The “Waco Siege” occurred 21 years ago this month. This involved federal and state law enforcement staging a 51 day stand off with a group of Branch Davidians outside of Waco, Texas that ended with a raid which caused a fire and the death of 76 men, women, and children.[1]

The impetus of the raid was an arrest warrant for David Koresh on weapons charges. David Koresh was the leader of the Branch Davidians in a place known as Mount Carmel Center. The Branch Davidians were a sect of  Seventh Day Adventists who believed we were living in a time near the apocalypse and the second coming of Jesus Christ. They studied the bible intensively and in particular the book of revelation. David Koresh was known inside the group for his ability to interpret the book of revelation[2] and believed himself to be a prophet.[3]

Regardless of the intensions of law enforcement the raid became symbol of gross incompetence and government interference of individual rights.

The publication shared today comes from The Patriot Report, which was published by The Present Truth out of Indiana. The publication can be seen as part of the larger Patriot Movement with a focus on conspiracy theories and individual rights being dimensioned by an overpowering government.

There is much more to be read about the Waco Siege than I covered here. A good place to start would be Malcolm Gladwell’s recent article on the events at Waco for the New Yorker. You can find the article here: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2014/03/31/140331fa_fact_gladwell?currentPage=1

The Present Truth – Waco Update (1993)

The Present Truth – Waco Update 2 (1993)