOR:
The Fouke City Council meeting Thursday night on Sept. 14, 2006, held more people than ever before. The public showed up to give their opinions to the council about the road by the Tony Alamo Ministries. As people can see there has been several scenes take place over the past several years concerning the church group at the Tony Alamo’s Ministries. Citizens of Fouke has went to the mayor to try to get him to run them out of town. But he just told them that they have the right to live here like everyone else has. Mayor Cecil Smith has been taking some heat here in the past month, because the public is not satisfied by the way he has handled the situation. Angry citizens are running for mayor this November to get Smith out of office so they can try to take the situations in their own hands. In my opinion he has handled the situation as well as anybody that I know could.
People have said that the Tony Alamo church is a big cult. I am an ex-citizen of Fouke and have met some members of the church, and other surrounding churches in Fouke. And the members of the Tony Alamo church seems to have the bigger heart of any church-going people in Fouke, and actually act like Christians when there is a situation rise up like there is now in Fouke. If the street that is being blocked was at some other location in Fouke there would not be hardly any voice about it in Fouke.
People have said that the Tony Alamo church is a big cult. I am an ex-citizen of Fouke and have met some members of the church, and other surrounding churches in Fouke. And the members of the Tony Alamo church seems to have the bigger heart of any church-going people in Fouke, and actually act like Christians when there is a situation rise up like there is now in Fouke. If the street that is being blocked was at some other location in Fouke there would not be hardly any voice about it in Fouke.
It all boils down that some citizens doesn’t agree with the Tony Alamo
Ministries and so their doing everything in their might to get rid of them. If I remember correctly this country was based on God. We have “In God We Trust” written on our money and in our patriotic songs. So as a reminder I will quote a sentence in the Bill of Rights, The Freedom of Religion. This means you can believe in what religion you want, and do any religious acts you want as long as it’s not illegal. So if no one has any proof that they are breaking the law in their worships and acts, then let them worship by themselves because if we are worried about if they are going to glory land or not then we are in the wrong place.
Joshua Crabtree
Redwater, Texas
TO THE EDITOR:
Although outsiders see our town as “The Legend of Boggy Creek” town, some as a hick town, racist town, or however we are viewed this week, to most of us that live here we love our town and that is why we live here. Although troublemakers live in every small town, big town, and very big town, for the most part we are doing what YOU would do, or would want to do, if you lived here.
I’ve lived here just a few years, but it’s “home.” Even Mayberry had its problems, right? I missed the “town meeting” last night, but arrived after it was for the most part over. I was dropping off my grandchild at City Hall to her grandparents. Before I’d left the church in Texarkana, however, I knew there was trouble in Dodge (Fouke). I was startled, and hurt, at what was/is going on. When asking what was happening, I got bits and pieces, but enough to know that the majority is very upset. I’ve heard truths, half-truths, rumors, and a mixture of the three.
Sorting it all out is improbable if not impossible, but even having a fraction of the truth when it comes to what is going on with the Alamo people is enough for most.
Our people are not merely enraged about a city street being blocked off that goes nowhere anyway, but that it has come to this. (Why is the street called a Circle when it’s a dead end?) I’m not saying don’t say anything and don’t do anything. An old saying says this: If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. This is true, so very true, but remember to speak the truth in love. Remember what you call yourselves, what we call ourselves,
Christians. People are watching.
Rosemary Crabtree
Fouke, Ark.
TO THE EDITOR:
Mr. Williamson from the Gazette didn’t stay long enough at the Fouke City Council meeting Thursday night to get a full report. There was more than a couple of members from the more than eighty people at the meeting that asked about the Alamo people blocking the city street and writing license numbers and trying to intimidate people.
I was disgusted with the council for not recognizing the citizens were packed into a small room. There were people outside that couldn’t get into the room. They were there for a purpose and Cecil Smith as mayor could have put the concern at the top of the list instead of dragging the meeting out and the citizens having to stand in a hot crowded room.
The council tried to adjourn without hearing the citizens. They were forced to respond but Mr. Smith let a woman do the talking.
Denny Roberts, the Fouke marshal, said there had been no reports of any shootings, only paint balls.
Melanie Bottoms, a city employee, tried to run the meeting and was rude and obnoxious. She was making accusations about the “Christians” not acting like Christians.
There was a small group of Alamo’s followers with video cameras there to intimidate and some ugly accusations made from them about the Christians in attendance. Fouke is my home town, I grew up in Fouke and graduated from school at Fouke. Most of my family still live in Fouke. I’m tired of the Alamo followers putting their trash on my car, even at the church where I worship when we come out they have been there with their trash.
I have called the Alamo members and told them to keep their trash off my car. The people I spoke to are so brainwashed there is no talking to them. If you are tired of their trash on your cars stand up and tell them. There is a phone number printed on the paper. Citizens of Fouke, please take a stand before it’s too late. That is your town and you have the right to be heard. You have the right to drive on the street and you even have a right to drive or walk in front where they have taken over the state right of way with their flowers. Don’t back down from them or you will have no right. They will take over the town.
Remember to vote.
Sherry Potts
Texarkana Ark.