This 14-minute video shows students how the federal government’s botched raid on the compound of the Branch Davidian religious sect in 1993 gave rise to a nationwide militia movement of people advocating an expansive and individualistic interpretation of the Second Amendment. Students will learn how this movement included terrorists like Timothy McVeigh as well as lawful activists, many of whom continue to influence the national conversation on gun rights. Including interviews with militia activists as well as their opponents, the video provides students with context and insight on a defining cultural and political moment in the tug-of-war between individual rights and government powers. Useful for any lesson introducing Second Amendment controversies, the video illustrates why the right of individuals to own firearms remains one of the most contentious issues in American government.
Why Waco is Still a Battleground in the 2nd Amendment Debate
In 1993, federal agents raided the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas, and generated a legacy that continues to shape antigovernment groups today.
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
- Lesson plan 1: The Second Amendment: Siege at Waco
- Read transcript
- Producer: Liam Dalzell
- Editor: Bret Sigler
- Reporter: Scott Michels
- Reporter: Olivia Katrandjian