Waco - The Rules Of Engagement

My first cinematic independent film experience was one I will never forget. Back in the early 90s, I would walk down to an independent movie theater and watched, "Waco - The Rules of Engagement." This movie would be a game changer. For the first time in my life, I began to question everything I believed  to be true regarding history as possibly being more influenced by the government and media.

Waco may not seem significant today. It was at the time a very polarizing story. There were many fringe groups that were anti-government intrusion. There was a danger that Waco could ignite domestic terrorism if the truth was shared by the mainstream media.

Basically, Waco was a religious group that lived on their own. Their leader David Koresh, was demonized for claiming he was a prophet. It was told to us he stockpiled guns and was dangerous. The media's use of vocabulary quickly helped us form an opinion he was extremely dangerous. Terms like "cult leader" and "false prophet" quickly shaped our opinions. Even the word Branch Davidians was used creatively by the media. For Branch Davidians were simply reformists of the 7th Day Adventists. No mention of this by the media at all during the siege.

The film exposes how the government had an agency that was inept. The ATF was quick to react to firearms in a manner that challenged individual rights. Prior to Waco, the ATF was embarrassed at Ruby Ridge. At the time, popular opinion was that the agency was poorly managed. The author of the film suggests that the siege at Waco possibly was a publicity campaign to bring the ATF back into a positive light.

During the siege, the cameras were not allowed within 2 miles of the compound. The media could only report what it was told by the ATF. The version we witnessed at the end of the siege was disturbing. The compound burned to the ground. We were told that David Koresh was a cult leader who burned the compound down. He was a false prophet. A disturbed individual with blood on his hands.

Well, a funny thing happened during the final days at Waco. It seems a private firm nearby was experimenting with FLIR technology and flew overhead the compound on numerous occasions. The recordings were disturbing and questioned whether the government story was true. The debate that never happened was a direct violation of our Bill of Rights. Essentially, there was enough evidence to suggest at the Congressional Hearings that our own government started the fire, not David Koresh.

The documentary leaves you questioning our access to the truth. After watching this documentary, I would realize that television and print can distort events without any realization by the general public. This film was highly censored and restricted at the time. 60 minutes was not allowed to show any parts of the documentary. The parent company of CBS was owned by Westinghouse. Westinghouse had many government contracts at the time, and those contracts could have possibly been at risk if their subsidiary CBS showed the film.

I went home and ordered the film on VHS for my class to view. Weeks after I ordered it, the FBI came to my door, questioning my purchase. It was an early example of how our government monitored a very young information age and who was using the internet for domestic terrorist threats.

Waco was an incident that is slowly disappearing from the history books. Today's generation may not even know about this event. Allowing this movie to disappear is a tragedy. It is a great example of abuse of power at all levels. Even if you come away believe that David Koresh is guilty. Can you argue that the confrontation was unnecessary? Could he have been picked up at a local Wal Mart as the documentary suggests, or was this to prove a point?

Authors Note: When I left the cinema that night, I was lucky that I walked to the movie. I noticed many people in front of the theater in suits writing down license plates. They were from the FBI. They were profiling and collecting data who went to the movie.