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Does anyone remember when the Oklahoma City Bombing was first covered by the mainstream media that his white supremacist ties were played down massively?
I was 8 when it happened, but definitely remember it. I read about it later on and even then a lot of the sources described him as a lone nut job who had some accomplices. I think even one of the early Wikipedia entries on the incident only mentioned McVeigh having a white power t-shirt as his only connection to the white surpemacist movement. And even then it was mentioned in the article he had it just to get a rise out of some other soldiers who wore black power shirts.
I think it was more a matter that authorities at the time were convinced that the act was way over the head of someone like McVeigh, and were playing their cards close to their chest while they sought out potential conspirators. Not wanting to give warning of any form to would be suspects.
Also, times were different back then,... the media wasn't as prone to click- baiting white skin color as they are today.
I believe they eventually established that McVeigh was familiar with Richard Snell's cause, but did NOT act in service to it.
Also, as I recall, Judge Matsch, who presided over McVeigh's trial.... went out of his way to disallow any evidence he felt might interfere with a conviction.
I was at the Murrah building shortly after the bombing. It was the only time in my life that I had a surreal feeling.
Nothing enraged me more than McVeigh's interview. I never got the White Power vibe from him.
He struck me as more of a sovereign/anti-government Kool-Aid drinker.
I always had him pegged as somebody who was pissed that he couldn't go farther in the military or be able to work for the government. So he targeted them for revenge. I do remember that he had contact with some Iranians at some point. That was downplayed.
Does anyone remember when the Oklahoma City Bombing was first covered by the mainstream media that his white supremacist ties were played down massively?
I was 8 when it happened, but definitely remember it. I read about it later on and even then a lot of the sources described him as a lone nut job who had some accomplices. I think even one of the early Wikipedia entries on the incident only mentioned McVeigh having a white power t-shirt as his only connection to the white surpemacist movement. And even then it was mentioned in the article he had it just to get a rise out of some other soldiers who wore black power shirts.
He was very anti-government. Nothing to do with racism.
I definitely remembered it and the visual of the whole side of the massive building missing.
It was by far the scariest "homegrown" terrorist incident I've ever seen. The worse thing is that it was relatively easy to perpetrate (back then) with just common fertilizer and a rented van / truck.
I had no idea that you can do that much damage with fertilizer.
I also had no idea people are THAT messed up that they can do that to innocent people with no remorse.
Nowadays we all know people like that are around and maybe more common than we would like to admit.
He was very anti-government. Nothing to do with racism.
Quote:
Originally Posted by under a mountain
Tim McVeigh must hold the record for the shortest time on Death Row. The Gov't couldn't wait to kill him.
He dropped his appeals and wanted to die vs. life in prison. Anti-govt angry guy!
He would have gotten away with it short term if he didn't get pulled over for not having a license plate on the car, then the trooper noticed his gun and he was arrested for the firearm violation.
I definitely remembered it and the visual of the whole side of the massive building missing.
It was by far the scariest "homegrown" terrorist incident I've ever seen. The worse thing is that it was relatively easy to perpetrate (back then) with just common fertilizer and a rented van / truck.
I had no idea that you can do that much damage with fertilizer.
I also had no idea people are THAT messed up that they can do that to innocent people with no remorse.
Nowadays we all know people like that are around and maybe more common than we would like to admit.
It was a shock to everyone. I won't speak to the white supremacy stuff.. I honestly don't really remember. But i agree I always chalked him up to anti government more than anything. It's just that the two groups always seem to mix together.
So many situations during the 90's.. Ruby Ridge, Waco, McVeigh.. Each different, but each in its own way a government screw up.
That particular rubber band has the feeling of being stretched again in todays world, tbh.
The.. One mildly redeeming factor about the guy.. He did express his regret about the children killed. If you're looking for any kind of bright side, that's.. about all there is to find.
I will say.. I can't eat mint chocolate chip ice cream without thinking of McVeigh anymore.
FWIW.. Back in the 70's.. No one considered someone would bring a bomb on a plane.. Before 2001, no one thought about hijacking a plane and crashing it into a building. McVeigh didn't do anything overly creative.. He just.. Was the first to do it. And now buying more than 2 bags of fertilizer puts you on some watch list, most likely.
I always thought he was a patsy like a James Earl Ray. Mastermind was never caught
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