I couldn't sleep so I ended up watching two different documentaries on Ruby Ridge, both made recently. In them Randy Weaver's daughter tells completely different stories of the ordeal. She's about 40 now, why does her story change every time she gives an interview? Because she's lying.

BUT, the government did royally screw up. That whole situation could have been avoided. They were able to arrest Weaver and his wife previously without incident. This literally was the perfect storm. You have three separate independent law enforcement agencies involved with different agendas going after a family who literally think the end of time is coming. 

I think it really the blame falls on the ATF.

The US Marshall's were told by the ATF that they were heavily armed White Supremacist's and members of the Aryan Nations and that Weaver is a former Special Forces operative. They failed to mention they were able to arrest them without guns even being drawn. That leads the Marshall's fugitive strike team to go in and do recon that led to a fire fight, with the Weaver's side firing first killing a US Marshall.

That then gets the FBI involved and by that time they are dealing with a dead US Marshall, false information and videos of the Weavers walking around heavily armed. The FBI really had no choice. The Weavers wouldn't communicate, they initiated a fire fight and the FBI was in a bad position. I think changing the rules of Engagement to shooting any adult with a weapon in hand was a little much and an escalation but with a dead officer sometimes drastic times require drastic measures.

Because of Weavers lack of communication it wasn't until war hero Bo Gritz arrived on scene and offered to negotiate did Weaver start to communicate and did they realize they had a serious problem on their hands when they realized they shot and killed an unarmed woman holding her baby, but even Weaver wouldn't cooperate with his long time idol and commanding officer in the war Gritz. Gritz finally said that if he doesn't surrender and anyone else in that house dies that he will testify for the prosecution against Weaver. Weaver came out immediately after.

What is everyone else's views on this topic?

How many years ago did the Ruby Ridge incident happen? I remember, at the time, I wasn't following it closely. I missed a lot. I can't really give my take on it since I did not get all the facts. Whenever these types of news stories happen, they never end well.

A little over 20 years now. The point I was trying to make was both sides share the blame.

I get that. I was just trying to remember the whole story.

here are various accounts

https://www.google.com/search?q=ruby+ridge+incident&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

If you like documentaries there are three out on Ruby Ridge that are really good. Basically the Government wanted to take out the Aryan Nations and deal them a final blow after the Bob Matthews-The Order mess. They found Randy Weaver someone they thought they could get on a minor charge and turn informant. Weaver sawed off some shot guns, sold them to a Government informant and they tried to flip the Weavers, who didn't trust the Government already so they just didn't show up for court after they were initially arrested peacefully.

Then it got completely out of hand.