The 30th 'Anniversary' of One of My First Obsessions
Today, February 28th, 2023, is the 30th ‘anniversary' of the ATF’s assault on the Branch Davidian Church outside of Waco, Texas. Local news all over the country was obsessed with this "cult" living in their "compound," Mount Carmel. They were smeared with every possible accusation, including "white supremacy," even though half of their congregation was non-white.
When COVID started, I was in the process of writing the first few chapters of a book I wanted to contribute on what I consider to be one of the most heinous crimes committed by the US government in its history. Unless you've done extensive research into how and why the assault on Mount Carmel occurred, you're probably under the impression that this offshoot of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church was a murderous suicide cult. From my study of the diligent research and investigative reporting of some real American heroes, I’ve come to the opinion that yes, David Koresh—real name Vernon Howell—belonged in prison, but the ATF didn’t have to rain hell down upon a church to do it.
I will link here to the Academy Award-nominated documentary, "Waco: Rules of Engagement," that, if you take the time to watch with your full attention, will probably cause you to at least consider my opinion. This didn't have to happen.
In my opinion, the government was priming people for this kind of terrorism by using the most extreme elements of white religious groups (never any other religions, just whites) to get people used to the idea of being summarily executed, if you get crosswise with them. Then, they burn the evidence of the crime down to the ground, right in front of your eyes. Do you know how fucking tired I am of hearing: 'Land of the Free'?
I will never, ever forget what those bastards did. Definitely a before and after moment for me. In a way I think the ham-fisted, keystone cops buffoonery of it all made it somehow worse. Maybe not worse but terrible and insulting at the same time. 🤷🏻♂️