Premium Essay

Oklahoma City Bombing

In:

Submitted By goranksim
Words 1607
Pages 7
Terrorism is a horrible threat to the modern world. It has become a problem around the world. Many innocent people are killed by terrorists. You can see terrorism in multiple forms including but not limited to, bombing, hijacking, cross border terrorist activities and massacres on a massive scale. Its consequences are very frightening. Though much effort is put into eliminating terrorism, it is impossible to get rid of it until some strict laws are devised. Whenever and wherever society is victim to brutality, injustice, wrongs and intolerance, terrorism cannot be eradicated. Terrorism was a dormant issue in the media until the attacks on the USA. The organized use of violence to target non-combatants for political purposes, is one of the most effective ways to gain media attention. Mainly used by extremist groups in the hopes of gaining recognition for their cause (weather it is religious, political or otherwise.) Several attacks on the US have recently made headlines. The attack on the USS Cole (October 12, 2000), US Embassy bombings in Kenya + Tanzania (August 7, 1998), Oklahoma City bombing (April 19, 1995) and finally the World Trade Centre bombing on February 26 1993.
What we need to recognize about terrorism is its message. Attacks are always perfectly planned and precise, almost showing that they could do better.
It was a clear, beautiful day in the town of Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995. Richard Williams arrived to work as normal, waving and smiling to his co-workers as he headed through the hallways of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal building where he was the assistant manager. He responded to a few e-mails and noted some voicemails as he contemplated his day. Shortly after 9 a.m. the building he had worked in for years suddenly became his worst nightmare as that day will go down in history. Just around 9:02 am, a massive explosion rocked its walls and

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Oklahoma City Bombing

...Tim McVeigh and the Oklahoma City Bombing Born to the family of Mr. and Mrs. Bill McVeigh, Tim McVeigh was hit hard by the separation of his parents at age 10 in 1978,something he hardly showed. He rarely spoke about his mother and spoke fondly about his father. Being a low achiever in high school and not so interested in college, he hit the job market in the mid-1980s, a time when the men with the blue-collar skill were hardly needed. In high school Tim was really obsessed with guns, such that by the time he was 20, he was able to explode bombs and even shoot guns Tim was raised up in a conservative family; an exclusive one in the absence of the mother who had left with Jennifer, Tim’s sister at age 4.Bill McVeigh worked the midnight shift in an auto plant that his father had put his 30 years. Tim’s sister Patty took the role of the house’s disciplinarian even though she was barely 2 years older than Tim. He had his way of having friends around by having a skateboarding ramp and a haunted house at their house’s basement. Bill McVeigh bought Tim a 22-caliber rifle which he used in the woods before acquiring a semiautomatic BB gun which he was really proud of. His way of passing time during boring classes was drawing guns and had this patriotic way of talking about defending America. A few computer classes here and there he got him bored so he took up a job as a truck driver. The only two things he found interesting about this job was that he could carry a gun besides...

Words: 1019 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Essay On Oklahoma City Bombing

...the bombing and was eventually executed, while Terry Nichols was convicted of conspiracy in connection with the bombing and is serving life in prison. 22 years later, the Oklahoma City Bombing is known as the deadliest act of homegrown terrorism in the nation’s history. 5 thousand pounds of explosives were inside of the Ryder truck that Timothy McVeigh parked in front of the Murrah Building. In a matter of seconds, the bomb went off killing 168 people, and injuring hundreds more. Along with the injured people, some additional damage that was caused by this act of terror includes cars that were incinerated and more than 300 buildings that were...

Words: 969 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Oklahoma City Bombing Research Paper

...Oklahoma City Bombing “According to one survey,38.5% of the state respondents personally knew a victim of the blast”(Gleick p61).The Oklahoma City Bombing was the largest bombing on U.S. soil before 911,and it is the biggest domestic bombing in Oklahoma history.That bombing wasn't the first one that day but the second one.The Oklahoma City Bombing is known for it’s description ,harmful effects; and the trial. A veteran named Timothy McVeigh had driven a truck that had been full with ammonium nitrate into downtown Oklahoma City twenty two years ago.The Oklahoma City Bombing was a terrorist bombing using a 4,800 pound truck bomb outside the Alfred. P Murrah federal building.Built up anger that Mcveigh had against the U.S. federal government,citizens,and politics lead him to bomb the federal building(Walsh p400).McVeigh decided to bomb the federal building because of all the anger he had built up...

Words: 853 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Oklahoma City Bombing Research Paper

...Oklahoma City bombing The explosion shook entire city blocks and caused chaos. No one expected for the date April 19, 1995 to be remembered as the tragic event of the Oklahoma City bombing. This event affected the nation as a whole and life would soon to be changed for all. The bombing, caused by political ideals, left widespread destruction, causing changes in security, but healing was possible for those affected by this tragedy after the trial took place. Timothy McVeigh was responsible for the disaster that had destroyed the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in 1995. McVeigh was born in Pendleton, New York, growing up with divorced parents, which took a toll on Tim, leading to behavior problems (Williams). Eventually, Timothy began to...

