The Waco Incident

The Waco Incident

My name is Jim, just Jim it’s easier this way, and I was one of the nine survivors in the Waco compound standoff. Before I go into what I think went wrong to our religious sanctuary, let me tell you how I met David and a little about our great deciple.

Back in the early 90’s I had been drumming in a nowhere rock band when I met and befriended David Koresh. I needed some new drum sticks, and on the way to a gig stopped in at a local music shop. Seeing the sticks in my hand the two strangers introduced themselves and asked if I was playing in a band right now. The two were David Koresh and his right man Steve Schneider. They gave their card and I promptly handed it back. The backside was full of Bible verses. “You guys are a Christian rock band,” and I really don’t get into the whole god thing, really never have. Which was true, I had never been religious in my life, and though I sometimes found myself asking God for a little, I couldn’t remember the last time I had been in a church, let alone seriously prayed. But I did have a spiritual curiosity; there were questions I had and answers that I wanted to know. Neither of them tried to push me into coming and praying with mainly they were looking for some one to beat the skins so that they could jam. Since my band was in the dumps I took back his card and said that I would call him.

Over the next couple weeks I hung out with them. I got to know Koresh and some of the other musicians in the band and all and all I was impressed. The more I hung out with them the more things I did with them I even sat in on one of their church sessions. I couldn’t believe how much of the stuff that David was talking about had relevance to my life. I finally went out to their community to play a live concert; I couldn’t believe my eyes. All people of all ages were extremely enthused about the scripture. I was fascinated with their spiritual search, and I began, for the first time in my life, to really read the bible and understand the words in it. I really liked listening to Koresh’s way of explaining the scriptures. He was clearly a serious religious scholar and I wanted to understand what he was saying. So I stayed.

One of the other things I loved about the “community” was the fact that all the people in the community came from many backgrounds. I met folks who hadn’t finished high school and others w...

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...n, even die for it, and holding up their compound under any circumstances. If you think you are safe, since the Waco siege is over you are dead wrong. There are thousands of religious cults around the United States who are involved in everything from molestation, embezzling, drug trafficking, and even murder. They too could start a small vigilante war over their religion. If you do not believe this, take a ride out towards Route 250, we almost had the same thing happen in our own backyard.

Works Cited

“As Reno opens new Waco probe, Military defends roll.” News Tribune CO. . April 3, 2000.

Meyer’s Peter. “Serendipity.” Waco Massacre 1996 April 4, 2000.

“The Rules of Engagement.” Waco: The Rules of Engagement 1996 April 1, 2000.

Thibodeau, David and Leon Whiteson. “A Place Called Waco.” Public Affairs Books April 2, 2000.

Reavis, Dick J.. “The Ashes of Waco.” The Ashes of Waco April, 1998 April 4, 2000.