Murrah Building Bombing 10th Anniversary

[xrayman]

I hope it is low key and helps to let those poor people get on with their lives.

I am one of those that is revolted at the mention of the tenth anniversary as an 'opportunity' to display our city in this or that light. Why does it feel that some people seem almost proud to have the attention the bombing brought (and continues to bring) this city? To push the envelope a little more - seem even seem glad that if it had to happen - it happened here. I know people will jump on me for this, but every last one of you know exactly what I mean. I'm just stupid enough to say it out loud (or type it for all to see, as the case may be).

[Midtowner]

Well, the city certainly has been able to turn it into as much of a positive as possible. You should be down here to see all of the tourists the bombing memorial brings. License plates from all over the U.S., 7 days per week. I drive by almost every single day.

10 years ago was the last time the city was in the national limelight. This will be an opportunity to show that we're not the hick town that Connie Chung became so famous for saying we were.

Nothing wrong with trying to make the best out of a bad situation.

[poe]

that's funny. people are still talking about oklahoma city...and where's connie chung?

[xrayman]

You should be down here to see all of the tourists the bombing memorial brings. License plates from all over the U.S., 7 days per week.
That's exactly what I mean --- almost a sense of pride about it.

To me, it's a town with a lot of insecurities that takes pride and comfort in the fact that people come to see a BOMBING memorial and see that "we aren't a hick city." It's like I said --- the great unspoken --- many are damn glad that if it had to happen - it happened here. Tourist dollars! City image! Out of state plates actually in our city! Sick.

I think I'm through with this kind of "city pride." It's been taken to an extreme here that tries to put OKC on an equal plane with DFW, Denver and other great cities of our country. An extreme that takes pride that people come downtown to see our BOMBING memorial. People get excited over Jack-In-The-Box and report every new little thing that happens as if it's something wonderful. The Shriners bring a convention here (they have conventions all of the time) and decide to hold one here - and you'd think Microsoft was moving here. The Shriners!!!

People here seem to have an unhealthy fantasy view of this town. It is with this attitude of rose colored glasses that will not allow faults to be pointed out, that gets excited over non-sensical things and sees OKC as something much more than it actually is. Remember - we live in a town without a single major retailer downtown. We're losing Amtrak. We continue to welcome call-centers with open arms. We continue to lose major carrier flights and then get excited when the puddle jumpers replace them. IHOP opens downtown and it's a big deal, a pizza chain opens on NW Expressway and it pays $6 wages and we're pumped. All this while our demos go down the drain.

It's been fun, but I can't pretend that Oklahoma City is anything more than what it is.
When it gets to the point that we're PROUD of the attention our city gets from a BOMBING - I think it may be time for me to not only get off this board, but mourn what this city COULD HAVE BEEN.

Good luck to you all.

[Karried]

Oh for God's sakes, no one is happy or proud of that idiotic display of hatred from McVeigh. What we can be proud of is turning a horrible tragedy into something that people can come and mourn, remember and hopefully learn from and prevent something like this happening in the future.

What about New York, are they as horrible as us for planning a memorial for 9-11?

There will always be those of us to see the glass half full and live our lives that way - It's all about choices and attitude, we can choose to be unhappy and discontented or we can be enthused about things such as a beautiful memorial that people want to come and pay tribute to innocent victims.

I pity those who are so unhappy and can't see the good, only the bad... I think that's a sad depressing way to live life.

[Sooner&RiceGrad]

Oh yes, as a Christian, I am veeery happy that nearly 300 men, women, and children died of a despicable act of violence for no reason whatsoever. Keep it comin, McVeigh, Nichols, Bin Laden!!!

[Midtowner]

You should be down here to see all of the tourists the bombing memorial brings. License plates from all over the U.S., 7 days per week.
That's exactly what I mean --- almost a sense of pride about it.

To me, it's a town with a lot of insecurities that takes pride and comfort in the fact that people come to see a BOMBING memorial and see that "we aren't a hick city." It's like I said --- the great unspoken --- many are damn glad that if it had to happen - it happened here. Tourist dollars! City image! Out of state plates actually in our city! Sick.

