The events of the early 1990s remain some of the most harrowing chapters in American history, serving as a stark reminder of what can happen. If Ruby Ridge was the spark, Waco was the inferno.

Never forget that nearly 34 years ago we learned the government will kill your dog, shoot your 14 year old son in the back and snipe your wife in the doorway while she holds your infant child.

Exactly 33 years ago today, on April 19, 1993, the 51-day standoff at the Mount Carmel Center came to a catastrophic end.

Twelve years ago, the nation held its breath as another standoff developed at Bundy Ranch in Nevada. The ingredients were the same: a dispute about federal overreach and the rights of the people.

At the Bundy Ranch and 2 years after that at the Malheur Wildlife Refuge, the government recognized that the presence of armed protesters meant any “first shot” would lead to a massacre. Unlike the isolated woods of Idaho or the closed gates of Waco, the world was watching Bundy Ranch and Malheur in real-time.

History shows us that when the government views its citizens as “combatants” rather than “subjects of due process,” the cost is measured in lives.The stories of Ruby Ridge, Waco, Bunkerville and Burns aren’t just about the people involved; they are about the limits of power and the sanctity of the American home.