The recent news article I have heard about is the federal raid on Tony Alamo Christian Ministries' "Compound". This raid came on charges of child abuse (allegedly physical and/or sexual). I don't know if the charges have any merit but that's not my point in this brief commentary. Nor do I particularly care for Tony Alamo, he strikes me as a heretic and a false prophet.
However, what I am bothered with is how this sort of stuff is always portrayed in the media. These people's place of residence suddenly becomes a "Compound" conjuring images of militants holding out in a standoff fashion with a large cache of firearms in a strategically designed complex surrounded by barbed wire fences and guard towers. This sort of 1984 Orwellian speak becomes too much when I read of how they held church services at "the compound" yesterday.
Simply put, the "compound" was a church and place of residence for members. They have used the "compound" spin since Waco on all these federal intrusions and 4th ammendment violations.
An AP article can be found here.
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2 comments:
Their usage of the term is correct, given the word's meaning. What they need to do is expand the use of the word properly. For example, most gated communities can also be referred to as compounds.
If that's not acceptable, the proper term for this would be "fenced-in village of suspected pedophiles."
Hey thanks for the comment. Well, while I agree that in a technical sense the word applies it is sort of like how liberal theologians will refer to passages of the Bible as "myth" and hide behind strict definitions. We know what the liberal is intentionally insinuating by using the term "myth", particularly that the event or account being labelled as "myth" is a-historical.
Likewise the use of "compound" sounds militant, and seems self incriminating. After all why else would you be holding up in a "compound" unless you have been up to no good? This lends an air of justification to government intervention. That's my beef with it's use, it has more insinuated baggage than the strict definition ascribes to it.
That was all, I don't sympathize a whole lot for Alamo, from what I have read he is borderline cult leader. I just want to stand up for civil liberties, because an encroachment on one man's liberty is an encroachment on all men's liberties.
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