It's April of 1993 in Waco, Texas. The FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms is at siege with the Branch Davidians at Mount Carmel. The religious sect had been accused of amassing and modifying illegal firearms, and the Bureau is attempting to act off of the warrant they have been given to invade the compound. A shootout occurs, causing the first casualties. Negotiations aren't working, and communication is breaking on both sides. The FBI begins using sleep deprivation tactics and ends up resorting to using tear gas on the members inside. A fire springs up, leaving only nine of the followers alive. The apocalypse that the leader of the movement, David Koresh, had preached has occurred.
To this day, no one really knows who started the shootout or the fire. The event divided Americans and was viewed as an attack by the government on the rights of the people. Many viewed the events at Waco as the government stepping in and denying the right to religion and the right to bear arms to more extreme citizens. The Branch Davidians were a religious sect that believed that God would gather 144,000 people before the end and that they would go to Israel in the Battle of Armageddon along with the Israelis. The only crimes they had committed were being part of a religion that the government didn't understand and using weapons that were theirs under the Second Amendment. In fact, this belief manifested in the Oklahoma City Bombing, as the perpetrator himself claimed that his actions were revenge for those who had died in Waco.
So what really happened, and which side was wrong?
Looking back at the government's actions, it's clear that many things could have been done to prevent such a tragedy. The government's first mistake was that they simply did not try to understand the Branch Davidians. By failing to connect with those inside the compound, the FBI made it impossible for true compromise to be reached. They believed those of the religious sect were brainwashed and merely a cult. Instead of reaching a solution, the government caused the death of innocent people who were following a religion they believed in. Additionally, the Bureau was also making a last ditch effort to secure more funding as their resources were being cut. Their motives were far from just, and it manifested in the failure of the event.
Yet it was true that the Branch Davidians, especially David Koresh, weren't all they seemed to be. While they seemed like respectable members of the community, there were many things people didn't see about the religion. Koresh abused his power as the "messiah," physically and sexually assaulting various individuals within the compound. He used the women and wives of the community to build a harem, claiming that the children they were giving birth to would be the elders of the new world. Furthermore, evidence points to the fact that during the siege, Branch Davidians killed those who attempted to escape and spread the fire themselves.
However, it is still impossible to say what really happened during the siege and who was at fault for the incident. There are many differing accounts from eye witnesses and the government itself. All that remains is the seed of hatred Waco serves to remind us. Our government and our society aren't perfect, and divisions between ideals will always exist.
SOURCES:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/04/16/waco-25-year-anniversary-david-koresh/521276002/
https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/news/david-koresh-waco-cult-showdown-ends-in-disaster-in-1993-w514987https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/waco-tv-series-siege-truth-what-really-happened-david-koresh-branch-davidians-cult-fbi-paramount-a8179936.html
Great post, Sophia! I'd never heard of this event at all before your post, and I thought it was super interesting that you discussed the constitutionality of the government's actions as well as serious issues within the Branch Davidian compound. Apparently, the compound involved in this incident was far different that the Branch Davidians who established their religion in the 1930s. David Koresh actually broke away from the rest of the church in the 1980s and proclaimed himself the "Final Prophet". Following this, his followers were involved in many shootouts with other sects of Branch Davidians, including that led by Roden. Ultimately, Koresh's sect became known as Koreshians after they took over the compound they occupied during the events of 1993.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.britannica.com/topic/Branch-Davidian