Visions and Omens

Gary Noesner: You got a minute?

Peter Hardwick: Sure. What's on your mind?

Gary Noesner: The, uh... Ruby Ridge report? I have some concerns.

Peter Hardwick: Mm-hmm?

Gary Noesner: It says that Mitch "acted appropriately".

Peter Hardwick: Well, in all fairness, he wasn't trying to kill Vicky Weaver.

Gary Noesner: No, but he did break the rules of engagement in the field. He should be facing an investigation, not getting a pat on the back.

Peter Hardwick: This mess belongs to the ATF. Look, the boys upstairs are worried that if we reprimand Mitch, then we're admitting fault.

Gary Noesner: But we are at fault. He issued a "kill on sight" command and a woman was killed. Look, my dad used to say "You don't earn trust by telling people how good you did. You earn it by saying the hard stuff." Now, our greatest asset as an agency is that people believe in us. But if we lose that trust, we might not ever get it back.