Saturday was the 19th anniversary of the bomb that exploded at the Alfred P. Murrah Building in downtown Oklahoma City. Along with so many things in my life, it's hard to believe that nearly a quarter century has passed since that day. But if I sit down and think about it real hard some of the major events of my life have passed drinking age by now. Speaking for myself I am close to this particular event in American history as I think all Oklahomans are to some degree. It doesn't matter what part of the state you live in, if you were here when the events of that day happened you have ownership of it. It's hard to reflect on now in terms of the time elapsed since, and how the world has turned out in the nineteen years since the bomb.
168 people died that day, 19 of them were children.
It's hard to imagine, given the last time we saw her but one of those children, Baylee Almon, the tragic identifying image of the bombing would be 20-years old. She was a year and a day old when Timothy McVeigh murdered her at her day care along with 18 of her classmates and both of her teachers.
168 people died that day, 19 of them were children.
It's hard to imagine, given the last time we saw her but one of those children, Baylee Almon, the tragic identifying image of the bombing would be 20-years old. She was a year and a day old when Timothy McVeigh murdered her at her day care along with 18 of her classmates and both of her teachers.
Her last photograph is hard to look at nearly 20 years later but it's even harder to believe that she would be an adult now had she lived. All of the kids who died would be somewhere from 20-26 years old by now, but their lives were cut short by some insane fool with an agenda.
Every year, the anniversary of the bombing goes by it does so with less fanfare, and that's probably for the best. It hasn't been forgotten though. That's the reason people take time out to remember that day with quiet services at the site and through little remembrances like the low-key ceremony on Saturday that was a reading of the victims names, some music and inspirational speeches.
In the few times that I have been to the OCNM I have said to the volunteers that it would do the people who are organizing the 9/11 site memorial to see what they did at the Murrah building. The Ground Zero site is a place where things happened on a much grander scale than what happened in 1995, but the fact that April 19th passes by quietly every year is a testament to the resilience of Oklahoma City and the ability to move forward instead of hugging headstones and wailing over those lost.
Move forward, remember and be better for it. Can't argue with the logic.
Every year, the anniversary of the bombing goes by it does so with less fanfare, and that's probably for the best. It hasn't been forgotten though. That's the reason people take time out to remember that day with quiet services at the site and through little remembrances like the low-key ceremony on Saturday that was a reading of the victims names, some music and inspirational speeches.
In the few times that I have been to the OCNM I have said to the volunteers that it would do the people who are organizing the 9/11 site memorial to see what they did at the Murrah building. The Ground Zero site is a place where things happened on a much grander scale than what happened in 1995, but the fact that April 19th passes by quietly every year is a testament to the resilience of Oklahoma City and the ability to move forward instead of hugging headstones and wailing over those lost.
Move forward, remember and be better for it. Can't argue with the logic.
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