THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, August 10, 1995 TAG: 9508100004
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 31 lines
Regarding ``Koresh was the villain'' (editorial, July 21): Those who think that the Waco hearing is an attempt by right-wing, anti-government, Second Amendment fanatics to smear law-enforcement personnel are sadly mistaken.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (BATF) has a history of violating the civil rights of American citizens. The National Rifle Association and the American Civil Liberties Union have joined forces to try to bring this fact to the attention of our current administration.
In 1980, more than 10 years before Ruby Ridge and Waco, Congressman John D. Dingell, a Michigan Democrat, made the following statement: ``If I were to select a jack-booted group of fascists who were perhaps as large a danger to American society as I could pick today, I would pick BATF. They are a shame and a disgrace to our country.''
Don't try to shift the attention to a group or an individual who is no longer with us and can't be put on trial. Instead, let's focus our attention on those who are still with us, who have done wrong and will probably continue to do wrong unless they are stopped.
JOSEPH ARNOLD
Norfolk, July 23, 1995 by CNB