Very clear and balanced presentation. I have been a fan of Frontline and POV for years. I appreciate the way your program addresses prickley issues with great finesse. I have seen the testosterone level of law enforcement make bad policy and decisions. It appears, as I suspected, that this is what happened in Waco, much to this nation's shame. I hope lessons about negotiation and patience in future such standoffs with manipulative people have been learned. If so, then something constructive will come from the ashes of "Mount Carmel." It is such a sad chapter, a horror few of us will forget. Thank you for giving us rational insight into the event.

Date: 10/18/95 1:05 AM
From: Kurt Dillard

To the creators of WACO--THE INSIDE STORY, I found the episode extremely interesting and informative. . . and quite disturbing. Thanks for maintaining your objectivity and detatchment while doing such an emotionally explosive piece. I feel that your coverage was very even-handed and fair.
I've always enjoyed Frontline, and will be a regular viewer in the years to come.

Regards,
Kurt Dillard
Austin, Texas

Date: 10/18/95 1:07 AM
From: Robert Bertrand

Your story tonight was balanced and thought provoking. But, there is a part of this story that still needs to be reported, what changes have been or yet to be made in the manner of how the government deals with such situations? Does the government still feel that use of gas is ok? Who will be in charge in future standoffs, the Ninja's; the Negotiators; or the Local Agent in charge? Do we still feel we need to flush the people out as soon as possible, or are we more able to sit and wait out such people? Do we still need a separate ATF or can it merge with the FBI? Can and should local authorities play more of a role in such standoffs? Would there be any benefit in a public admission of error by the government to build bridges with some of these militia organizations and other radicals such that feelings are not running so high. Such admissions could deal with the fact that some bad decisions were made and carried out, however, David Koresh and the other adults of the compound share a burden as well in not surrendering and starting fires in the compound. We know now much of what was said and done on both sides, now what will we do about it?

Date: 10/18/95 3:10 AM
From: Michael Lawler

Your informative documentary ended with the thought that the FBI's greatest mistake was allowing David Koresh to write the final chapter. The real mistake was the FBI's being there in the first place. Nowhere did you ask the obvious question: WHO allowed all that firepower there in the first place? WHY is a man accused of a relatively minor crime attacked with all the resources of the federal govern- ment? Why did your reporter not challenge the FBI agent who told Koresh there were only two documents for which he would die -- the Bible and the Constitution. He was busy making a mockery of it.

Date: 10/18/95 1:05 AM
From: Paul Bossi

"The Inside Story?" "The Real Story?" Give me a break. Your Waco program was one of the most tepid reports yet on the Waco standoff.
The supposedly new snippets from the wiretaps and tapes were played for at longest five seconds at a time and were used solely to reinforce points being made by FBI agents. The true underlying script for the program was obviously the whitewashed Department of Justice document on the standoff. There was not one sign of new investigation on the part of FRONTLINE; rather, the program appeared to be entirely a product of journalistic laziness.
I used to consider FRONTLINE the best investigative journalism on TV. The Waco program shows that at least in one case FRONTLINE has descended to the role of naive patsy for the most obvious kind of government propaganda. A big step down.

Date: 10/18/95 3:09 AM
From: Robert Bulechek

I thought the Frontline program on Waco was good, but it could have been better. For a program that I enjoy because of its hard hitting willingnes to examine the facts wherever they may lead, I thought this program was pretty soft.
I would have liked to have seen a more detailed examination given to conflicting statements made by various participants. Did members of the FBI lie to superiors to get their policies approved? If so, why wheren't they fired? Did Clinton approve of the attack? If so, did he lie about it later? Were any of the feds injured by friendly fire?
I thought the program glossed over the question: did the damage done to the buildings prevent escape from the fire? Is there more evidence about whether the Dividians or the CS gas caused the fire? Where people incapacitated by the CS gas so that they were unable to escape? And a lot more.
Even if agents of the BATF and FBI are not guilty of manslaughter, why wheren't many more fired for incompetance?
I hope Frontline will do a follow-up that can examine whether injustice has occured, who is responsible, and what can be done to correct it. For example, I am appaled that after the deaths of their family and friends and the tragety that occured, the government went after the survivors and put them in jail. It seems to me that they have suffered enough.
Robert Bulechek
Tucson, AZ

Date: 10/18/95 9:16 AM
From: Kurt Cianelli

It's good to see that my tax dollars are being put to use spouting the liberial line. PBS presents another series of shows reguardless of the facts. I wish you would not advertise your semi-factual docu-crap shows (ie The Civil War and Baseball) as a quality fact base news show.

Date: 10/18/95 3:09 AM
From: Peter Shriner

The 10/17/95 Frontline story about Waco should have been titled "WACO -- The One-Sided Story". The whole hour was merely a lopsided defense of the government's actions. Frontline presented _nothing_ that opposed the ATF/FBI actions and motives; offered no discussion of the validity of the original ATF assault on the Davidian compound; and didn't reveal how Frontline just happened upon a lode of files and tapes that finally revealed the "truth".
I thought the establishment of truth includes the other side of the story. Why did Frontline not present anything that might defend how the Davidians felt about (and reacted to) an armored, heavily armed assault upon their home and families? Was there no representative of the Davidians willing to talk to Frontline? Was there no physical evidence, no audio tape, no videotape that might speak for the Davidians?
Weren't they American citizens, living in their own home? What possibly justifies the actions taken against them? Dozens of combat-trained men with automatic weapons surrounded their property. Helicopters buzzed their buildings day and night. Their electricity was shut off. They were subjected to psychological warfare -- remember American troops serenading Manuel Noriega in Panama? Tanks drove over their cars parked in their front yard, and crashed through the walls of their home to inject toxic gas. And yet the FBI negotiators tell them "This is not an assault..." ?
Perhaps the greatest tragedy (and my greatest foreboding) about Waco is how the law enforcement people were just trying to do their job, supposedly to uphold the law. Have the rules of America become more important than the lives of its own men, women, and children?