The Davidian Massacre by Carol
Moore
PREFACE
Even as a long-time libertarian pacifist critical of the United States
government, I felt confident telling a friend in early 1993, "At least
our government doesn't just go in and attack and kill a lot of people
like
the Serbs do in Bosnia." And on February 28, 1993, when Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (BATF) agents stormed Mount Carmel, I saw
nothing but what television commentators told me I was seeing--a bunch
of armed "religious fanatics," rumored to be abusers of women and
children,
"ambushing" federal agents. When I saw the bullets blasting
through
a wall at an agent on the roof, even I thought, "Sometimes you need a
little
government to protect you from people like that!"
However, as the siege continued and as I kept up with debates on
computer
bulletin boards and the news from "Waco," I began to suspect that
federal
agents were up to no good. I began to understand why the Branch
Davidians
were forced to take up arms in self-defense on February 28th. And
while as a pacifist I felt uncomfortable with the Davidians' continuing
armed resistance, I became intrigued by David Koresh, who I jokingly
referred
to as "little Jesus in Texas," and his defiant "Wackos in Waco."
I hoped David Koresh would quickly finish his book and surrender so
that
we could move on to the next stage of the soap opera: watching a
television
tour of the Mount Carmel "compound" and televised interviews of Koresh
and his followers--including his many wives and children; hearing
Koresh's
newest pronouncements on the fate God planned for the Feds; and
observing
the inevitable circus of the government's trial of "little Jesus" and
his
disciples. Would Koresh somehow triumph and go free as he had
after
his by-now famous trial for the shootout with a past leader of the
Davidians?
The story was just beginning to get interesting.
Only once, in a moment when I myself became impatient with the drawn
out
siege, did it occur to me that the siege might end in disaster, some
kind
of fiery inferno, but I shook off the thought. I told myself,
"Our
government would never do that!"
On April 19, 1993 I was looking forward to celebrating the 217th
anniversary
of the first battles of the American Revolution. In 1775 a
British
expedition to raid Minutemen weapons stockpiles in Concord,
Massachusetts
resulted in the Battles of Lexington and Concord. Even as an
advocate
of non-violent action who believes the American Revolution could have
been
won non-violently, I remain rather proud of the fact that I am the
great-great-great-great
granddaughter of Col. James Barrett, commander of the militia at
Concord.
(His son Col. Nathan Barrett, and Lexington native private Mathias
Hawes,
two of my great-great-great grandfathers, also fought in the
battles.)
Most of the Minuteman weapons were stored at Barrett's farm, which was
the primary target of the British expedition. Barrett later gave
the order to fire upon the British, should they fire first.
That morning I was late for work and had only a moment to be shocked by
the sight of tanks ramming Mount Carmel's familiar pale walls.
Later
a coworker alerted me that the building was on fire. For the next
half hour I watched CNN's live coverage and waited anxiously to see
people
fleeing. When it became apparent there were few survivors, I
closed
myself in a storage room and broke down sobbing in grief for people who
I had never known, and even had mocked, and yet with whom I felt a
certain
solidarity.
Soon enough I began to get angry--especially as I heard television
reports
that the Davidians had set the fire. I found these reports
dubious,
considering the way those tanks had been ramming away at the
building.
What a way to celebrate Lexington and Concord--burn to death
individuals
also accused of owning too many weapons. The British actually
started
a small fire in Col. James Barrett's barn, but they had the courtesy
to put it out! It was clear that the government's punishment of
the
Davidians was totally out of proportion to the crimes that it alleged
some
of them had committed.
Like so many others, I might have allowed the federal government's
actions
to fade into a disturbing memory, had it not been for two events in
September,
1993: seeing Linda Thompson's flawed, but eye-opening video, "Waco, the
Big Lie," and making the pilgrimage to Mount Carmel during a trip to
Texas.
