Twenty-five years ago today, FBI tanks smashed into the ramshackle home of the Branch Davidians outside Waco, Texas. After the FBI collapsed much of the building atop the residents, a fire erupted and 76 corpses were dug out of the rubble. Unfortunately, the American political system and media have never faced the lessons from that tragic 1993 day.
Fifty-one days before the FBI final assault, scores of federal Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms agents launched an attack on the Davidians’ home spurred by allegations that they had converted semi-automaticrifles to full-automatic capacity. TheATF’s lead investigator had previously rejected an offer to peacefully search the Davidians’ home for firearms violations. Four ATF agents and six Davidians were killed in the fracas on February 28, 1993. At least one ATF agent told superiors that the ATF fired first, spurring an immediate end to the official shooting review. But the media trumpeted the ATF storyline that its agents had been ambushed, entitling the feds to be far more aggressive in the following weeks.
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I met a man in Maine whos wife was killed in the raid. He didnt talk about it much but he was so nice you would never have known what he went through. He did open mic night at my girlfriends work and I found his music amazing. The people there were not a "crazy cult" like the media says.
ReplyDeleteJust a group of nice people shooting law enforcement, one man having sexual relations with minors (per the victims statements) holding kids captive, manipulating minors into believing he was a oracle (per victim statements) refusing to let children seek medical treatment during pregnancy ( per victim statement, he was the father). The man was a MONSTER however law enforcement did make tactical mistakes. Law enforcement also waited way to long gathering evidence on that worthless pos.
DeleteYup, they learned to not act so fast, they just ignore the calls, and tips now.
ReplyDeleteNot just Federal lawr enforcement!
ReplyDeleteMishandled from start to finish and beyond.
ReplyDelete