To America: 20 Years After the OKC Bombing - Stop the Hate!

20 years ago today, at 9:02am, 168 people, including 19 innocent children, were killed in an attack that changed America. More than 600 injured survivors wondered what had happened. America stood still.

The people of OKC wondered how a terrorist could make it to the very center of our country and do such damage. Immediately, We, as a nation, assumed it was the Muslims.  But we were wrong.

I lived in OKC at the time, and had friends who were victims. Every moment of that day is still vivid in my mind. In a state that felt so secure; so safe from terrorism because of our location, suddenly realized we were not safe.

Our country came to the same realization. If "they" could attack OKC, "they" could attack anywhere.

By 9:05am, our country knew fear like they could not imagine, and it hasn't left us.

Timothy McVeigh,  a man who described himself as a "Patriot", a veteran of the first Iraq war, bombed the Alfred P Murray Federal Building in Oklahoma City at 9:02 am. 

His goal was to hurt the "government".  What he will never know is how much he hurt "We, the People".

 Anger, Fear, & Hate are the tools of propagandists. They are used by evil men who wish to rule without being questioned. These emotions are nearly impossible to co-exist with love, which is why they are so valuable to those who wish to do us harm.

These tyrants know that if they can keep you in fear, hating those who are different, and suspicious, you will have no time to love your fellow neighbor. You will "trust" these people to rule over you without question. You will accept their lies as facts, and you will join them in vilifying those who disagree.

Fear and hate make us more vulnerable to attack. When you are constantly in fear, you cannot think straight. You are quicker to assume an attack that was not meant to be. You react quicker, and more fiercely. You are constantly vigilant for attack. Not only is this bad for your health, it is bad for those around you.

Timothy McVeigh started a horrible period in our nation. He claimed he was a “Patriot” and yet, he took 20 years from US. When are we going to stop letting the damages he caused that day continue to destroy our country?

On this 20th Anniversary, I ask every American, every person in this country, STOP THE HATE!!!! Do not let another generation live in fear, hate and anger over stupid trivial differences between us. How can we be the United States of America, when we are attacking each other.  We lived with each other’s differences for 200 years (minus the Civil War). Why can’t we now?

Timothy McVeigh was right about one thing. We need to hold our government accountable. We cannot allow our leaders to be bought. We must watch them carefully, demand answers, and see to it that they represent US, and do what is BEST for our country, the people. We, the People, are supposed to be in charge. It is time we took that seriously. But let’s not do it with hate, or anger, but with resolve that together, we will make the United States of America the best place in the World to want to live. Isn’t that we all want??

STOP the HATE. STOP the FEAR. STOP the ANGER.

I challenge every one of you to turn to those who are different from you, whether it is religion, political party, color of skin, sexual orientation, or even gender, and tell them you love them. Vow that from this day forward, you will seek truth, instead of lies. Love, instead of hate, and acceptance, instead of fear. Get to know these people. You might find yourself with some wonderful friends.