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The Federal Siege at Ruby Ridge: In Our Own Words
The story of Ruby Ridge in 1992, as told by Randy Weaver and his daughter Sara.
174 pages, Paperback
First published June 3, 1998
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
October 4, 2019
This book was coauthored by two people who were there.
Spoilers below
Imagine that a government snitch needs to get the goods on somebody least he goes to jail, so he does something illegal. He entraps you by getting you to commit a crime. Having committed the crime, the snitch's handlers tell you that the charges will be dropped if you become a snitch yourself. Say you refuse. Now imagine that through a series of mistakes, incompetence, and political pressure, the snitch's handlers create a profile on you as being armed and extremely dangerous criminal who has been arrested in the past and who has robbed some banks, even though this is totally untrue. Imagine that when they FINALLY decide to apprehend you for these imaginary crimes, ATF and FBI snipers shoot and kill not only one of their own, but your 12 year old son and his dog as they are running home. And then they shoot your wife in the face as she is standing in the doorway holding her one year old baby daughter. This is basically what happened to Randy Weaver at Ruby Ridge.
By the way, there is no Ruby Ridge. That was the name invented by the media because maybe it had a good ring to it. They also helped label him as somebody worth killing. By the way, in spite of what I heard the assholes say on the radio, as if it were a matter of fact, he was not a white-supremist. And the FBI sniper's kill orders were illegal too.
I apologize if I have given away too much in the way of spoilers but so many people still believe the lies about Randy Weaver and what happened that fateful day. In spite of senate hearings, the FBI hide the truth. If you read what all the FBI did, and got away with, it is no wonder there were no survivors at Waco and the place was burnt to the ground. Instead of being reprimanded, or punished for their actions at Ruby Ridge, these same individuals, who wanted no survivors, were placed in charge at Waco. Conspiracy theories, I hardly think so after reading this book. By the way, the Weaver family sued the government for the wrongful deaths. In typical fashion, the government denied any wrong doing but settled out of court. So what does that tell you?
I met Randy at a gun show in Lake County, Illinois some years ago. He seemed like a nice man in spite of all that anger he may have had inside of him. While we were talking, I couldn't help but notice this elderly couple who were ignoring potential customers while starring at Randy and anybody talking to him. I can't imagine what ATF or FBI pulled on them to make them snitches so they would spy on Randy.
The FBI was created with noble intentions by good people. At Ruby Ridge the bad ones were killing people on sight. It makes you wonder, in light of resent events, what the ones who are in charge are up to now?
Spoilers below
Imagine that a government snitch needs to get the goods on somebody least he goes to jail, so he does something illegal. He entraps you by getting you to commit a crime. Having committed the crime, the snitch's handlers tell you that the charges will be dropped if you become a snitch yourself. Say you refuse. Now imagine that through a series of mistakes, incompetence, and political pressure, the snitch's handlers create a profile on you as being armed and extremely dangerous criminal who has been arrested in the past and who has robbed some banks, even though this is totally untrue. Imagine that when they FINALLY decide to apprehend you for these imaginary crimes, ATF and FBI snipers shoot and kill not only one of their own, but your 12 year old son and his dog as they are running home. And then they shoot your wife in the face as she is standing in the doorway holding her one year old baby daughter. This is basically what happened to Randy Weaver at Ruby Ridge.
By the way, there is no Ruby Ridge. That was the name invented by the media because maybe it had a good ring to it. They also helped label him as somebody worth killing. By the way, in spite of what I heard the assholes say on the radio, as if it were a matter of fact, he was not a white-supremist. And the FBI sniper's kill orders were illegal too.
I apologize if I have given away too much in the way of spoilers but so many people still believe the lies about Randy Weaver and what happened that fateful day. In spite of senate hearings, the FBI hide the truth. If you read what all the FBI did, and got away with, it is no wonder there were no survivors at Waco and the place was burnt to the ground. Instead of being reprimanded, or punished for their actions at Ruby Ridge, these same individuals, who wanted no survivors, were placed in charge at Waco. Conspiracy theories, I hardly think so after reading this book. By the way, the Weaver family sued the government for the wrongful deaths. In typical fashion, the government denied any wrong doing but settled out of court. So what does that tell you?
I met Randy at a gun show in Lake County, Illinois some years ago. He seemed like a nice man in spite of all that anger he may have had inside of him. While we were talking, I couldn't help but notice this elderly couple who were ignoring potential customers while starring at Randy and anybody talking to him. I can't imagine what ATF or FBI pulled on them to make them snitches so they would spy on Randy.
The FBI was created with noble intentions by good people. At Ruby Ridge the bad ones were killing people on sight. It makes you wonder, in light of resent events, what the ones who are in charge are up to now?
October 30, 2011
While they may not be perfect people, the Weaver family wanted nothing more than to be left alone. This is a frightening story that shows to what lengths the government will go to in order to destroy those who do not follow the agenda of the new world order.