I think I'm through with this kind of "city pride." It's been taken to an extreme here that tries to put OKC on an equal plane with DFW, Denver and other great cities of our country. An extreme that takes pride that people come downtown to see our BOMBING memorial. People get excited over Jack-In-The-Box and report every new little thing that happens as if it's something wonderful. The Shriners bring a convention here (they have conventions all of the time) and decide to hold one here - and you'd think Microsoft was moving here. The Shriners!!!

People here seem to have an unhealthy fantasy view of this town. It is with this attitude of rose colored glasses that will not allow faults to be pointed out, that gets excited over non-sensical things and sees OKC as something much more than it actually is. Remember - we live in a town without a single major retailer downtown. We're losing Amtrak. We continue to welcome call-centers with open arms. We continue to lose major carrier flights and then get excited when the puddle jumpers replace them. IHOP opens downtown and it's a big deal, a pizza chain opens on NW Expressway and it pays $6 wages and we're pumped. All this while our demos go down the drain.

It's been fun, but I can't pretend that Oklahoma City is anything more than what it is.
When it gets to the point that we're PROUD of the attention our city gets from a BOMBING - I think it may be time for me to not only get off this board, but mourn what this city COULD HAVE BEEN.

Good luck to you all.

How many folks have I run off now? Sheesh

My friend, you paint a terrible picture, and certainly, some of the things you're talking about are issues that this city has.

Let me respond as to how most of us truly feel about this event.

None of us are proud that this happened here. However, we are very proud about how Oklahomans chose to respond. Instead of seeing despair and helplessness, we saw heroes emerge. During the cleanup/rescuse stages, we had people from all over the nation that were amazed at how great the people of OKC were -- not how many Wal-Marts we had, nor how many white collar, knowledge based jobs -- just that we had great people.

If you ever get a chance to actually visit the memorial and tour the exhibit they have over at the old Journal Record/YMCA building, you'll see what I'm getting at here. That is the side of Oklahoma City that we all are entitled to be proud about because that's what we are, and that's what we should be.

For the record, I think those that believe all of our problems would be solved with a "strong mayor" are just as foolish.

Let me say this about this board. Sure, there are people that get a little over-the-top about new development. Sure, there are people that I think are too excited to see unskilled labor and low-wage jobs coming to town. Sure there are people that discuss things they have little or no say in -- and never will. But at least there are those here in Oklahoma City who dare to dream what we could be some day. At least there are people that have a positive vision for ALL the people of the city. At least there are some people here with ideas to improve the city. In fact, there are some people here that either are in office, or aspire to be someday and will have the power to make these changes.

Yes, sometimes it is just pointless fantasy. Yes, sometimes, it is just fun and games, but not always -- that's why some of us stay.

If you feel you have to leave this place for the above stated reasons, don't let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya. Toodles.

[Keith]

Well, the city certainly has been able to turn it into as much of a positive as possible. You should be down here to see all of the tourists the bombing memorial brings. License plates from all over the U.S., 7 days per week. I drive by almost every single day.

10 years ago was the last time the city was in the national limelight. This will be an opportunity to show that we're not the hick town that Connie Chung became so famous for saying we were.

Nothing wrong with trying to make the best out of a bad situation.

I agree. The bombing was certainly not a way that OKC wanted to be remembered, however, it happened. What has made me so proud of OKC, is the way that everything was handled by the citizens of this city. Many hours and supplies were donated by people who were not even affected by the bombing, yet they wanted to help. I still can't imagine the mental and pshychological(sp?) stress that many of these heroes still have to deal with today.

This tragedy brought many people closer together, and many relationships were mended. It's sad to say that it took something like this to bring people together, but it happened.

No, this situation isn't something that we in OKC are proud of. Sure, we have tourists come from all over the world to see the memorial, but it's not to get a laugh or two....it's to see that we, OKC, have come a long way since the tragedy occurred. I see no smiles on faces, just expressions of sadness. I go by there about three times a week, and I am impressed with the way they have made the memorial a special place.

