Why Waco is Still a Battleground in the 2nd Amendment Debate
In 1993, millions of Americans watched as federal agents laid siege to the Mt. Carmel compound of the Branch Davidians, after a shootout with the ATF left four agents and six Davidians dead. Fifty-one days later, the FBI sought to end the standoff by tear-gassing the compound. It went up in flames. Seventy-five Davidians died, including its self-appointed messiah, David Koresh.
Independent investigators later determined the Davidians had set the fire themselves, but after two decades the images continued to endure as a powerful symbol. Today, “Waco” is still a rallying point for antigovernment groups, militia, and self-proclaimed patriots who continually fear government aggression.
Related:
Memories of Waco Siege Continue to Fuel Far-Right Groups by Clyde Haberman
More Like This

How the U.S. Has Treated Wartime Refugees
What obligation does the United States have toward people who are uprooted by war?

Trump and Biden Both Want to Repeal Section 230. Would That Wreck the Internet?
Today’s heated political arguments over censorship and misinformation online are rooted in a 26-word snippet of a law that created the Internet as we know it.

The Domestic Violence Case That Turned Outrage Into Action
The ‘Burning Bed’ killing put domestic violence in the headlines.

Racial Inequality Was Tearing the U.S. Apart, a 1968 Report Warned. It Was Ignored.
Anger over policing and inequality boiled over in 1967 in protests and violence across the United States. A landmark report warned that without major changes, it would happen again.