The Battalion
Vol.92 No. 106 (10 pages) 1893 - A Century of Service to Texas A&M - 1993 Wednesday, March 3,1993
Cult sees raid as fulfillment
of prophecy, professors say
By JASON COX
The Battalion
Sunday's armed raid on the Branch Davidian
compound outside of Waco may not have been the
best approach, said two Texas A&M professors Tues
day.
Dr. Richard Stadelmann, an associate professor of
hilosophy with special experience in the field of re
gion, said "The Davidians expect to be martyrs in
the end of time. It's not wise to create a self-fulfilling
prophecy."
The sect is looking forward to the violent end of
creation and expects to be part of an elite group who,
along with the saints, will rule the earth from
Jerusalem, he said.
Stadelmann said extremist splinter groups like the
Branch Davidians are growing in number not only in
the United States but around the world because of
the popularity of the idea that "the world is going to
heir' and "science and the promise of a scientific fu
ture has failed."
"Evangelical groups are growing fastest and tend
tosplinter into 'holier' groups," he said
Dr. Jon Alston, professor of sociology and a cult
expert, said such paranoia appeals to people who are
disillusioned or helpless and perceive the world as
an evil place.
These people think their leader is Christ, and he
can give them refuge, a view the leader reinforces
through fear, he saicL
Alston said he believes the cult sees the world as
trying to destroy them and questioned the Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms's decision to send a
military contingent to serve a warrant to a group that
has amassed weapons in preparation for the end of
the world.
"If the leader is wounded, if he gets weaker or
goes into a coma, the members may give in," he said.
"The fact that they're letting children out may mean
they're getting ready for a fight."
When a group cuts itself off from the world and
lives in a closed environment, Alston said, their val
ues are intensified and people are less able to think
clearly.
Alston compared the cult to white supremacists
and survivalist groups saying all three dislike society
and tend to withdraw’ from it, cultivating a potential
ly explosive paranoid attitude.
Notes on Koresh
(AP) — George Roden,
who lost control or the Branch
Davidian sect during a 1987
shootout with Koresh, said he
had warned the FBI and other
authorities that David Koresh
was dangerous.
“They didn't believe me
then/' said Roden, a patient
at the Vernon State Hospital.
“I think they do now/'
Roden, who contends he
still has the votes needed to
remain president of the sect,
has accused Koresh of arson,
rape and embezzlement of
the church sect's funds.
“I believe he's deluded
about himself/' Roden said of
Koresh, who has referred to
himself as Christ.
“He's n? Jesus Christ. He
never has been. He never will
be," Roden said. “He's not
Jesus Christ any more than
Satan is/'
“He converted the leader
ship (of the sect) to Nazism/'
Roden said.
Leader waives promise
to surrender; 14 dead
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
WACO — At least 14 persons
died in Sunday's assault on the
Branch Davidian compound,
sources said Tuesday as a
promised surrender by the sect's
leader never occurred.
A well placed federal official,
who spoke on condition of
anonymity, said there were at
least 10 people dead inside the
Mount Carmel compound. Other
reports placed the count between
seven and 15.
Four federal agents and one
other cult member were known
dead in the initial assault Sunday
morning, with another cult mem
ber killed in a second gun fight
Sunday night. That body appar
ently was retrieved by cult mem
bers.
Activity increased about 8 p.m.
as buses and minivans with dark
ened windows drove away from
the 77-acre compound, and there
were reports that peace justices,
who serve as coroners in some
Texas counties, had been called to
the scene. One of the* justices said
they waited for two hours at a
checkpoint, but did not enter the
compound.
In a taped statement broadcast
earlier Tuesday, cult leader David
Koresh had said he would come
out “peacefully/' but the standoff
continued hours later. Negotia
tions went on into the night, said
Jack Killorin, a spokesman for the
federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobac
co and Firearms.
Killorin said agents were pre
pared to wait “a long time . . . we
don't have a time frame for this.”
Killorin said he expected that
the cultists had “ample stocks of
See Cult standoff/Page 10
FBI examines
Trade Center
bombing site
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — Investigators
combing the World Trade Center
bombing site said Tuesday they
were focusing on terrorist groups,
including a Palestinian organiza
tion that allegedly threatened to
set off a bomb here a month ago.
“We're looking at several
groups. I wouldn't want to name
the groups. I'd probably leave
some out,” said James Fox, head
of the FBI's New York office.
Pieces of a van were recovered
from the garage where the bomb
went off Friday, although Fox's
office wouldn't comment on a re
ported link between the vehicle
and the blast.
"If it was a car bomb, it may
very well have been a van bomb/'
Fox said without elaboration.
The names of two groups came
up in response to questions at the
news conference: the Popular
Front for the Liberation of Pales
tine, an extremist Palestinian
group, and Hamas, a Muslim fun
damentalist group that has op
posed negotiations with Israel.
In a Jan. 22 phone call to the
U.S. Embassy in Algeria, someone
claiming to represent the PFLP
threatened a bombing in New
York City within 48 hours unless
Palestinian deportees were re
turned to Israel, Police Commis
sioner Raymond Kelly said.
