
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, May 6, 1993                   TAG: 9305060475
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-16   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

GOVERNMENT'S ACTION SHAMES AMERICA

THE ACTION taken against David Koresh and his followers was totally brutal and uncalled for. Everything was televised except the alleged firing of the compound by the cult members. Makes you wonder, doesn't it?

Attorney General Janet Reno has failed to convince me that the action was justified. There had to be some other way to resolve this.

I once was proud to be an American, but this total miscarriage of justice shames me personally and the rest of the country by association.

Freedom of religion, which was violated to the very maximum in this case, is a guarantee of the Constitution. They were stockpiling weapons and that supposedly brought on the first attack. They were evidently purchased legally, so where's the crime? All cult members had their civil rights violated virtually to death, so all surviving relatives should sue the government and Texas, and they should prevail.

This was a sad and tragic day for America. It's time for people to voice their grievances and bring the elected government under their control as our forefathers intended when writing the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

The dead have my sympathy and their survivors my condolences. BARRY L. CAREY BLAND

by CNB