Oklahoma City marks 15 years since bombing

April 19, 2010 marked the 15 year anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing. United States Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told survivors and victims’ relatives that the city’s spirit in the wake of the tragedy served as an example to that nation. Napolitano also warned of the need for continued vigilance against terrorists. 168 lives were lost during the destruction of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in 1995 and more than 600 others were in injured in the blast, which at the time was the deadliest terrorist attack on United States soil. People observed 168 seconds of silence to honor the dead. "What defines us as a nation, as a people and as communities is not what we have suffered, but how we have risen above it, how we've overcome," Napolitano said. Shortly before 9:02 a.m. — when the bombing occurred — bells tolled in downtown Oklahoma City. Some family members visited the site of the federal building razed in the attack and left ribbons, wreaths and other objects on chairs that stand on the site to honor the dead. Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett said the city remembered the day of the bombing with reverence, "not because we can't forget but because we choose to remember. Napolitano said the bombing anniversary was a reminder of "the continued need for vigilance against the violent ideologies that led to this attack, so that we can recognize their signs in our communities and stand together to defeat them.” As you may or may not know, the person responsible for the Oklahoma City bombings was Timothy McVeigh. Prosecutors said McVeigh’s plot was an attempt to avenge the death of about 80 people in the government siege at the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Tex, exactly two years earlier. McVeigh was convicted on federal murder charges and executed in 2001. His accomplice, Terry Nichols, was convicted on federal and state bombing-related charged and is serving multiple life sentences at a federal prison in Colorado.

I can't even imagine what kind of day this might have been for the victims and families of the Oklahoma City bombing. Most of us were only 3 years old when this happened, but because of 9/11 we have a sense of what this act of terrorism was like for America. Like Napolitano said, the anniversary is a reminder to be aware of what is going on and how to recognize signs before it's too late. Like 9/11, America has learned from its mistakes and that is why security has become so tight at airports. Oklahoma City was one of the most deadliest attacks on American soil. It is tragic to see how many lives were greatly affected by this.