The U.S. government siege in Waco, Texas, happened 30-years ago today. Spike Cohen breaks it down:
On this day 30 years ago, the US government murdered 82 men, women and children.
Why? Because some federal agencies wanted a budget increase, and they needed to create a boogeyman to justify it.
They descended on Waco, Texas to arrest David Koresh for allegedly modifying weapons to make them into “machine guns”, though they had no physical evidence of that.
Instead of simply arresting Koresh one of the many times prior to the siege that he left the compound alone, or simply allowing him to surrender after his manifesto was released, they chose instead to trap dozens of families in their compound, set it on fire, and shoot anyone who tried to escape as it burned.
The government then slandered the names of the Branch Davidians to the public, to try to convince us that it was good that they had murdered families, even children and babies.
We remember them today. Here are the names we know:
- Mary Jean Borst, 49 at time of death
- Pablo Cohen, 38
- Evette Fagan, 34
- Lisa Marie Farris, 26
- Dayland Gent, 3
- Peter Gent, 24
- Diana Henry, 28
- Paulina Henry, 24
- Phillip Henry, 22
- Stephen Henry, 26
- Vanessa Henry, 19
- Zilla Henry, 55
- Cyrus Howell, 8
- Rachel Howell, 23
- Star Howell, 6
- Sherri Lynn Jewell, 23
- David Michael Jones, 30
- Michelle Jones, 18
- Perry Jones, age unknown
- Serenity Sea Jones, 4
- Bobbie Lane Koresh, 16 months
- Nicole Elizabeth Little, 24
- Jeffery Little, 32
- Douglas Wayne Martin, 42
- Lisa Martin, 13
- Sheila Martin, 15
- Abigail Martinez, 11
- Audrey Martinez, 13
- Crystal Martinez, 3
- Isaiah Martinez, 4
- Joseph Martinez, 8
- Juliete Santoyo Martinez, 30
- Jillane Matthews, age unknown
- Alison Bernadette Monbelly, 31
- Melissa Morrison, 6
- Rosemary Morrison, 29
- Theresa Noberega, 48
- Judy Schneider, 41
- Mayanah Schneider, 2
- Steve Schneider, 48
- Mayanah Schneider, 2
- Michael Schroeder, 29
- Laraine B. Silva, 40
- Floracita Sonobe, 34
- Scott Kojiro Sonobe, 35
- Aisha Gyarfas Summers, 17
- Gregory Allen Summers, 28
- Startle Summers, 1
- Hollywood Sylvia, age unknown
- Lorraine Sylvia, 40
- Rachel Sylvia, 13
- Stanley Sylvia, age unknown
- Doris Vaega, age unknown
- Margarida Joann Vaega, 47
- Neal Vaega, 37
- Jaydean Carnwell Wendel, age unknown
- Mark H. Wendel, age unknown
May your memories be a great blessing. Your deaths will not be in vain.
We will end the ATF and FBI, and the cult of deference to an out-of-control government that allows murderous organizations like them to continue to exist.
On this day 30 years ago, the US government murdered 82 men, women and children.
Why?
Because some federal agencies wanted a budget increase, and they needed to create a boogeyman to justify it.
They descended on Waco, Texas to arrest David Koresh for allegedly modifying… pic.twitter.com/5jhp12xIJj
— Spike Cohen (@RealSpikeCohen) April 19, 2023
For many of us, this marked the day that we lost faith in our government’s intentions.