November 17, 2013
Randy and Sara Weaver's grammar and punctuation need an editor, but their story does not. The fact that I have indirectly known many honorable FBI agents and US marshals doesn't take away my horror at what happened at Ruby Ridge in late August, 1992--nor my agreement with Randy when he concludes with this: "History has a way of repeating itself, and...it would be rather naïve and ignorant to think that it couldn't ever happen again." In fact, I would add that it'd be naïve to think that it won't happen again, because "when a government becomes so large and impersonal that its agents can literally gas, burn, and murder its own citizens with impunity, that government is doomed."
January 7, 2022
I'm willing to bet you know about what happened in Waco, Texas in April 1993.
But do you know what happened in Ruby Ridge, Idaho in August 1992?
It's interesting because merely 8 months before the Waco Siege, the Weaver Family experienced A LOT of the same tactics that were used on the Branch Davidians.
Oh, and several of the same ATF agents were at both sieges.
And both sieges started with the shooting deaths of dogs.
So yeah, lets get into this.
Randy Weaver and his family lived in a mountainside cabin where they homeschooled the kids and lived off the land. Their family friend, Kevin, lived with them on and off for nearly a decade. He was visiting the Weavers that fateful day in August. Randy, Kevin, and 14 year old Sammy, wandered down a trail to find whatever or whoever their dog was barking at. They heard a gunshot....suddenly the barking stopped. Randy yelled to the boys to come home. Sammy was running home when he was shot in the back.
The Weavers had no idea what was happening or why their dog and 14 year old son were both dead. They huddled in the house, waiting to see what would happen next. The next day, Randy went to check on his son's body in the shed. When suddenly, he was shot in the back. He started yelling for everyone to get back inside....his wife, Vicki was holding the door open with their toddler in her arms. A gunshot soared through the door, striking Vicki in the head, killing her instantly. That same bullet then hit Kevin and broke several of his ribs before lodging near his heart.
Randy kept his family inside the cabin for 10 days.
They waited to see who would be killed next.
During those 10 days, ATF and FBI agents mentally tortured the Weavers. They brought out bullhorns and floodlights. They shouted to Randy to just surrender. They pleaded with a dead Vicki to come out with the kids. There were helicopters and snipers surrounding the property. The Weavers learned what was going on outside their home by listening to the news reporters slander their names.
Randy has acknowledged that his actions put him in the line of fire. He was coerced to make two sawed-off shotguns to sell to an acquaintance named Gus. Little did he know, Gus was a federal informant. After Randy was arrested for this gun sale, he was propositioned to become an informant too. After adamant refusal, the ATF then began watching the Weaver's cabin was a year and a half.
This should have never happened.
But it did, twice.
I am just astonished by all of the events leading up to the siege and everything that happened during those 10 days. Three people senselessly lost their lives. Vicki, Sammy, and a U.S. Marshall who was killed after Sammy hit the ground.
The Federal Siege at Ruby Ridge was written by Randy Weaver and his oldest daughter, Sara. It details everything they experienced before, during, and after the siege. It even includes court documents from Randy and Kevin's trials and any subsequent investigations into the Ruby Ridge Siege.
This review and more true crime reviews can be found at A Reader's Diary!
But do you know what happened in Ruby Ridge, Idaho in August 1992?
It's interesting because merely 8 months before the Waco Siege, the Weaver Family experienced A LOT of the same tactics that were used on the Branch Davidians.
Oh, and several of the same ATF agents were at both sieges.
And both sieges started with the shooting deaths of dogs.
So yeah, lets get into this.
Randy Weaver and his family lived in a mountainside cabin where they homeschooled the kids and lived off the land. Their family friend, Kevin, lived with them on and off for nearly a decade. He was visiting the Weavers that fateful day in August. Randy, Kevin, and 14 year old Sammy, wandered down a trail to find whatever or whoever their dog was barking at. They heard a gunshot....suddenly the barking stopped. Randy yelled to the boys to come home. Sammy was running home when he was shot in the back.
The Weavers had no idea what was happening or why their dog and 14 year old son were both dead. They huddled in the house, waiting to see what would happen next. The next day, Randy went to check on his son's body in the shed. When suddenly, he was shot in the back. He started yelling for everyone to get back inside....his wife, Vicki was holding the door open with their toddler in her arms. A gunshot soared through the door, striking Vicki in the head, killing her instantly. That same bullet then hit Kevin and broke several of his ribs before lodging near his heart.
Randy kept his family inside the cabin for 10 days.
They waited to see who would be killed next.
During those 10 days, ATF and FBI agents mentally tortured the Weavers. They brought out bullhorns and floodlights. They shouted to Randy to just surrender. They pleaded with a dead Vicki to come out with the kids. There were helicopters and snipers surrounding the property. The Weavers learned what was going on outside their home by listening to the news reporters slander their names.