Words: 621 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Oklahoma City Bombing Case Study

...THE OKLAHOMA BOMBING CONSPIRACY The Oklahoma City bombing which occurred on April 19, 1995 has gone down in history as the worst domestic terror attack in the history of the United States. The attack on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building killed 168 people, including 19 children, and injured over 500 others. The front of the building was blown up with a fertilizer bomb hidden in a rented truck. Timothy McVeigh aged 33, a Persian Gulf War veteran, was responsible for the attack. He has since been convicted and was executed with Potassium Chloride injection on June 11, 2001 at the Federal penitentiary in Terre Haute, Indiana. Two other persons indicted in the case were Terry Nichols and Michael Fortier, friends of McVeigh and fellow veterans....

Words: 1132 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Oklahoma City Bombing Research Paper

...Oklahoma City Bombing: 1995 Mary Kate Hudson EMGT 616 – Spring 2015   A rental truck was filled with improvised explosive devices and was left in front of a busy federal building in Oklahoma City. The aftermath of the explosions left over 150 people dead and many more severely injured. This was the worst case of domestic terrorism that the country had seen to date. Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building The Murrah building was named after an Oklahoma federal judge Alfred P. Murrah. It was designed and created in March of 1977 out of reinforced concrete (Locke). The building had nine floors that contained 16 federal buildings including the Social Security Administration, Secret Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, Alcohol, Tobacco,...

Words: 1603 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Oklahoma City Bombing Research Paper

...The Oklahoma City Bombing The bomb that exploded in front of the Alfred P. Murrah federal building on April 19, 1995 was the deadliest act of terror until 9/11. Hundreds of men, women and children were murdered and an entire nation was devastated. Several hundred buildings were damaged and many people were left homeless. This type of carnage was not seen on American soil and it had a lasting impact. The bomber was Timothy McVeigh; a name that will be remembered in infamy. Timothy McVeigh was a distraught individual who believed the United States was the ultimate bully and he prepared to attack the U.S. Two key events that made him attack were the Waco Siege and the Ruby Ridge incident. He loathed how the federal government handled these...

Words: 1684 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Timothy Mcveigh: The Oklahoma City Bombing Case

...One of the more popular cases were a change of venue was implement was the Oklahoma City bombing case. The defendant in the case Timothy McVeigh was tried for his crimes outside of Oklahoma City, even though that is where the offense occurred. There was so much publicity around the trial that it would have been impossible to pick members for a jury who were not biased or had some personal connection to the case. The case was moved to Denver, Colorado where a jury could be picked from individuals with less of a connection to the bombings. This would ensure McVeigh’s constitutional right to a fair and impartial jury. Changes of venue in the federal court system are usually changed for two particular reasons. One reason a change of venue is granted...

Words: 278 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Analysis of the Oklahoma City Bombing- Apa Format- a+ Work

...Analysis of the Oklahoma City Bombing On April 19th, 1995, at 9:02 AM a bomb exploded outside the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Office Building in Oklahoma City. The cause of the explosion was an Ammonium Nitrate and Fuel Oil bomb in a 24 foot rental truck parked in the street on the north side of the building (Oklahoma City Fire Department Report of the Bombing). The building was home to sixteen federal agencies. This was the most destructive terrorist act on American soil until the 9/11 attacks. The chief conspirators in this attack have been Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols which met in 1988 at Fort Benning during basic training for the U.S. Army. Michael Fortier which also had some degree in involvement had been McVeigh’s army roommate. The three were sharing a common interest in survivalism and vehemently opposed gun control. They have all expresses anger with the way the Federal Government handled the 1992 FBI standoff with Randy Weaver at Ruby Bridge and the 1993 FBI standoff at Waco, Texas against the Davidians which ended with the burning and shooting deaths of David Koresh and 75 others. In March 1993, McVeigh visited the Waco site during the standoff, and then again after its conclusion. McVeigh later decided to bomb a federal building as a response to the raids. McVeigh initially decided to bomb a federal building but latter considered that his message would have a much greater impact if many people were killed in the bombing. McVeigh’s main criterion for choosing...

Words: 1046 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Oklahoma City Bombing Analysis

...The Oklahoma City bombing happened April 19, 1995 and in response received remarkable response that captivated the nation as a whole. Similar to the Oklahoma City bombing, the terrorist attack that occurred on September 11, would be a series of events that change the United State for good and for the worse. In response the September 11 events, led to the founding of The September 11 Digital Archive. These digital archives were collected and originally funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, which is a non-profit organization that believes that force understanding of nature and society can lead to a better world overall (Sloan.org). Although the archive is funded through the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, it was created through the combined efforts of the American Social History Project in New...