I lost a friend in the bombing, and I had 5 friends that were seriously injured. One friend of mine was in the Murrah Building when it blew, however, fortunately, she was on the north side of the building and was not injured...physically. At the time, she went to the same church I went to, and when I would see her on Sunday's, she would tell me how many funerals she attended that week.

She lost so many friends in the bombing, that she was going to funeral after funeral. The mental stress was tremendous on her....so much that she had to take a leave of absense. There have been many of the rescuers who have had to quit their jobs because of the mental stress this has caused, and some have even committed suicide, because they could not deal with everyday life after seeing all the devastation and death that occurred.

Yes, this 10 year anniversary will be hard on her and many other people, however, they are all trying to make a positive out of a negative. Nobody is proud of the tragedy, however, we are proud of the citizens of OKC who came together, and helped one another. OKC has shown other cities that we can handle tragedies when they happen, and that is something to be proud of.

[metro]

I agree.

I agree. The bombing was certainly not a way that OKC wanted to be remembered, however, it happened. What has made me so proud of OKC, is the way that everything was handled by the citizens of this city. Many hours and supplies were donated by people who were not even affected by the bombing, yet they wanted to help. I still can't imagine the mental and pshychological(sp?) stress that many of these heroes still have to deal with today.

This tragedy brought many people closer together, and many relationships were mended. It's sad to say that it took something like this to bring people together, but it happened.

No, this situation isn't something that we in OKC are proud of. Sure, we have tourists come from all over the world to see the memorial, but it's not to get a laugh or two....it's to see that we, OKC, have come a long way since the tragedy occurred. I see no smiles on faces, just expressions of sadness. I go by there about three times a week, and I am impressed with the way they have made the memorial a special place.

I lost a friend in the bombing, and I had 5 friends that were seriously injured. One friend of mine was in the Murrah Building when it blew, however, fortunately, she was on the north side of the building and was not injured...physically. At the time, she went to the same church I went to, and when I would see her on Sunday's, she would tell me how many funerals she attended that week.

She lost so many friends in the bombing, that she was going to funeral after funeral. The mental stress was tremendous on her....so much that she had to take a leave of absense. There have been many of the rescuers who have had to quit their jobs because of the mental stress this has caused, and some have even committed suicide, because they could not deal with everyday life after seeing all the devastation and death that occurred.

Yes, this 10 year anniversary will be hard on her and many other people, however, they are all trying to make a positive out of a negative. Nobody is proud of the tragedy, however, we are proud of the citizens of OKC who came together, and helped one another. OKC has shown other cities that we can handle tragedies when they happen, and that is something to be proud of.

And as far as more call center jobs, chain restaurants etc. One thing you will never understand xrayman, yes you, is that these jobs increase our tax revenues, increase employment, decrease our unemployment rate, expand our economic vitality. As a political figure, something you probably never were or will be this is something that is more in detail than you can probably understand. Unfortunately, in reality, we have alot of people in this area that are not educated with a college degree. We all cannot be as wise and educated as yourself as which you have obviously displayed your vast knowledge far superior to the common Oklahoma citian. We cannot expect high-paying degree jobs to people who dropped out of high-school, or have a GED. If anything, these larger companies are providing more opportunity to these people that a smaller employer or even having no job currently can provide. These larger firms offer better insurance, benefits, advancement opportunities etc. Anyhow despite what you may think is extra zealous, at least we have come together as a community the last 10 years more than we were, we have really changed as a city for the better and grown substantially. Do we have things to work on? Yes and we always will. Do you have things to work on?

[mranderson]

A reminder. The anniversary is this coming Tuesday. If possible, be sure to observe a moment of silence at 9:02 AM in memory of those lost. Also, I think it would be nice to drive that day with headlights on.

[Patrick]

Also, I think it would be nice to drive that day with headlights on.

Yes, the headlights were so nice to see for weeks after the bombing, in memory of the victims. Definitely showed you how this city came together. I hope we see it again for the anniversary.