See World Trade Center/Page 3
Inside
Sports
•Women's basketball
prepares for last game in
G. Rollie this year
Page 5
Opinion
•User's guide for the
handicapped impaired
•A&M should place priority
on funding for Evans library
Page 8
Taking the final step
KEVIN IVY/The Battalion
Missty Martinez (left) has her wedding portrait afternoon. Martinez, who graduated from Texas
taken outside the System Administration building A&M in 1991 as a genetics major, plans to wed
by photographer Janette Hennigan Tuesday Joe Deutsch on June 19th.
South Texas schools
gain program funds
By STEPHANIE PATTILLO
The Battalion
Border colleges in the Texas
A&M System will soon receive
additional long-term support to
expand and develop new pro
grams as part of a cooperative
funding program between the
A&M and University of Texas sys
tems.
This plan was announced last
fall by both systems to provide
$2.1 billion tc\the border schools
in each system.
A&M border universities, Cor-
us Christi State, Texas A&I and
aredo State, have been granted
part of these funds over a 10 year
E eriod. Five universities from the
HT system also will share in the
fund.
Penny Beaumont, Texas A&M
vice chancellor for communica
tions, said the A&M System has
been working with the institutions
in South Texas to put together this
plan for developing higher educa
tion in that region.
"The best thing about this plan
is that it has been developed prin
cipally by the faculty and admin
istration at those institutions who
have the best sense of what they
need and how fast they can devel
op it," she said.
The plan comes after criticism
from state leaders and a lawsuit
by the Mexican American Legal
Defense and Education Fund stat
ing that adequate funding in
South Texas universities has not
been provided.
Further support may come
from the Legislature. The state
Senate Finance Committee has
assed an appropriations bill to
e sent to the House that would
set aside $65 million for the three
A&M System schools in the bor
der region for the 1994-95 school
year.
This increase in funding for
border schools comes at a time of
growing recognition among
See Border colleges/Page 4
Religious debate
Groups to argue God's existence
By JENNIFER SMITH
The Battalion
Texas A&M students from the Agnostic and Atheist Student Group
and Campus Crusade For Christ will debate God's existence and try to
understand each other's viewpoints at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in Room
200 of Heldenfels.
Dave Swanson, leader of Campus Crusade for Christ's debate team,
said the purpose of the debate is not to find a winner or correct opinion,
but to force people to evaluate their viewpoints.
"My hope is that both teams will work hard to make this a meaning
ful debate," he said. "While I expect everyone to come in with strong
convictions, my hope is that everyone there will look at the other per
son's side and think through their arguments.
"It will either help people legitimize their views or question them,"
he said. "People need to try to understand another viewpoint even if
they don't agree."
Brett Lemoine, president and head of the debate team for the Agnos
tic and Atheist Student Group, said he hopes the debate will open peo
ple's minds to alternative opinions.
"We want to get an interaction on things people see differently," he
said. "I hope to get people to think more about both sides of the issue.
"A lot of times when people start talking on this subject, they're sure
they're right and won't listen to anything more," he said. "We want to
get beyond that attitude."
The debate, "To Worship, Or Not To Worship?" will be moderated
by Jonathan Kvanvig, associate professor of philosophy and humani
ties. Each side will give a five minute introduction before the question
See Debate/Page 10
Republican representatives discuss impact of President's financial plan
Energy tax attacks
By STEPHANIE PATTILLO
The Battalion
President Clinton's economic
plan is a tax attack on Texas, Re
publican U.S. Senate candidate
Joe Barton said Tuesday during a
press conference at the Brazos
Valley Republican headquarters.
"Clinton's program is based
entirely on increasing spending
not cutting spending," he said.
The focus of it is to raise taxes,
not balance the budget."
Barton said Clinton does not
know the meaning of the words
"spending cuts," but he does
know the words "tax increase."
Texans, Barton says
"One tax in
crease he is
pushing is an
energy tax
which hits peo
ple with long
distances to dri
ve like most
Texans," he
said.
Barton said
federal pro
grams must be
put "under the microscope" in an
attempt to cut and consolidate
their functions to save money.
Barton
See Barton/Page 4
DARRIN HILUThe Battalion
Congressman Jack Fields dines with the Corps of Cadets on Tuesday
Students to suffer from tax. Fields says
By JEFF GOSMANO
The Battalion
President Clinton's proposed
energy tax is unfair and will im
pact college students, U.S. Con
gressman and Senate candidate
Jack Fields said Tuesday.
"A broad-based energy tax will
fall heavily on students at A&M,"
he said. "An energy tax is a re
gressive tax that hits hardest on
individuals with fixed incomes."
Fields, who is vying for the
U.S. Senate seat vacated by Secre
tary of Treasury Lloyd Bentsen,
visited the A&M campus Tuesday
for a speech sponsored by the
College Republicans.
He said increasing taxes is not
the best way to reduce the federal
deficit. Fields said he will not ap
prove any new taxes because
spending cuts will more effective
ly reduce the increasing budget
deficit.
For example, the federal gov
ernment could save $800 million
per year by eliminating the Job
Corps, Fields said. The Job Corps
is ineffective because the amount
of money spent on the program is
not proportional to the number of
individuals who complete the
See Fields/Page 4