Branch Davidian Compound Analysis

The government versus the people will forever be an impending battle in our society, no matter the year or how society changes, there will always be a gap between the two. The burning of the Branch Davidian Compound is no different. When examining an abundance of diverse sources on the event, it’s easy to question who is in the wrong. Even as I read through articles and watched a film, my opinion was regularly changing. But in a society where the government and its employees are supposed to be our protectors and saviors, there is no doubt in my mind that if the ATF had handled the situation differently, many lives would have been spared. Therefore, the ATF (government) poor actions and own personal discrimination lead to the death of many initially

This is not something the ATF saw necessary to do. After they sought out specialists within the religious field they went against all advice. ATF was advised that entering the Davidian compound, guns blazing with hostility, would only provoke the group. Which in turn is exactly what it did. Also, the ATF seemed to have a lack of understanding of the Davidians and their religion, there seemed to be an underlying sense of judgement. “…inability to understand and relate to the religious beliefs…an abysmal lack of understanding of the phenomenon of the religious faith,” (Arnold 24). However, some might say that the Davidians were too extreme in their faith and beliefs. They may have taken things too far, they should have surrendered when they were told to, etc. This is something the media and authorities played up publicly. Correlating the Davidians’ religious rituals to those of a cult. Calling them ““cultists,” “conmen,” “zombies,” and victims of “brain-washing”” (Arnold 24). All of which were extreme and an outside perspective. The Davidians were already expecting one last drastic battle as foreseen through David Koresh’s prophecy. Therefore the ATF were giving the Davidians precisely what they wanted, intentionally or not, as it says in this quote “but if negotiators fully understood the importance of the biblical text to the Davidians, they may have convinced them to leave Mt. Carmel,” (Arnold 26). Consequently, I believe that was the first domino to fall that lead the undoing of the