(1) (this is the basics of what happened, there are many more details I won't include...because I don't have time to sit on my computer all day...sorry, also, I live in Waco so I and my family were very close to this story, though I was very young when it actually happened)
A 53 day standoff that happened near Waco,
Texas, involving doomsday cultists (Branch Davidians) led by David Koresh, and
government agents. The Branch Davidians were alleged to have abused
children, stockpiled weapons, and practiced polygamy at their compound at Mount Carmel, a rural area a few
miles away from the city of Waco. These concerns increased to the point that the local paper, The Waco Tribune-Herald, backed by the community, began to pressure the authorities to take action against the Davidians. This is when the
FBI and the BATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms) decided to raid the compound. The Branch Davidians barricaded themselves inside a large building on the compound (after 4 agents and
5 Davidians were shot and killed), they were in there for 50 days, while the agents tried to negotiate with Koresh to release the
children and other innocent people in the building. The building they were in caught fire on day 51, April 19, killing 76 Davidians (27 of them
children) including Koresh. Most of them didn't even try to flee the building. No one knows for sure if the fire was set by the agents or the Davidians, and there is evidence supporting both sides.
While it is
sad that this happened, it is not comparable to atrocities such as Tienemen
square, because the
government agents were going after *armed criminals*, NOT peaceful, unarmed protestors. While innocent people were involved, they were not the targets of the raid. They were the people the agents were there to try and save. While they were unsuccessful and made many mistakes, even lieing about some of their mistakes, it is misleading to label their actions as malicious.
(2) The only thing my hometown is known for. Well that and
Dr Pepper...
