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Lost in the chaos Branch Davidian tragedy at 25: How the story overtook the storytellers
WacoTrib ^ | 2/24/2018 | J. B. Smith

Posted on 02/25/2018 6:40:59 PM PST by Elderberry

On a drizzly February morning 25 years ago, a Waco Tribune-Herald reporter knocked on a door on Double EE Ranch Road, 12 miles east of town.

He was preparing to ask permission to set up to observe “a news story” expected to unfold at a religious commune across the street.

A face appeared in the door, twisted in surprise and anger. The man didn’t let the reporter finish the question.

“Get the f--k out of here,” the man sputtered.

The reporter, Tommy Witherspoon, hurried back to a silver Honda Accord, where a photographer and another reporter waited. The car backed out of the driveway at 9:45 on Sunday morning, Feb. 28, 1993.

Up to this moment it was possible to believe that this was a local story — newsworthy but not world-shaking. Those in the car that day recall thinking of it as a coda to the big story that had started running the day before.

In a seven-part “Sinful Messiah” series, readers were learning about the Branch Davidians and their messianic leader, who had recently changed his name from Vernon Howell to David Koresh. A slew of ex-members accused him of asserting divine mandate to take at least 15 “wives” and to have sex with young girls.

Witherspoon had a tip that that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms might serve a warrant that morning for the possession of illegal automatic weapons. Witherspoon recalls expecting to see Koresh and a crowd of his followers come out with their hands raised.

Reporters from KWTX had gotten a similar tip and were waiting in cars down the road, but the station management hadn’t staffed up for live coverage and was scheduling the story for the 6 p.m. newscast.

For the moment, everything seemed under control. A moment later, nothing did.

(Excerpt) Read more at wacotrib.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Extended News; Government; US: Texas
KEYWORDS:
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1 posted on 02/25/2018 6:40:59 PM PST by Elderberry
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To: Elderberry


2 posted on 02/25/2018 6:49:23 PM PST by gaijin
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To: Elderberry

Gtreat story. Thx.


3 posted on 02/25/2018 6:52:12 PM PST by richardtavor
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To: Elderberry

In the pic showing ATF agents with a wounded agent wrapped in a blanket atop a truck hood, I see a female agent to the right. Why is she grinning?


4 posted on 02/25/2018 6:57:24 PM PST by sockmonkey
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To: Elderberry

Waco and the Seventh Day Adventist massacre of 87 people and 27 children ( under 12) by use of illegal tanks and illegal cs gas to set them on fire screaming to their death was the greatest crime ever against humanity in this country. There is no doubt that those Christians deserved nothing much less annihilation ordered by hillary clinton and the clinton regime. The portrayal of “Waco” on the paramount channel has been commendable except the removal of the references to Jesus and God. The murder of those people was beyond satanic. If you can watch “Waco” and the absolute murder of those Christians and children without tears— you have a very serious eternal life problem.


5 posted on 02/25/2018 7:02:03 PM PST by raiderboy ( "...if we have to close down our government, weÂ’re building that wall" DJTwe hav)
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To: raiderboy

A totally criminal act by the gov.


6 posted on 02/25/2018 7:12:32 PM PST by DonaldC (A nation cannot stand in the absence of religious principle.)
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To: Elderberry

Okay.

A story about the story tellers.

Read 2/3rds.

Bored...compared to what I watched unfold on TV...


7 posted on 02/25/2018 7:14:12 PM PST by Vendome (I've Gotta Be Me https://youtu.be/wH-pk2vZG2M)
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To: gaijin; SkyPilot; Roman_War_Criminal; null and void


William Jefferson Clinton sworn-in January 20, 1993.

This thing officially really got going February 28, 1993.

Looking back, I didn't realize just how short of a time WJC had been in office.
8 posted on 02/25/2018 7:14:52 PM PST by SaveFerris (Luke 17:28 ... as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold ......)
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To: DonaldC

It sadly resulted in the Oklahoma city bombing on the same day ( April 19) two years later.


