When I say “Waco” some think of the town in central Texas, but many think of the incident that went down in 1993 between the federal government — specifically the ATF and FBI — and the Branch Davidians, and many times their initial reaction is something along the lines of “those crazy cultists got what they deserved.” I for one don’t agree with this perspective and think it’s important to inject some truth into what actually went down.
When I worked at the Institute for Humane Studies we showed the documentary Waco: The Rules of Engagement at some seminars, which we immediately followed up with a lecture on the philosophical underpinnings of self-ownership, including the right to defend your person. This one-two punch definitely caused many students to think and question the government’s stance.
The story of what happened at Waco, like so many others, needs to be told so that we remain vigilant. So that those that initiate force against others — whether they have a badge or not — are held accountable. That’s why, when hammering out our Southern Style route itinerary, I made sure we stopped by the Branch Davidian property outside Waco.
In addition to Charlie Pace, a Davidian that allowed us to videotape our conversation, I also spoke with two women who called the Davidian property home. The entire experience was a bit surreal for me, particularly because the carnage of what happened was still so visible but I trust we did a good job communicating at least a broad overview of what happened.
Molon labe!