11 years later.

Yesterday was the 11th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing. I dug out my journal from that time and here is my entry for 4-20-95:

I cannot believe that there are people in this world that are full of so much hatred that they would do something such as what happened in Oklahoma City. Yesterday morning at about 8 am, a huge car bomb blew up in front of the Oklahoma City Federal Bldg, absolutely destroying 1/3 of the building. Of course it was all the news yesterday, and so yesterday Dad & Kristjan and I watched it. I was and still am absolutely astounded. The pictures of the building were amazing, as they showed the whole side ripped off the building. The last I heard there was a count of 26 dead, 17 or so of which were children from a daycare center in the building. Then there were about 200 still unaccounted for and basically still trapped in the rubble because there were about 500 people in the building. It is so amazing to me that the actions of just a few people could have such incredible repurcussions around the country. I am so sad at the loss of the children, and I have to figure that their fathers or mothers must have worked in the building because otherwise, why would there be a daycare center in a Federal Building? This is such a mess. My thoughts are all scattered. If nothing else, this is certainly a sign that the Second Coming is near. How sad that people are full of such hatred.

I still remember sitting in seminary and watching the TV news reports (because we had TVs in those rooms) and being just astounded at the images of the building with the whole side ripped off. At the time of my journal entry, I don't think we knew that it was actually Americans who had perpetrated such an act on their fellow citizens.

It's ironic to me that I wrote an eerily similar journal entry on September 11, 2001. On April 20, 1995 I had no idea that I would ever see something like that again, let alone something far worse and far more horrifying. I wonder what other tragedies I will record in my journal during my lifetime? I can only imagine that things will get worse.

There has been talk on Two Peas lately about the upcoming "Flight 93" movie and whether or not it is in poor taste, or disrespectful to the families of those who died onboard United Flight 93 on September 11. If the movie is done well, and is true to what actually happened (no 'artistic liberties' taken), then I am of the opinion that it should be required viewing. I know there are some who have said they can't bear to see the movie; that it is just too painful. That's precisely why we should see it, because it will open the wound again, and remind us just exactly how it felt to be attacked that day, and the horror of the days after, so that we remember the enemies that we are fighting, and so that we remember that there are indeed bad people out there who wish to kill us and our children simply because we are guilty of being American citizens. Evil does exist, no matter what the cultural relativists may say.

I want people to remember how it was after September 11, how American flags flew everywhere. How people seemed able to overlook differences, political and otherwise, and pull together and be proud to be Americans. We have forgotten how it felt, and I can think of no better way to remember, and no more fitting tribute to the poor souls who died in a Pennsylvania field that day, than to sit for 2 hours in a darkened theater and remember. Just remember.