Randy has acknowledged that his actions put him in the line of fire. He was coerced to make two sawed-off shotguns to sell to an acquaintance named Gus. Little did he know, Gus was a federal informant. After Randy was arrested for this gun sale, he was propositioned to become an informant too. After adamant refusal, the ATF then began watching the Weaver's cabin was a year and a half.
This should have never happened.
But it did, twice.
I am just astonished by all of the events leading up to the siege and everything that happened during those 10 days. Three people senselessly lost their lives. Vicki, Sammy, and a U.S. Marshall who was killed after Sammy hit the ground.
The Federal Siege at Ruby Ridge was written by Randy Weaver and his oldest daughter, Sara. It details everything they experienced before, during, and after the siege. It even includes court documents from Randy and Kevin's trials and any subsequent investigations into the Ruby Ridge Siege.
This review and more true crime reviews can be found at A Reader's Diary!
October 18, 2020
Ruby Ridge is a sobering story of government overreach that I think every American would do well to consider. Here's the jist - Randy Weaver was convinced by a Federal agent to sell him a sawed off shotgun. They tried to use that as leverage against him to become an informant. He refused, so he was charged. He decided not to cooperate with the trial. The government decided to go after him, but not in any usual way. A group of US Marshalls in camo were sneaking around their homestead. They shot a dog, a firefight broke out, and a US Marshall and Weaver's son were killed. So the government laid siege to the homestead. The next day a sniper shot Weaver out of the blue, and then fire another shot that killed his wife, while she was holding the baby. Eventually they surrendered. In the ensuing trial the Weaver and another man with him were found innocent of everything except failing to appear in court (including the original weapons charge).
In this book Weaver says that he holds at least one wicked belief. But what is really troubling is how the government handled this. Shooting US citizens in cold blood, who have demonstrated no violence against the government and are in no way an imminent threat. Add to that the fact that there was little real accountability afterwards - the FBI sniper was never brought to trial.
Thankfully the response to this, combined with Waco which happened immediately thereafter, put a damper on this type of government overreach. But Ruby Ridge should still be remembered by every patriot.
This book is out of print and kind of expensive online. It is about half written by the Weavers and half a reprinting of a report by Senate subcommittee. You would get most of the story in a relative unbiased way by reading that report here: https://www.google.com/books/edition/....
There is bit of profanity in this book in the accounts of what happened.
March 7, 2009
The story of Ruby Ridge and the following investigation, written by Randy Weaver and his daughter Sara. I think the FBI really screwed up on this one.
Read
June 15, 2020The story here is heartbreaking. And right after this, we had Waco, where the media and government again lied about the people involved and what happened. Then we had an FBI director take direction from a former president to spy on a current president using false information.I am sure there are good and honest people that are working for the FBI, but I would not ever trust that organization - it is nothing but rot. I realize the govt. did have to pay 3.2mil, but the lies still are out there. I wish truth was something that people in government valued. Particularly now, there are only a very small minority in Washington that value truth and they are drowned out by the propaganda and lies from govt and media. Corrupt to the core and the govt no longer fears the people. Thanks to Randy and Sara Weaver relaying what really happened.
August 6, 2016
The hysteria around Ruby Ridge and Randy Weaver by the US Government in 1993 was not justified. Randy and his daughter give an eyewitness account to their experience. We must always remember there are two sides to history and must be willing to read both sides before drawing a conclusion about reality.
June 17, 2017
The Weaver family just wanted to be left alone to live their lives in a peaceful setting, unfortunately the government din't see that way and the siege on Ruby Ridge and the terrible tragedies the family had to live with will go down in history as a reason why so many don;t trust those in charge. This is the story that will make you mad,make you cry and make you wonder why?
May 23, 2020
What happened there impacted me and I have never forgotten the horror this family endured. I cannot even imagine how they came through this but am so glad they did. After crying through the first part, it was interesting to see the other info which I didn’t know as much about. I am also glad you took the time to tell your story in such a honest and loving way. God bless you all.
October 20, 2019
The atrocities the government put this family through are unimaginable. Be careful with whom you associate. You never know who’s watching.
September 20, 2022
An absolutely heartbreaking story. If you are unaware of what happened at Ruby Ridge, please look it up. A tragic event that took place in the early 90's and shows how corrupt the government is. How the government can target and seemingly murder its own citizens at will with no repercussions. The lies made up in just trying to get an indictment is mind blowing enough. This led directly to the events that happened in Waco, TX shortly after, which in turn, led to the Oklahoma City bombing. No one has been and never will be held responsible for what happened at Ruby Ridge. The sad think other than the lives lost at Ruby Ridge, is nothing has really changed.
December 28, 2023
Very good book
June 1, 2024
Emotional and thorough. You will know everything there is to know about the Ruby Ridge incident. The text contains some typos.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews