Re: "No admission"
Well, that is sad, because the ATF did raid the home by land and air, as their first action, just as I said all along(and you incorrectly denied).
Re: "Wrong. If an officer pulls you over, and thinks you are a menance, then he has every right (and duty) to arm himself."
I agree, and so what? I didn't say otherwise, and wouldn't.
Can't you distinguish between your example, and mine?
Re: "Your 'offensive guns' is an odd statement; is there a difference between a 'defensive' gun and an 'offensive' gun? You are betraying your leanings with such statements."
I don't know what leanings you think I'm betraying, but your analysis is odd considering that I actually wrote "offensive guns-drawn manner AND shooting first," as I recall. If your officer approaches my car SHOOTING at me, while talking later, I'm entitled to feel I'm dealing with a madman acting outside of the constitution(particularly if I know I'm innocent of having done or intending harm), and have a right to defend myself against him.
You need to check what facts are known of this case, AND brush up on the laws of this country.
Of course officers have the right to defend themselves when fired upon. Surely you noticed that when the officers quit shooting, the Davidians quit too! Why was that? Why DIDN'T they finish what they purportedly started(Logical answer: The ATF shot first - though this may never be known)?
Re: "In negotiations with a madman who, as you admit, is 'holding hostages', you'll say what needs to be said to save lives."
I didn't "admit" that Koresh was holding hostages, as you apparently fabricate above. Perhaps you culled that from one of the sources I've quoted, but not from me. Furthermore, if you think that pretending your men didn't have guns in the helicopters when your "madman" obviously saw otherwise, was a something said to save lives, I'm sure I'd hate to have you for a hostage negotiator in my town.
Fact is, you don't know that Koresh killed himself and "all" his followers. In fact, he COULDN'T have killed all his followers, as children in there died from the Tear Gas the FBI filled the place with. That's just the sad reality, intentional or not, Tear Gas having been thought to be a reasonable substance to use in the circumstances or not. By the by, do you say they were Koresh followers? Or, were they followers turned unwilling hostages, who despite their "hostage" status never-the-less fired at the ATF agents without being shot at first, only to quit firing when the ATF quit firing?
Do you have ANY evidence to back up your assertion that Koresh never had any intention of letting his people live? I think not.
Dan B |
