Oklahomans pause to remember victims of 1995 bombing

[RedEarth]

Source: AP)




Oklahomans and victims' relatives paused Saturday at the Oklahoma City National Memorial for a simple, poignant ceremony to remember the 168 people killed 13 years ago in the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building.
The attack on April 19, 1995, is the deadliest act of domestic terrorism in U.S. history.

"The evil act perpetrated here illustrated the depths of human depravity," Gov. Brad Henry said. "But Oklahomans met tragedy with triumph. From such a horrible crime came tales of astounding goodness."

At 9:02 a.m., the moment of the bombing, people attending the service observed 168 seconds of silence, one for each of the bombing's victims. Victims' names also were read aloud. Before the ceremony, relatives of the victims placed wreaths and mementoes on the memorial's symbolic glass and bronze chairs, each one representing a victim of the bombing.

.......

The nine-story federal building was destroyed when a truck packed with 4,800 pounds of ammonium nitrate and fuel oil was detonated near its entrance. Besides the 168 who died — including 19 children — more than 800 people were injured.



Read more: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5ioYeP3Q_mJONmFS6Y1nB2Jc4FDSQD905A7PG3

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http://www.oklahomacitynationalmemorial.org/

[yellerpup]

1. Bless them all.

Amen.

[bluestateguy]

2. McVeigh and Nichols were egged on by conservative talk radio hosts

The message that was sent by these hate radio hosts ("government sucks", "government can't do anything right", "government workers are evil and corrupt", "US Marshalls are Nazis", "Park Rangers are the Secret Police", "EPA inspectors are the Gestapo", "OSHA regulations are tyranny") was that mentally unbalanced people like McVeigh and Nichols would somehow feel morally justified in committing a terrorist act.

[DBoon]

7. and the congressional investigations after were a white-wash

thay made these neo-fascist militia groups look like good solid freedom loving Americans.

The right wing Republicans that took over Congress just couldn't say enough about how wholesome these people were.

[Captain Angry]

8. Yet they closed those investigations way quick.

They never went after the rest of the people who were involved. It's been investigated by some reporters, I believe it was Mother Jones magazine that had a lot of detail about it a few months back.

[onehandle]

3. Timothy McVeigh: Republican and NRA Member.

Known as "that poor railroaded boy" at Free Republic.

[ashling]

4. Why doesn't * ever talk about 4/19

everything changed

[LeftishBrit]

5. Thinking of the victims of this awful crime. RIP.

A truly horrible tragedy.

[classof56]

6. An awful day indeed. Words can't really express the depravity of the act.

It was of course (as any freeper worth its salt will tell you) because of Waco. And Ruby Ridge. And "Slick Willie" (as they called President Clinton). Hard to sound the depths of that mindset, although at the time and for a few years after, I lived in a rural area where Tim McVeigh was a hero. Sick, sick people.

My heart goes out to the victims, the survivors and I honor the brave people in my birth state of Oklahoma who triumphed over all that evil.

Tired Old Cynic

[Aristus]

9. The rest of the country commemorates the last time we went after a terrorist,

and actually caught him and actually put him on trial.

Not a shot fired, not a bomb dropped, not a soldier killed...