Waco
My interest in the Waco catastrophe—and that is exactly how it should be characterized—began with my introduction to the internet. I had watched the ATF raid and then FBI stalemate with the same confused impatience as most Americans. And when the structures at Mt. Carmel burned to the ground on the that horrible day, I looked on with a certain level of detachment that disturbs me when I consider it today; though I am not surprised by it.
The internet's unique ability to amass information, both official and not, charges the genuinely interested to assume the role of editor and find “the truth” for themselves. What I learned in reading about these events (which did include real books as well) is how much is kept from the public in it's “best interest.” In this way the third estate really does service the first in what I now believe to be one of the most heavily propagandized nations on earth.
What this does is boil down complex topics into simple “truths” that the individual can hold. While you are reading this you are probably judging and placing me and my politics based on scant information. Some of you are already thinking “right-wing, gun-nut,” while others say “patriot.” I doubt I am either.
The television coverage virtually ceased the day after April 19, 1993. A two months long contest between gigantic media lenses trained from locations deemed “safe” by government handlers ended with no images available, hence nothing to show on nightly newscasts. Today, the story is mostly forgotten with all the clichés and unverified accusations, obfuscating any deeper truths then can be mined.
What I am is sympathetic, and wanting to see the story told. I am not a writer of prose and certainly not a journalist (though there are journalistic elements to some of my work), but I feel I can add to the œuvre on and about Waco. An artist can only do with what they are equipped and so I address this topic with poetry and music—my tools.
How you see the events in Waco says a lot about how you see America. It is amazing how many classic American political subjects the Waco story touches on: religious freedom, gun-rights, freedom of the press. Add to this the uniquely American penchant for self-re-creation and self-improvement and what you have is a very American story.
It is that re-creation that is central to the Branch Davidians. They are a part of a story that dates back to the Puritans, farther back to the Reformation, and father still to the story of the Exodus. It is also a very American story of seekers looking to build a “city on a hill” as the Puritans called it. A special place where they could live the life they wanted for themselves. That's not too hard to understand, is it?
Words and Deeds is a short piece for dancer and cellist, accompanied by pre-recorded music and sound design. It plays like a drama and has narrative qualities but is also abstract. That abstraction allows viewers and listeners to draw the own conclusions (though the piece has a point-of-view).
©2010 Charles Gran, all rights reserved.