Words: 795 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Oklahoma City Bombing Case Study

...Oklahoma City Bombing On the morning of April 19, 1995, Timothy McVeigh parked a Ryder truck loaded with homemade bombs outside of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. Shortly after he fled from the parked truck, the bombs exploded resulting in a total of 168 deaths and hundreds more with injuries. (Staff). Terry Nichols was a co-conspirator in the bombing. Timothy and Terry became friends while in the army. He found guilty on one count of conspiracy and eight counts of involuntary manslaughter resulting in life in prison (Staff). On the other hand, however, McVeigh was convicted on 15 counts of murder and conspiracy. McVeigh made attempts to stop all appeals of his convictions. In June of 2001 he died by lethal injection...

Words: 608 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Creative Writing: Oklahoma City Bombing

...“Fuck, you stink,” the old man then deplored. “Where do you think the evil in this world comes from? It’s our influence. One somebody in Florida gets the good idea to swallow a handful of bath salts and then goes off to eat someone’s face, that’s us. The Holocaust was us. The Bolshevik Revolution was us. That one took a lot of man hours though. The Oklahoma City bombing was carried out on the mere suggested reading of a book. In total, one hundred and sixty-eight people gone because a demon handed Tim McVeigh a piece of fiction. You’d never imagine such a thing possible, could...

Words: 1043 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Oklahoma City Bombing Research Paper

...The Oklahoma City bombing, a devastating act of domestic terrorism, occurred on April 19, 1995. Targeting the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City, the attack resulted in the tragic loss of 168 lives and left hundreds injured. Perpetrated by Timothy McVeigh, the bombing was fueled by their anger towards the federal government, particularly in response to incidents like Waco and Ruby Ridge. The sheer scale of destruction and loss of life shook the nation to its core, leaving a lasting impact on both the local community and the entire country. In the aftermath of the bombing, an outpouring of support and comfort emerged from across the nation. Volunteers, emergency responders, and ordinary citizens came together to assist the victims and their families,...

Words: 548 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Paper

...Morganne Rhine Tim Timmons US History II 11/27/12 The Oklahoma City Bombing This is a review of the book entitled Terrorist Attacks: The Oklahoma City Bombing by Geraldine Giordano. The author’s purpose is to inform the reader about the life of Timothy McVeigh, convicted bomber, the destructive plan, the actual bombing, the investigation of the case, and the aftermath. Giordano hooks the reader by implementing a very dramatic introduction of the events of that morning. “It was a day no one would soon forget” (Giordano 5). The first chapter is devoted to the life of Timothy McVeigh, his biographical information, and additional facts of interest to the reader, such as McVeigh and a friend bought 10 acres of land in New York and told their parents that they wanted to use the land for hunting. In reality, they planned to use the land as a survivalists’ bunker. It was surprising to learn that McVeigh wanted to be a Green Beret but failed the required psychiatric test. Chapter two is devoted to the alliance between McVeigh, Terry Nichols, and Michael Fortier. The author suggests that the Ruby Ridge incident and the Waco incident concerning the Branch Davidians were turning points for McVeigh. The author argues that the Murrah Building was targeted for several reasons. The first reason being that McVeigh knew the building contained several government offices and agencies. According to her, McVeigh believed that he could retaliate against those who were responsible...

Words: 874 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Work in

...Oklahoma City Bombing and the Media Before September 11, 2001 America was attacked April 19, 1995 by one of its own citizens, the attack is now known as the Oklahoma City Bombing. The attack claimed 168 lives, which 19 of them were children and several hundred were injured, (FBI). By definition this attack was terrorism; terrorism is the unlawful use or threatened use of force or violence by a person or an organized group against people or property with the intention of intimidating or coercing societies or government, often for ideological or political reasons, (Barnett, Reynolds). From researching and studying terrorism and the media this paper will include; the background on Timothy McVeigh, Oklahoma City Bombing, how it was reported, how it is different from now and the speculations of how the media helped or harmed the situation. Timothy McVeigh grew up living a ‘normal life’, with loving parents and childhood friends but he felt unloved. In third grade he witnessed a neighbor boy drown a bag of kittens in a nearby pond he was so disgusted that day forward he could not bear the sight of death to the point he stopped shooting bull frogs with his bb gun. That all changed when he joined the United States Army and was deployed to the Gulf War. In basic and deployment training his mind set was changed to killing was an act of war, he even declared the attack on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building an act of war, (Michel, Herbeck).It was just a mission and solider are...

Words: 1742 - Pages: 7