President Clinton Shares What We've Learned from Oklahoma City

by Karen Hatter | April 19, 2010 at 07:21 am

310 views | 22 Recommendations | 11 comments

On April 19, 1995, Terry Nichols and Timothy McVeigh, acting in consort, perpetrated one of the most horrific acts of domestic terrorism ever witnessed in American history.

On that day, a vehicle used as a bomb, driven to the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma by Timothy McVeigh was exploded, killing 168 people.

President William 'Bill' Jefferson Clinton was in office when this act of terrorism occurred.

He offers his insight into what he feels has been learned since what is arguably one of the most tragic incidents in American history.

Americans have more freedom and broader rights than citizens of almost any other nation in the world, including the capacity to criticize their government and their elected officials. But we do not have the right to resort to violence — or the threat of violence — when we don’t get our way.

Former President Clinton further states:

We are again dealing with difficulties in a contentious, partisan time. We are more connected than ever before, more able to spread our ideas and beliefs, our anger and fears. As we exercise the right to advocate our views, and as we animate our supporters, we must all assume responsibility ....

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Barbara McPherson

at 08:06 on April 19th, 2010

Wise words. With freedom comes the need to behave responsibly.

t k kidwai

at 08:45 on April 19th, 2010

Apart from spreading your ideas and beleifs,your anger and fear,Mr.William J.Clinton you spread lies and deception,the pillars of US foreign policy.McVeigh Timothy killed 168 persons,but you killed how many in Sudan,Afghanistan?Is there some one to remind you?Or you willing to share it with a Sudanese or Afghan who lost all memebers of his family.You presidents learn only when Americans are killed,be it Vietnam,Somalia or Oklahoma city.

Rory Cripps

at 11:31 on April 19th, 2010

tk: Clinton would like as all to believe in his fairy tales re the OKC bombing just like Bush would like us all to believe in his fairy tales re the WTC attack. And the sad thing is that many here in the U.S. do believe their spiel.

Karen Hatter

at 14:23 on April 19th, 2010

Rory, what is fact is that an anti government domestic terrorist, that viewed all of those that might have been deemed unrelated to his actions against the government as 'collateral damage', carried out an illegal action due to his outrage at the government.

No matter the motivations of Timothy McVeigh, his rationale, his actions, the myth and legend surrounding the events of which he took exception in relation to the government's actions, were not justifiable actions nor is he a hero, as he has been made out to be in many Right Wing extremist and militia circles.

t k kidwai

at 18:45 on April 19th, 2010

Karen,the bottom line is that outrage against a government,a people or a country begets voilence in its worst form.I am not justifying voilence,but at least governments can try to fathom the reasons of the outrage and devise means to address it.

Anger and outrage and sense of persistent humiliation knows no bounds.Even if an individual can resort to that kind of voilence under trance of outrage,what about communities and countries.The tragedy is: the sufferers are the innocents,the real culprits,the powers-that-be,are beneficiaries.Terrorism didn't fall from skies,but appeared with the appearance of the state as an attendant.

YankeeJim

at 15:37 on April 19th, 2010

tkk, I have to say that while you make some points about the USA and policy about which I agree, defending the Sudanese and Afghanis and any other worldly backward people as if on the same basis is unequal and incomparable. I really don't mean to be arrogant, but what is the excuse for nations and people who have been on the earth far longer than newer developed countries for being so stuck in backwardness. Do you really want the rest of us to fall back into such a state?

I believe you are absolutely correct that the USA has no business intervening and imposing its will on these people. Yet, on the other hand, don't expect developed nations to continue to bail out the backward. Let Darwinian nature take its course.

Does that sound harsh? It is. If you care about the subject people, don't stick sand in the eyes of people trying to help. You must do a better job of discerning intent, I think.

t k kidwai

at 18:42 on April 19th, 2010

YJ,US never intervened to help people either in Sudan,Afghanistan or any where else.After the first world war,the European thugs through sheer manipulation and cunning,for which they are known till date,obtained mandate from League of Nations to rule Middle East.Their argument was same:'they are backward people,uncivilised and not competent enough to rule themselves'.And then began the real game,the partition,what followed is recorded history.

After the end of the second World War,British empire,where the sun never set(a disgusting expression of arrogance),lost its prestige,had to withdraw from colonies and jolted by emergence of new arrogant power on the world map,the USA.All the concessions which the Britishers had obtained in the Middle-East were usurped by US.

YJ,what I want to say is that empires never intervened to help people.Best and living and likely to be itched in mind for a long time example is Afghanistan.A monster was created not to help Afghans,but to pave way for US interests in the region by driving out Soviet army.Once that monster became a threat to US interests,YJ, you know what happened,and is happening every day?

Dwightwannabe (not verified)

at 09:04 on April 19th, 2010

Hmmm. That's odd. Being as the Murrow Building bombing was a twisted and misguided response to Ruby Ridge and Waco, both of which you and Janet Reno set into motion, President Clinton -- it just seems odd to see your finger pointed so casually at others. For without your bad decision making, the chain of events leading to the Murrow building would never have happened. Hmmmmmm.