From: Gary Hunt at the Outpost of Freedom in Waco, Texas
Date: APRIL 13, 1993 PHONE: (817) 662-2442, ext 223Since I have been in Waco, I have had the opportunity to meet eleven members of the Branch Davidian Church. All of those I have met have been female members. It seems that the male members are considered to be dangerous and remain in jail, charged with attempted murder or conspiracy to murder federal agents.
Now you would think that the female members of the Church would have similar philosophies as the male members. However the female members are friendly, warm, outgoing, God-fearing, enjoyable to be around, non-imposing and generally just plain gracious people. It is hard to believe that they are friends with and associate with these hardened criminals held in the McClennan county jail. Who could possibly believe that their counterparts could be such hostile people?
Perhaps we can get a hint from what has been said by the male members who have been able to speak publicly since this event began. Most have been on the Ron Engleman show, and they portrayed no hostility, not even toward the BATF. They spoke of the pleasant life they had in the Church complex. Many had jobs around the community and were known to their neighbors as well as other members of the community. Some just worked around the complex itself. So, as I have been around the community I have had an opportunity to meet with people who have dealt with the Davidians and have been unable to find anyone who has had a problem with them. They appear to have been honest and respected members of the community. Perhaps I need to go talk to the BATF/FBI. I have heard that they have had problems with the Davidians. Perhaps they can enlighten me and help me to prove that these people are undesirable.
Moving on, we were led to believe that the BATF/FBI were such nice people when they so graciously provided milk (in nice, expensive coolers), videos (for the children) and medical supplies (packaged appropriately) to the Davidians a few weeks ago. I suppose that most of us thought that this was out of the BATF/FBI budget. It seems, however, that the Branch Davidians are not the sort that would want charity from anyone. They are a self-sufficient lot, so, they sent $1,000 out with the batch of children to pay for the supplies that they had requested. They left the difference on account in case they could convince the government that there were other supplies that they needed. It seems that the government refuses to send in many items requested and the Davidians are out the change from the first purchase.
Maybe they are really not out any money. It seems that the goods that went in included some un-requested items -- seven bugs (the listening type, not the crawling ones) were included in the packaging. I'm sure those things are pretty expensive, especially when the BATF/FBI needs to purchase the receivers to fill out the set. Seems David made good use of them by holding Bible studies with at least two of the bugs. Perhaps at least two agents received a bit of religious education. Something that they appear to be lacking.
As I understand it, a few days later, the Branch Davidians removed the batteries which resulted in the FBI accusing them of "cutting off negotiations."
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