The Ruby Ridge Catastrophe essays

The Ruby Ridge Catastrophe essays Federal agents in body armor and black ninja uniforms, armored cars crashing up hillsides, even the fabled helicopters of militia nightmares Ruby Ridge had all the elements of a paranoid fantasy, with the difference that it was stamped in real flesh and blood. In the 11- day standoff, Weavers wife was shot dead as she held their 10-month-old daughter in her arms. A day earlier his 14-year-old son and a U.S. Marshal had been killed (Lacayo, 1995). But who was Randy Weaver? What kind of horrible criminal was he to deserve armed federal agents rushing on his house and family? And why isnt there a happy ending to this story? Randy Weaver was a 44-year old ex-Green Beret. He lived in a cabin in the woods of Ruby Ridge with his wife, Vikki, son, Sammy, and daughters, Sara, Rachael, and Elisheba. Randy also had his young friend, Kevin Harris, staying with him and his family. Randy and his family were subsistence hunters and farmers. They had a generator to produce electricity, but they had no televisions or radios. The Weaver family liked to keep things simple and keep to themselves. In October of 1989, Randy Weaver sold two sawed-off shotguns that were under the legal length to a friend. This friend turned out to be an undercover BATF agent (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms). Several months after Randy had sold these illegal shotguns, two BATF agents with an offer approached him. The offer was to be an informant for the BATF agency or be charged and go to jail. Randy refused the offer and about seven months later he was indicted on illegal weapons sale. He was then arraigned and told to reappear in court in February of 1991. Randy did not return to court; he returned to his mountain. A warrant was then issued for the arrest of Randy Weaver for failure to appear in court and for the sale of illegal firearms. These were the vicious crimes of the horrible crimi...