9 posted on 02/25/2018 7:15:39 PM PST by raiderboy ( "...if we have to close down our government, weÂ’re building that wall" DJTwe hav)
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To: Elderberry

It wasn’t a “tragedy” it was an atrocity. The 6 part series “Waco” running on the Paramount Channel is excellent. And timely considering the criminal activities of the FBI - past and present.


10 posted on 02/25/2018 7:15:49 PM PST by TTFlyer
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To: sockmonkey

Because he died and she will never have to admit they were having an affair.../

Not being funny but, Waco didn’t need to happen.

They doubled down on their stupidity and conceit, killing the very people they were sent to help.

“I’M FROM THE givernment. I’m here to help”

“Uh...no thanks...”


11 posted on 02/25/2018 7:20:30 PM PST by Vendome (I've Gotta Be Me https://youtu.be/wH-pk2vZG2M)
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To: DonaldC
As with the Kennedy assassination and 9-11, the powers that be won the initial battle but lost control of the narrative with a large segment of the population. The MSM and their neo-conservative auxiliary have had a story line repeated ad nauseum through their outlets. In the case of the Kennedy assassination, the undercutting of the “single assassin” theory took place over several years and involved various researchers on the matter. With regard to the most recent Florida school shooting, the speed of the debunking is far more rapid, with various non-establishment sources criticizing the narrative within hours of the event. I doubt anyone in the MSM and the deep state saw the county sheriff and the FBI under severe criticism, even more than was the case of the Las Vegas shooting several months ago.
12 posted on 02/25/2018 7:21:52 PM PST by Wallace T.
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To: raiderboy

what was illegal about using cs gas?


13 posted on 02/25/2018 7:22:46 PM PST by morphing libertarian (Build Kate's Wall)
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To: TTFlyer

It wasn’t a “tragedy” it was an atrocity.


Bingo. The initial reaction to the 9/11 outrage was to fly the Ameerican flag. This morphed into describing the attack as a tragedy in a couple of weeks, and replacing the flag with yellow ribbons of mourning/yearning.

Outrage is good. It spurs us to action.
Tragedy is not so good, and no one ever mourned their way to victory. Tragedy does help suppress the ‘backlash,’ though.


14 posted on 02/25/2018 7:28:34 PM PST by sparklite2 (See more at Sparklite Times)
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To: gaijin

Democrat POTUS Bill Clinton and his AG Janet Reno kill 20 plus Children in Waco and it isn’t a story because the Victims were Religious Zealots.

Another Democrat kills 17 People in Florida and it’s the current Republican President’s fault (and the NRA of course).


15 posted on 02/25/2018 7:29:07 PM PST by Kickass Conservative ( An Armed Society is a Polite Society. An Unarmed Society is North Korea.)
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To: TTFlyer

The TV series was written, directed and produced by the Dowdle Brothers.

I was friends with both John and Drew.

Great guys and I am happy to see their continued success.

It is awesome witnessing someone you know chase a big dream and pull it off.


16 posted on 02/25/2018 7:30:22 PM PST by GeoPie
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To: Elderberry

https://youtu.be/Xr9pQ1pIbiU

Fairly long documentary about this. Has talk and analysis of the FLIR videos.


17 posted on 02/25/2018 7:32:12 PM PST by gop4lyf (Gay marriage is neither. Democrats are the party of sore losers and pedophiles.)
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To: Vendome
They doubled down on their stupidity and conceit, killing the very people they were sent to help.

Sent to help

What does the BATF have to do with children ?
18 posted on 02/25/2018 7:33:56 PM PST by uncbob
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To: Elderberry
It happened on April 19, 1993.

That day was a satanic holiday and its preferred sacrifice was killing by fire.

Hillary ordered Janet Reno to do it on that day.

Hillary likes to sacrifice people.

19 posted on 02/25/2018 7:34:25 PM PST by Slyfox (Not my circus, not my monkeys)
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To: uncbob

Nothing anymore.

They killed the children. ..

“Oops! Sorry about that...”

No one is doing a story on the men there, who executed so many innocents...


20 posted on 02/25/2018 7:41:42 PM PST by Vendome (I've Gotta Be Me https://youtu.be/wH-pk2vZG2M)
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