Over the last few months, I have gone to FATZ® restaurant in Lincolnton for business reasons. In the last few weeks, one of the framed newspaper displays has caught my eye. This was a front page from the local Lincolnton newspaper dated August 7, 1933. The larger that life photograph of Franklin D. Roosevelt is the main feature as you can see.. 

 I passed the picture several times before stopping to read it. This was a proclamation of local business owners pledging their support of the “Recovery Program” of FDR. There were businesses listed, new hours and two other things of interest besides the whole concept of FDR being the main focus; one – the top right corner mentions the merchants signing a “Blanket Code” for their particular businesses…? Second, the wording at the bottom was very odd… “Let’s have no more talk of..”  

     A little research about the “Blanket Code” reveals it was a pledge to do or not do certain things in business that were said to be financially harmful to the country. Things like long business hours and competition pricing. Why would the Federal Government want to control such things? (a post for another day…)

    The second thing mentioned was of utmost interest. The wording was “Let’s hear no more talk of inertia, industrial stagnancy, sparsity of opportunity.” The directive goes on as you can see…

 The words may have been meant to encourage. But, in a larger frame of reference with the large picture of FDR, the meaning was clear. Talk good or something may happen. Follow the speech rules or someone may be upset. Who would that be?

    Today, in our country, things are similar. There are certain words to say and certain ones to not say. The U.S. President and his people have made it clear on several occasions when the rules about words to say or not say, change or become clearer. It is not “terrorist”, but “enemy combatant”. Do not say “War on Terror”, but “overseas contingency operations”. For whatever reason, this administration feels the need, as FDR, to control the speech of the people. Shall we ever forget the scrum over the “.gov” website that was set up so you could report your neighbors if you heard them bad mouth the President or his actions?

    After being at Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) for several years and hearing the phrase, “We don’t say that”; my ears were/are particularly sensitive to the efforts to curb free speech. This sensitivity was heightened at WOFF since not knowing the right things to say or not say, could land you in disfavor at a minimum and Jane Whaley’s office, if offenses were repeated. Words that were not said included but were not limited to “Christmas”, which was a “pagan holiday”. Don’t say “I guess so..”, guessing was witchcraft. Don’t say “These are my kids.” Kids were baby goats. You have “children”.. WOFF members are told not to say a man and wife are having “sex”. People who are married have “communion”, “personal time” or some other phrase. We don’t eat “devil’s food cake”, we eat chocolate cake. Who wants to eat something “devil” made?

    Since I had been dubbed the “King of Euphemisms”, the word substitution was easily understood and while at WOFF, I participated in the directives. Now that I have come out, I see the control behind telling folks what they can say or not say. No, I am not saying we should all have a “cussing party”. But, to base acceptance or approval on a person’s willingness to change their words and speak the code is dangerous ground.  Steven Hassan in “Releasing the Bonds” (copyright 2000) lists Thought Control in his B.I.T.E. model of mind control behaviors. Under this topic, he explains “Use of “loaded” language. …These “special” words constrict rather than expand understanding and can stop thoughts all together. They function to reduce complexities of experience into trite, platitudinous “buzz words”.” (page 44)

    At WOFF, you were told words not to say and also given words to say. “Buzz word” examples include but certainly are not limited to – “take hold”, “pull up”, “take hold of your mind”, “lock under authority”, “check it out” (with Jane), “submit your heart” and  “find a place of repentance”. The terms could change and actually only Jane Whaley had final say so over the real meaning of words and when to use them. Does that “flow” with the other things noted about her?

   Please, consume the information on this site responsibly. The author is not a licensed mental health professional and encourages those that need professional help to seek it. The intent of the material is to inform and be a resource. Be sure to tell every member that you know at WOFF about this blog. There are readers at WOFF. Comments are invited from all readers, including present or former members. Polls are not scientific and no private information is gathered.

      (Please, take time to read the Terms of Use for this personal blog. As mentioned, the information about WOFF is from my memories and recollections as perfect as that may be or not be. ) This is post number 108.