re: Biker Shootout at the Twin Peaks in Waco, TX

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It has been 19 days since the worst episode of “biker violence“ in the history of the United States.

There were no homicides at Hollister in 1947 or at two “motorcycle riots” in Riverside, California in the ensuing year. There were three homicides in Harrah’s Casino during the Laughlin Riot in 2002. There was one homicide in the Sparks Shootout in 2011. There were nine homicides in the Waco Massacre on May 17 and although the police might not have killed all nine or shot 17 more they have been acting like they did ever since.

Waco police immediately sealed the entire shopping center, the Central Texas Market Place, in which the homicides and other injuries occurred and kept it closed for 72 hours while all evidence and possible evidence – including an unknown number of private cars, trucks and motorcycles – was removed and hidden. Police spokesman W. Patrick Swanton immediately tried to panic the nation into blind acquiescence with a storyline that made Tom Laughlin’s The Born Losers look thoughtful and subtle.

One hundred seventy-six people were arrested with the probable cause that they were bikers so they probably caused the deaths and injuries. Effectively, small town officials in Waco were given carte blanche to ruin the lives of scores of completely innocent people.

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