I've been trying to decide how to write my feelings on the memorial for the OKC bombing. I remarked to Ken while we were walking around the memorial - we as a people tend to forget the horrors that overwhelm us. For this reason we need memorials to remind us and never let us forget. It may seem at first glance that this was the evil of a small number of people but is it? While this may have been the actual work of two men - the evil that was behind it is in the hearts and minds of many. If we allow ourselves to forget the images we saw on April 19, 1995 or September 11, 2001 or any other day that terror was used as a weapon against humanity - we then allow that evil to take hold once again.
I was talking to my Primary class about what I saw and felt while in OKC when I realized that these kids hadn't been born when this happened. It is history to them just as World Wars 1 and 2 and the Korean War are to me. That's when I realized that it really is important to have these memorials to events and people to help us try to not let history repeat itself. Not just for those who remember but for those who didn't live through the tragedy.
Rescue workers, firefighters, policemen, the Armed Forces and other "jobs" that we sometimes take for granted. When a tragedy happens, whether man made or a natural disaster, those people are on the spot to help. We are grateful and thank them profusely. What we need to strive for is showing our gratitude all of the time, not just when we need them.
I've been to lots of memorials in my life. Some are just a marble block with writing, some have lots of symbolism like the memorial in OKC. There is a website for the OKC bombing memorial. Check it out.
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