[ applause ] thank you. Thank you very much. Governor keating, mrs. Keating, reverend graham, those who have lost and who are wounded, people of Oklahoma City who endured so much and people of this wonderful state, all of you who are here as our fellow americans. I am honored to be here today to represent the american people. But, i have to tell you that hillary and i also come as parents, husband and wife, as people who were your neighbors for some of the best years of our lives. Today, our nation joins with you in grief, to mourn with you. We share your hope against the hope that some may still survive. We thank all of those who have worked so heroically, to save lives and to solve the crime. Those here in oklahoma and those across this great land and many who left their own life to come here to work handinhand 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 only because their parents were trying to be good parents as well as good workers. 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 disabled. Worked to support our farmers and veterans. Worked to enforce our laws and to protect us. Let us say clearly, they served us well and we are grateful. [ applause ] but, for so many of you, they were also neighbors and friends. You saw them at church or the pta meeting, at the civic club, at the ballpark, you know them in ways that all the rest of america could not. 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 it. We cannot undo it. That is gods will. Our words seem small beside the loss you have endured. But, i found a few i wanted to share today. I received a lot of letters in these last parable days. One stood out because it came from a young widow and a mother of three whos own husband was murdered with over 200 americans in the panam 103 was shot down. Here is what that woman said. I should say to you today, the anger you feel is valid but you must not allow yourselves to be consumed by it. The hurt you feel must not be allowed to turn into hate but instead into the search for justice. The loss you feel must not paralyze your own lives, instead you must try to pay tribute to your loved ones by trying to do the things they left undone. Thus ensuring they did not die in vain. Wise words from one who also knows. 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. [ applause ] if ever we needed evidence of that, i can only recall the words of governor and mrs. Keating. If anybody thinks americans are mostly mean and selfish, they ought to come to oklahoma. [ applause ] if anybody thinks americans have lost the capacity for love and caring and courage, they ought to come to oklahoma. [ applause ] 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. [ applause ] 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. Justice will prevail. [ applause ] 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 standup and talk against it. In the face of death, let us honor lives. As st. Paul admonished us, let us not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. [ applause ] yesterday, hillary and i had the privilege of speaking with some children of other federal employees. Children like those who were lost here. 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. [ applause ] 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. Takes as 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. [ applause ] president clinton, mrs. Clinton, governor keating, mrs. Keating, mayor norick and visiting governor from the state of texas, governor and mrs. Bush, and so many people who have come here from all over the country join us in this prayer service. For all that has been said, i dont know what im going to say because weve had several messages brought here. One from the president , which could be a sermon from a pulpit anywhere. And maybe thats what hell do some day. [ laughter ] [ applause ] ten or 20 years from now. [ laughter ] but, most important of all, all of those people that have been named from the fire department, the police department, those people that were in the building, those people that have lost loved ones, those that have been injured in the bombing, our tears mingle with yours as we walked through the room a moment ago and shook hands with so many of you and had a prayer with so many of you. You from the various agencies, like the fire, the medical, the police, the hundreds of volunteers who we already heard about, no matter how hard we try, words cannot express the horror and shock and revulsion we all feel over what took place in this city last wednesday. That terrible and senseless tragedy runs against the grain of every standard, every belief and custom we hold as a Civilized Society in the United States. The images of devastation and suffering weve seen here will be imprinted on each of our minds and hearts as long as we each live. The blast was an explosion ripping at the heart of america. Long after the rubble is clear and the rebuilding begins, the scars of this senseless and evil outrage will remain. We come together here today, not only to pray and forgive and love, but to say to those who masterminded this cruel plot and to those who carried it out that the spirit of this city and this nation will not be defeated. [ applause ] some day, the wounds will heal. Some day, those who thought they could sow chaos will be brought to justice as president clinton so eloquently promised. [ applause ] the wounds of this tragedy are deep. But, the courage and the faith and determination of the people of Oklahoma City are even deeper. [ applause ] a part of my family lives in oklahoma. My father had a brother, an older brother, a giant of a man and he came to oklahoma. He founded a business. In muskogee. I