OKC - and the re-United States of America...
Written: Sep 20 '01 (Updated Sep 20 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: The silence is deafening...
Cons: The wall of remembrance is heartbreaking...
The Bottom Line: A place filled with sorrow.
A place filled with hope.
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| Bonies7's Full Review: Oklahoma City |
Terrorists - domestic or foreign - are the scourge of humanity.
And they are the most mis-guided people on this planet.
They attempt to destroy a place, a people, a way of life. They attempt to divide by devastation. They attempt to create panic that leads to deterioration.
They fail miserably, and create just the opposite of their intent.
Their horrific acts unify us as a people, a nation, a world - reunited against everything that they try to enhance through their vile actions.
One need look no further than the Oklahoma City National Memorial to see that terrorism cannot break a democratic nation.
But it can have a horrendous impact on innocent people - and that impact can touch a visitor to their very core being.
At 9:02 a.m. on April 19, 1995, the Alfred P Murrah Federal Building was destroyed in the largest - up to that point - terrorist attack in United States history. 168 people - including 19 children - were killed by the bomb blast.
That same bomb blast shook all of downtown Oklahoma City - and within moments sent shock waves across our entire country.
And now, six years later, a National Park Memorial covers the land that once was occupied by the Federal Building at the corner of Harvey Street and N.W. 5th Street.
My wife and I had the distinct privilege of visiting this sacred soil last Sunday, and you can imagine the overwhelming sense of sadness that permeated our visit. It is one thing to see the impact of terrorism on television, and quite different to see the impact with your own eyes.
Two different venues - one in Oklahoma City and one in New York City - but so much in common.
Innocent victims. Unexpected terror. Heroism from Police and Firefighters who rushed in as all others rushed out.
And the aftermath creates such a profound sense of sorrow to visitors that most people you pass at the Memorial have tears in their eyes, and speak in soft tones - if at all.
At each end of this Memorial stand two monumental twin gates. One shows the time of 9:01 and one shows the time of 9:03. In that intervening minute, the safety taken for granted by bystanders, workers, and happy, carefree children was violated by death and destruction.
And as you walk through the gates, you come upon a extremely shallow reflecting pool. The water constantly recirculates, and the intent is to have the calm sound of rushing water soothe wounds. And if you stop and look just right, you can view your own reflected image. And as you look at your own eyes, you'll no doubt see a face that you hardly recognize.
One changed by the terror inflicted here. One changed by the terror inflicted elsewhere. One more patriotic than ever before. One humbled and shocked by the enormity of it all.
But one determined to stand up to these cowardly enemies of the world, and not allow them to take away the freedom that was purchased so preciously by these lost souls of yesterday, today and tomorrow.
To the south of the reflecting pool is a field of well groomed grass with 168 empty chairs. 19 of the chairs are smaller - to represent the small children that now reside in the arms of the Lord. During the day, the translucent base helps make each chair appear to float above the ground, while at night the glass base illuminates the chair.
Each chair bears a name. A name of a father, a mother, a child. People stare at the chairs with the realization that there - but for the grace of God - could easily be our chair, or a chair of a friend or a relative.
As you leave the west gate, the chairs take on another meaning. Because here are two lengthy memorial walls on each side of the gate that bear the striking testimony of the people who died. There are photos and poems and teddy bears and handwritten tributes affixed to the wall. These are not inscribed in granite nor stone, but in the remembrances of those who lost so much when the terror was unleashed.
This wall of remembrance is so brutally difficult to view - because it takes each of us from looking at simple names to understanding the people who inhabited those chairs. That they were just like you and me - happy, sad, old and young. Not names alone - but Americans that resemble so closely the magic that is our nation.
The Oklahoma City National Memorial Center has been designed with a simple mission statement. It is intended to offer comfort, strength, peace, hope and serenity.
But in these difficult times, it also offers something else.
A chance for each of us to realize how precious life is - and how fortunate we are to live in this great nation.
A chance to understand that our priorities - until recently - were way out of whack. That the entertainment - sports, travel, movies - that occupies so much of our interests is so very unimportant when you look at what life REALLY means today.
This monument - and the one that one day will be erected in New York City - should serve as a constant reminder to potential terrorists that their efforts are doomed, and that you can wound a people deeply, but you cannot kill an ideal.
God Bless the Reunited States of America.
This review is part of a write off celebrating Casey Stewart's Two Year Epinions Anniversary, and her 500th review. Casey (KCFoxy) is a beacon of light here at the site - whose writing skill is only eclipsed by her caring nature toward others. She is the epitome of class, and I hope you'll stop by her member page and read some of her work....as well as the work of the dozens of other Epinions members who are participating in this celebration.
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Couples
Best Time to Travel Here: Anytime
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Epinions.com ID:
Bonies7
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 - Top 500 |
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Member: Jeff Clow
Location: The Lone Star State
Reviews written: 132
Trusted by: 1018 members
About Me:
Father, Husband, Consultant, Photographer, Writer, Conservative, Inquisitive, Texan
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