Bill Clinton - Oklahoma Bombing Memorial Address - 1995

On April 23, 1995, President Bill Clinton delivered a heartfelt and emotional speech at the memorial service for the victims of the Oklahoma City bombing. The bombing, which occurred on April 19, 1995, was a domestic terrorist attack on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The attack claimed 168 lives, including 19 children, and injured hundreds more.

In his speech, President Clinton expressed his deep sorrow and condolences to the families of the victims and the entire nation. He acknowledged the grief and pain experienced by those affected by the tragedy while also emphasizing the need for unity and resilience in the face of such evil acts.

Clinton stressed the importance of coming together as a nation to support and comfort one another during times of crisis. He praised the heroism of the first responders and ordinary citizens who risked their lives to help others in the aftermath of the attack.

The President also addressed the broader issue of domestic terrorism, condemning the perpetrators of the bombing and reaffirming the government's commitment to bring those responsible to justice. He urged the nation to stand against the forces of hatred and division and to uphold the core values of democracy, tolerance, and the rule of law.

In his concluding remarks, Clinton sought to provide a message of hope, reminding the American people of their collective strength and resilience. He called for a renewed commitment to unity and compassion in the face of adversity, emphasizing that love and understanding can triumph over hatred and violence.

Overall, President Clinton's Oklahoma Bombing Memorial Address was a powerful and moving tribute to the victims of the attack, offering solace to the grieving families and calling for national unity in the face of tragedy. - with GPT-4



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- Full Text -


I am honored to be here today to represent the American people.Today our nation joins with you in grief. We mourn with you. We share your hope against hope that some may still survive. We thank all those who have worked so heroically to save lives and to solve this crime those here in Oklahoma and those who are all across this great land, and many who left their own lives to come here to work hand in hand with you. We pledge to do all we can to help you heal the injured, to rebuild this city, and to bring to justice those who did this evil.

This terrible sin took the lives of our American family, innocent children in that building, …citizens in the building going about their daily business; and many there who served the rest of us -- who worked to help the elderly and the disabled, who worked to support our farmers and our veterans, who worked to enforce our laws and to protect us. Let us say clearly, they served us well, and we are grateful.

But for so many of you they were also neighbors and friends. You saw them at church or the PTA meetings, at the civic clubs, at the ball park. You know them in ways that all the rest of America could not. And to all the members of the families here present who have suffered loss, though we share your grief, your pain is unimaginable, and we know that. We cannot undo it. That is God's work.

You have lost too much, but you have not lost everything. And you have certainly not lost America, for we will stand with you for as many tomorrows as it takes. To all my fellow Americans beyond this hall, I say, one thing we owe those who have sacrificed is the duty to purge ourselves of the dark forces which gave rise to this evil. They are forces that threaten our common peace, our freedom, our way of life. Let us teach our children that the God of comfort is also the God of righteousness: Those who trouble their own house will inherit the wind.¹ Justice will prevail.

Let us let our own children know that we will stand against the forces of fear. When there is talk of hatred, let us stand up and talk against it. When there is talk of violence, let us stand up and talk against it. In the face of death, let us honor life. As St. Paul admonished us, Let us "not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

Yesterday, Hillary and I had the privilege of speaking with some children of other federal employees --children like those who were lost here. And one little girl said something we will never forget. She said, "We should all plant a tree in memory of the children." So this morning before we got on the plane to come here, at the White House, we planted that tree in honor of the children of Oklahoma. It was a dogwood with its wonderful spring flower and its deep, enduring roots. It embodies the lesson of the Psalms that the life of a good person is like a tree whose leaf does not wither.

My fellow Americans, a tree takes a long time to grow, and wounds take a long time to heal. But we must begin. Those who are lost now belong to God. Some day we will be with them. But until that happens, their legacy must be our lives.

Thank you all, and God bless you.

Notes
¹ Proverbs 11:29 "He who troubles his own house will inherit the wind, and the fool will be servant to the wise of heart." (NKJV)
² Romans 12:21 "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." (NIV)
³ Psalms 1:3 "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers." (NIV)

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