April 19, 1995 at 9:02 am there was an awful explosion at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. 168 people, some of them children, were killed and more than 600 others were wounded. Many survivors and family members will gather today for a ceremony. Secretary of State Janet Napolitano will speak.
A museum now stands where Murrah Federal Building once was. Resilience is the lesson it teaches. The Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum has an excellent website.
Terrorism is terrorism, regardless of who carries it out. Somehow it seems even uglier when it is homegrown. We expect Americans to be so much better than this. Timothy McVeigh has been put to death for his role in this horrible act of violence. McVeigh had detonated explosives in a truck parked in front of the Murrah building. He deliberately chose a site where there were children since the federal building had a day care inside for its workers. He supposedly committed this act to avenge the deaths at Waco, Texas. MSNBC will have confessions from Timothy McVeigh previously unheard. Rachel Maddow hosts tonight at 9 pm on MSNBC,
Terry Nichols, another co-conspirator, is in prison for life with no patrole. The jury was deadlocked on the death penalty. The 2 met while serving in the army. Michael Fortier was also convicted of lesser charges. He served his time under an assumed name. He was released into the witness protection program so he now walks amongst us.
April 16, President Obama signed a proclamation declaring April 19 a National Day of Service and Remembrance for Victims and Survivors of Terrorism, 2010. In part, he said:
There is no greater evil than willful violence against innocents. On this National Day of Service and Remembrance for Victims and Survivors of Terrorism, we pause to remember victims of terrorism at home and abroad, we honor the heroes who have supported them, and we redouble our efforts to build the kind of world that is worthy of their legacy.
Fifteen years ago, terrorists bombed the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, killing over 160 men, women, and children, and injuring hundreds more. Even before the dust settled, heroes had emerged. First responders, medical professionals, clergy, relief organizations, local leaders, and everyday citizens stepped forward to help victims and their families. Again, when terrorists struck on September 11, 2001, and thousands of Americans –- and scores of foreign nationals — perished in New York City, at the Pentagon, and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, Americans made a historic effort to assist all those affected. The dignity of those who were attacked — and the courage of those who came to their aid — reaffirmed the strength of our Nation, and the human spirit.
Video footage from that day:
