The Oklahoma City Bombing Essay Example

The Oklahoma City Bombing happened twenty-three years ago. It targeted the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma State. Terry Nichols and Timothy McVeigh orchestrated the attack that left at least 168 deaths, more than 600 injured persons and several buildings destroyed.

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The motive of selecting the Federal building remains vague though it points to McVeigh's dislike of the federal government. He believed the government wanted to strip the citizens of its rights to the second amendment which allows them to be in possession of firearms. The other motive was to revenge the killing of a religious cult in Waco, Texas by what he believed were government operatives. Initially, McVeigh weighed his options of either assassination of senior government figures or target buildings. In the end, he decided that targeting federal buildings was ideal as it would lead to mass casualties. He hoped it would spread his message to the federal government.

The building chosen housed several government agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Bureau of Tobacco, Alcohol, and Firearms (ATF). From McVeigh's admission, the glass front of the building would shatter from the impact of the explosive. Furthermore, the building was next to an open-space parking lot which he reasoned would mitigate the force of the explosion, and prevent the destruction of non-federal buildings.

To carry out the attack, Nichols and McVeigh assembled a bomb. It was systematic planning that spanned several months. They bought ammonium nitrate fertilizer, nitromethane, and diesel fuel mixture. The domestic terrorists used a Ryder rental truck to carry the explosives to the target building. McVeigh drove the truck to the building on the day of the attack.

The media covered the tragedy extensively. Whereas the press did note that the attack occurred during the anniversary of the Waco incident, the media fraternity quickly assumed the attack as being carried by Islamic terror groups. The narrative however changed when Timothy and Nichols got arrested, though people had become suspicious of the Muslims and Arab communities.

A large number of people in the country volunteered to help in rescue operations. Meanwhile, the residence of Oklahoma took it as an attack on Oklahoma and their families. Research on the effects of the bombing noted that the trauma experienced resulted in fewer divorce rates and higher birth rates of people living near the site of the blasts. People began to value and treasure families more.

The aftermath of the bombing meant Federal buildings became more protected. The steps taken include setting up of barricades and barriers. The security personnel covering federal buildings were also increased. The Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 got enacted. It acts 'to deter terrorism, provide justice for victims, provide for an effective death penalty, and other purposes.' Several international countries helped in the rescue and aid operation, as well as condemning the attacks.

It is however noted that McVeigh estimated that the attack brought some changes in the operation of the federal government. He cited the compensation of Randy Weaver and his children by the federal government as one outcome of the process.

References

Giordano, G. (2002). The Oklahoma city bombing. The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.

Rodgers, J. L., John, C. A. S., & Coleman, R. (2005). Did fertility go up after the Oklahoma City bombing? An analysis of births in metropolitan counties in Oklahoma, 1990-1999. Demography, 42(4), 675-692.