4/19

Before there was 9/11, there was 4/19.

The day in 1993 that a complex in Waco, Texas was stormed by ATF/FBI agents, resulting in the death of 80 people, of whom 22 were chilren.

And the day in 1995 that a federal building in the unassuming capital of Oklahoma was bombed, killing 168 people, of whom 19 were children.

Before 9/11 brought home the fear of international terrorism, 4/19 reminded us that many of the world's demons reside within our own borders...a lesson that perhaps still bears reminding.

If you ever get the chance to visit Oklahoma City--perhaps on a cross-country, I-40 road trip, do. It's a startlingly large, well-trimmed city, busy but unambitious. And the memorial is a beautiful and touching reminder of a terrible event.