came to Oklahoma City and held two or three crusades. The first one was here in this fairgrounds, many, many years ago. Some of you might have been little children at that time. But, ive known something of the strength and the courage and the character of people that live in oklahoma. The bible says [ applause ] the bible says in psalms 127 43. He heals wounds. We stand together to say, let the healing begin. [ applause ] since i have been here, i have been asked the question several times, many times, why does god allow it . Why does a god of love and mercy, that we read about and hear about allow such a terrible thing to happen . Over 3000 years ago, there was a man named job, struggled with the same question. He asked why. Because he was a good man. Yet, disaster struck him suddenly. And swiftly. He lost seven sons, three daughters, all his possessions, he even lost his health. Even his wife and friends turned against him. His wife said curse god and die. In the midst of his suffering, he asked this question, why . Job, didnt know. Why did i not perish at birth, he cried. Perhaps this is the way you feel. I want to assure you that god understands those feelings. The bible says in isaiah 43 2, when you pass through the waters, i will be with you. When you walk through the fire, you will not burn. The flamgs will not set you ablaze. Job found, there were lessons to be learned from his suffering, even if he didnt fully understand. Thats true for all of us as well. What are the lessons we can learn . First, theres a mystery to it. Ive been asked why god allows it. I dont know. I cant give a direct answer. I have to confess that i never fully understand, even for my own satisfaction. I have to accept by faith that god is a got of love and mercy and compassion, even in the midst of suffering. I remember, lying in a dirt floor in a hospital in korea and looking up into the face of a soldier suspended, who was horribly wounded and the doctor said hell never walk again. I asked myself why. I can recall standing at the bedside of children who were dying and i asked myself, lord, why . I recall walking through the devastation left by hurricanes in florida and south carolina. And typhoons in india and earthquakes in california. Ive asked myself why. The bible says god is not the author of evil and it speaks of evil as a mystery. Theres something about evil we will never fully understand, this side of eternity. But the bible says two other things we sometimes attempted to forget. It tells us, there is a devil. Satan is very real. He has great power. It also tells us that evil is real. And the human heart is capable of almost limitless evil when cut off from god and the moral law. The profit jeremiah said the heart is deceitful of all things and wicked. Who can know it . Your heart and my heart without god. Thats one reason we each need god in our lives. For only he can change our hearts and give us the desire and power to do what is right and keep us from wrong. Times like this will do one of two things. It will either make us hard and bitter and angry at god, or they will make us tender and open and help us reach out and trust and faith. I think thats what the people of oklahoma are doing, that i have met since ive been here these past two days. I pray that you will not let bitterness and poison creep into your soul, but you will turn in faith and trust in god, even if we cannot understand. It is better to face Something Like this with god than without him. But, the lesson of this event is not only about mystery, but weve already heard its a lesson of a Community Coming together. [ applause ] what an example. Oklahoma city and the people of oklahoma have given to the world. Because the television has been carrying it as much as any event i can ever remember like this. And the cooperation of officials of every level of government and the community. No matter what religious group we belong to and the political views we have, none of us will ever forget the pictures on television that have been mentioned here today. Or the picture of hundreds of people standing in line to give blood. The work of the red cross, the Salvation Army and a host of other humanitarian organizations, as well as the emergency workers and doctors and nurses. They have inspired us and humbled us. A tragedy like this could have torn this city apart. Instead, its united you in a way youve never been united before. [ applause ] hundreds, if not thousands of prayer groups around the world have been praying for you. And, im sure, ive been told you sense their prayers and support. The forces of hate and violence must not be allowed to gain their victory. Not just in our society, but in our hearts. We must not respond to hate with more hate. This is a time of coming together and weve seen that already. This tragedy also gives us a lesson in comfort and compassion. Weve seen an outpouring of sympathy and help not only in Oklahoma City and oklahoma, but throughout the United States and the world. Weve been reminded that a cruel event like this reaches the depths of human evil and brings out the best in us. The best in the human spirit, compassion, and sacrifice. It can also teach us about gods comfort and compassion. Some of us today, are going through heartache, and grief so intense that you wonder will it ever go away. Ive had the privilege of meeting some of you and talking to you. But, i want to tell you that our god cares for you and for your family and for your city. [ applause ] the bible says the god of all comfort, who comforts us in our troubles, jesus said blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted. I pray you will experience gods comfort during these days as you