Monday, September 22, 2008

Still, just watching.....

The only reason I am MORE familiar with Tony Alamo (I hear his name is pronounced a LAH mo) today, as opposed to last week is that I have posted twice now about his group (and him) and on Monday of last week I would have confused him in all likelyhood with "Tony Orlando."

Fox News - FOUKE, Ark. — "State and federal authorities are investigating the possible sexual abuse of minors at a 15-acre evangelical compound run by a convicted tax evader who critics describe as a cult leader.

The Tony Alamo Christian Ministries complex in southwestern Arkansas was raided Saturday by more than 100 federal and state police, and six children have been placed in temporary state custody and are being interviewed."


This is of course, dicey stuff. Particularly when he is now being tried in the press.

"No one was arrested, but U.S. Attorney Bob Balfe said prior to the raid that he expects a warrant to be issued for Alamo, 74, who has a long history of tangling with law enforcement."


That's hardly neutral wording. Granted that it is true, but what does this have to do with child abuse? Why would someone who evades taxation, probably through the tax exempt status of a ministry or the attempted use of such status, be involved in child abuse other than coincidentally? In other words; what has one to do with the other?

It would seem that once again, law enforcement is inside the walls of a building or home via the coattails of claimed child abuse, and now looking for a crime. Unlike the FLDS story I have no feel whatsoever for the validity of the original raid. For all I know there may be a "Tony Alamo Child Porn Weekly" hand written by Tony. The authorities may already have damning evidence and went in for good cause. I'm just nervous about using kids as a pretext for gathering other evidence. With good reason.

A clue as to the validity of the investigation may be contained here;

"Alamo told The Associated Press in an interview Saturday that no child pornography was generated at the ministry but that 'consent is puberty' when it comes to sex. Alamo, who said he was in the Los Angeles area, said the government is trying to harass him."


At the very least, Mr. Alamo is sticking his foot in his mouth.

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