In Waco I met with six surviving Davidian women and had the wrenching
experience
of watching the video again with them in their temporary home at the
Brittney
Hotel. I met with other Davidians at a religious conference that
November in Washington, D.C. After the Branch Davidian trial was
over, I began written and phone contact with the Davidian prisoners.
After returning from Waco, I and several other libertarians and
pacifists
formed the Committee for Waco Justice which has worked to remind the
public
about the government's crimes against the Davidians. With dozens
of others I have protested on the anniversaries of these crimes outside
the White House, Justice Department, Congress and the headquarters of
the
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation
(FBI).
Writing this book has been an angering experience, as I have continued
to find more and more evidence of federal crimes and coverup of those
crimes.
And it has been a painful experience. I have talked to or read
letters
from Davidian prisoners and survivors who mourn lost husbands, wives,
children
and friends. Considering the trauma Davidians have experienced,
it
is impressive that survivors, even the prisoners, display little hate
towards
those who murdered their friends and families. And so I have
chosen
to begin each chapter with a quote from a Davidian.
Contact with the Davidians has set even me, a former Bible mocker, to
studying
the Bible. I was especially impressed by the biblical recognition
of the "mischief" that can be done by statute, or under color of law
(Psalm
94:20). While as a pacifist I would like to see all our swords
turned
into plowshares, I only can support voluntary disarmament schemes, with
the emphasis on disarming governments. No pacifist can support
government
disarming the people by armed force and killing them when they
resist.
Unjust laws, not an overflowing of Davidian wickedness, brought on this
tragedy of biblical proportions.
My research and experiences have convinced me that the federal
government,
with full cooperation of the media and press, destroyed a loving,
committed,
interracial community and family, something all too rare in our
isolated,
alienated, bigoted world. The community, the family may not have
been perfect. However, its greatest problem seems to have been
paranoia
induced by a government intent on imposing its law upon families and
communities
and disdainful of their attempts to cooperate with law enforcement.
This paranoia proved to be justified when the federal government
launched
a paramilitary attack by 76 heavily armed men and women firing
sub-machineguns,
including from helicopters, and throwing flash-bang grenades.
When
the family refused to be broken and dispersed, the Feds resorted to
assaults
by 50 ton tanks smashing into the living room and kitchen until the
home
caught fire, killing the family and destroying the community.
Tragically, it seems that on the second anniversary of the fire at
Mount
Carmel one small group of individuals traumatized by the massacre of
the
Branch Davidians may have responded with terrible vengeance against
federal
employees in Oklahoma City. Two years after the deaths of so many
Davidians Americans again had to witness a search through burned and
mangled
ruins for the remains of senselessly murdered men, women and
children.
I pray that governments will learn to resolve conflicts with citizens
cooperatively
and non-violently--and that citizens angered by government tyranny will
learn the techniques of assertive and effective non-violent civil
disobedience
and non-violent direct action.
To end, special thanks to Larry Pratt and Gun Owners Foundation and to
members of the Committee for Waco Justice: Ian Goddard, James Long, Tim
Seims, Andrew Williams, Alan Forschler, Michelle McKneally, and Richard
Sanford. Thanks also to other investigators and interested
parties
who generously shared information, including: Jim Bule, Jack DeVault,
Ken
Fawcett, Sharon Fisher, Debbie Green, Dave Hall, Dean Kelley, Kirk
Lyons,
Michael McNulty, Gordon Melton, Dewey Millay, Gordon Novel, Jim Pate,
Dick
Reavis, Nancy Ross, Rick Sherrow and Mark Swett. Thanks to
participants
who shared information and their stories, including Phillip Arnold,
Sarah
Bain, James Tabor, defense, appeals and civil suit attorneys and those
few Mount Carmel survivors. And most grateful thanks to Davidian
prisoners who continue to speak out, despite their captivity, and who
remain
the continuing victims of these terrible government assaults.
Carol Moore, June, 1995
For updated list of Davidian victims click
here.
Updated 1/98
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