turn to him. For god loves you and he shares in your suffering. Difficult as it may be for us to see right now. This event gives us, as weve heard, from the archbishop a message of hope. Yes, there is hope. Theres hope for the present because i believe the stage has already been set for restoration and renewal of this city. A city that will always survive and youll never give up. [ applause ] today, its my prayer that all americans will rededicate ourselves to a new spirit of brotherhood and compassion working together to solve the problems and barriers that would tear us apart. Theres hope for the future because of gods proms. Promises. As a christian, i hope not just for this life, but the life to come. Some day there will be a glorious reunion with those who died and gone to heaven before us. That includes all those innocent children. That are lost, they are not lost with god. Any child that young is automatically in heaven and in gods arms. [ applause ] this event also reminds us of the brevity and uncertainty of life. It reminds us that we never know when were going to be taken. I doubt if even one of those who went to that building to work or to go to the childrens place ever dreamed that was their last day on earth. That is why we each need to face our own spiritual need and commit ourselves to god. Its ironic, this terrible event took place just three days after the churches of this city were filled with people celebrating easter. Just one week ago today. And today, throughout the world, the eastern orthodox churches celebrate easter on this day. Easter always brings hope to all of us. For the christians, the cross tells us that god understands our suffering. He took upon himself at the cross, all of our sins, failures and sufferings. Our lord, on that cross asked the question, why . My god, my god, why has thou forsaken me. He received the answer he knew. To redeem the world, to save you and me from our sins. To give us assurance that if we die, were going to heaven. He was saying at the cross, i love you and i know the heart aches and sorrows and pains that you feel. Easter. Points us beyond the tragedy of the cross to the hope of the empty tomb. It tells us theres eternal life. For christ has conquered death. It also tells us that god triumphed over evil and death and hell. This is our hope and it can be your hope as well. I was deeply moved friday night while watching larry king talk to edie smith who lost her two boys in the explosion. Her brother a 28yearold Police Officer was dispatched to the crime stone help and in searching the rubble he found one of his nephews. The boys program father is a christian evangelist who said conducting their funeral was the hardest thing they ever faced and that his faith had been crucial in helping him through the tragedy. He ruted romance 8 28, we know that in all things god works for the good of those who love him and said that if that were the only verse he had in the whole bible it would work through all of his problems if we only believe it. President and mrs. Clinton will remember at the National Prayer breakfast in washington earlier this year, ambassador andrew young who went through the terrible agony of losing his beloved wife, whom he loved so much, to cancer. He closed his talk at our Prayer Breakfast with a quote from an old hymn, how firm our the full verse says the soul that on jesus leaned for repose. I will not, i will not desert to expose. That soul though all hell shall endeavor its shape. Ill never, no never, no never forsake. My prayer for you today is that you will feel the loving arms of god wrapped around you and will know in your heart that he will never forsake you as you trust him. God bless oklahoma. [ applause ] thank you, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you. Every saturday night American History tv takes to you College Classrooms around the country for lectures in history. Why do you all know who lizzy borden is and raise your hand if you ever heard of this measure, the jean harris murder trial before this class . The deepest cause where well find the true meaning of the revolution was in this transformation that took place in the minds of the american people. So well talk about both of these sides of the story here, sfliekt the tools, the techniques of slave owner power and well also talk about the tools and techniques of power that were practiced by enslaved people. Watch history professors lead discussions with their students on topics range from the American Revolution to september 11th. Lectures in history on cspan 3, every saturday at 8 00 p. M. Eastern on American History tv and lectures in history is available as a podcast. Find it where you listen to podcasts. Youre watching a special edition of American History tv. During the week, while members of congress are in their districts due to the coronavirus pandemic, tonight at 8 00 p. M. Eastern well tour an exhibit at the u. S. Holocaust museum for a look at how the u. S. Public and government officials reacted to nazi germanys persecution of jews betwee s between 1930 and. American history tv now and through the weekend on cspan 3. On june 11th, 2001, six years after the Oklahoma City bombing that killed 168 people, Timothy Mcveigh was executed for his role in the crime. Next president george w. Bush making a brief statement from the White House Briefing room. This morning the United States of america carried out the severest sentence for the gravest of crimes. The victims of the Oklahoma City bombing have been given not vengeance, but justice. And one young man met the fate he chose for himself six years ago. For the survivors of the crime, and for the families of the dead, the pain goes