Abstract

Since the tragic events of February-April 1993, Waco, along with Ruby Ridge, has become a rallying cry for the militias and self-styled patriot groups of the American far Right. According to the far Right, Waco represents part of the US government's program for the systematic repression of patriotic communities. It is difficult to measure the sincerity of their indignation, but the militias and patriots understand the events in Waco as a governmental assault on the First Amendment guarantee of freedom of religion. Even more importantly, rightists condemn the government's actions in Waco as an infringement on what they believe to be the Second Amendment right to bear arms.