April 19, 1993 - Fed's Slaughter Citizens in Waco

PBS ^ | 1998 | WGBH/Frontline

[ASTM366]

Having been attacked by over 100 armed BATF agents on a Sunday morning in late February 1993, the Branch Davidians, a small band of fundamentalist Christians living at a Church commune near Waco, Texas were surrounded. They had been surrounded for 51 days, subjected to psychological warfare techniques and surrounded by federal law enforcement agents who had lost all patience. What the BATF couldn't accomplish, the FBI was going finish. Despite the presence of innocent infants, children, adolescents and women the FBI ordered a military style attack on the buildings of the compound. The rest is history......

[JZoback]

Does anyone have a clue as to why this was done

Yes, Bill Clinton wanted the world to know and especially the right wing religious in this coutry one simple message

YOU F*** WITH ME AND YOU WILL DIE A HORRIBLE DEATH.

Remember he was Perverident for only a bit more than a year. All the scandals had yet to be happen or be exposed.

He and Hillary were feeling pretty powerful.

In my mind it was a watershed day in America and a day that day changed in my mind the way I look at government.

These folks were simpilied murdered in cold blood

I pray one day they all get the eternal justice.

[JZoback]

David Koresh was a murderous thug who was abusing women and kiddies!

Really, who did he murder?

Oh, the thugs that were storming his home military style

Abusing women and children were never confirmed

"I'm from the federal government and I'm here to help you"

[suijuris]

As a Freeper and a conservative, I can't believe the load of hooey you express about Waco. The Branch Davidians were a looney group of religious nuts who thought David Koresh was God. The Justice Dept had evidence of federal criminal offenses by Koresh and the group and went to arrest the dumb bastard, when he killed himself and everyone else inside by starting a fire.

Perhaps you could list all of Koresh's/Davidian's heinous crimes. The govt never really even proved there were automatic weapons at Mt Carmel; as an independent examination of the supposed evidence (converted AR-15s etc.) was never allowed. Even if that were true, the crime of possesing unregisterd automatic weapons (while unconstitutional) is a TAX crime. Do we kill citizens for violations of tax code? Apparently yes.

As far as Koresh killing himself and everyone inside, and starting the fire, all we have is a very suspect muffled tape of Davidians supposedly talking about lighting something. On the other hand there is a lot of Flir tape proving the Govt used automatic weapons fire on Davidians trying to escape from klling themselves. You sir are either a govt shil, grossly misinformed or an idiot.

sui

[JZoback]

This event was probably one of the only things the Clintoon administration did right

Before opening your month and making a fool of yourself again, do just a little research on the subject and you will find out these people were murdered by our federal government with the express consent of Perverident of the United States.

I'm not saying The Branch Davidians were not a little out there, but nobody needed to die that day. What about the concept of freedom of religion?

BTW, they did not think David Koresh was God. That was my first clue you are clueless on the subject.

[backhoe]

Thank you both-- I wrote a couple of rejoinders to the lad guy & tore them up, not really feeling like getting into an ignorance- bashing contest with the guy. There's no excuse for anyone who has been on the web a while being so uninformed.

[JZoback]

There's no excuse for anyone who has been on the web a while being so uninformed.

Lately, on FR, I'm beginning to think JimRob should give a ignorance test for the newbies.

If you fail, you are limited to a six word response and two posts per thread.

[StACase]

Remember he was Perverident for only a bit more than a year.

He had just taken office, January 1993. Not that it's an excuse, but you ought get your facts right.

[backhoe]

Not a bad idea... we do seem to have another wave of trolls, disruptors, disinformants, and general ignoramuses washing over us again.

I'll never forget what I heard on Mike Reagan's show years ago- he had a Waco segment, and asked

"Where's the outrage?"

The first caller up had the perfect reply:

"Waco was about the instilling of fear...
...so there'd be no outrage."

[JZoback]

He had just taken office, January 1993. Not that it's an excuse, but you ought get your facts right.

Tanks, you are correct, mis-counted a year.

Must be because I have only nine fingers

Just kidding

[log_cabin_gop_boy]

Great Point. Perhaps Dave K. and his band of followers should have done what most criminals do when to Police kick in you front door, and that is put your hands on your head and let the courts take care of the rest. If he were innocent, and he did what even the least intelligent crack dealer does when the police come, he and his followers would be alive today.

[log_cabin_gop_boy]

Remember he was Perverident for only a bit more than a year. All the scandals had yet to be happen or be exposed.

So, what is your opinion of the massacre at Ruby Ridge? Was that Clinton's fault too?

[Howie]

"By the way, dumb ass, read the news reports and profiles of Koresh and you will see that some, not all, of his followers thought he was God"

I have read thousands of pages of Waco related info and have never seen anything suggesting the Davidians though they were God, or that they thought Koresh was God.

Let me gues, I'll bet you think all members of the BATF are God?

[quebecois]

The real unspoken story of Waco is the change it typifies in the federal government. Fifty years ago, it was universally accepted in america that the federal government did not have jurisdiction in law enforcement (except in a few, constitutionally enumerated areas such as treason and counterfeiting). The FBI is called the fed bur of INVESTIGATION because, when it was founded, there were cries that it violated the above prohibition of creating a federal police force. Thus, the public was told that the FBI would not have arrest powers and would not carry weapons....it would just investigate crime. Armed policing was the jurisdiction of state/local police and county sheriffs.

Fifty years later, we have more than a federal police force...but essentially a federal, militarized law enforcement agency. We also have a government that recognizes no limits on its authority.

This is nothing less than a coup d'etat against the constitution by the federal government.

[JZoback]

So, what is your opinion of the massacre at Ruby Ridge? Was that Clinton's fault too?

Boy, you are going to have got up a lot earlier in the morning to pull that one off

I got my facts straight about Waco and Rudy Ridge.

George H. Bush was President when that little federal thuggery happened.

...and yes, it was wrong also.

Since you are such a smart ass!

How much money did Randy Weaver successful sue the government for and win?

Hint: Randy Weaver was the guy the government set up

[JZoback]

By the way, dumb ass, read the news reports and profiles of Koresh

I have read almost everything about Waco from both sides of the issue

I refuse to waste my time on morons.

Believe what you want.

[meyer]

Puleeeeas-----David Koresh was a murderous thug who was abusing women and kiddies!

And that was determined by what jury in what court of law?????

[A. Pole]

David Koresh was a murderous thug

Your English is worse than mine. You wanted to say that Koresh "was murdered". To be murdered is a pasive mode, to be "murderous" suggests the opposite.

[suijuris]

If he were innocent, and he did what even the least intelligent crack dealer does when the police come, he and his followers would be alive today.

Have you been living under a rock? Quite a bit of evidence that jack booted thugs were not interested in a peaceful arrest. The federalies fired first. Oh yeah, one important piece of evidence ended up missing...the front door with bullet holes from the outside.

, Stay stupid...stay safe.

sui