[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 51 (Friday, April 19, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3734-S3735]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

  (At the request of Mr. Dole, the following statement was ordered to 
be printed in the Record.)

                         OKLAHOMA CITY BOMBING

 Mr. INHOFE. Mr. President, as we commemorate the 1 year 
anniversary of the horrific bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in 
Oklahoma City, I would like to share with my colleagues excerpts from 
poem written by S.L. (Spud) Beckes the day after the bombing.

     April 19th, of 95;
     A day Oklahoma and the world
     will remember, for the rest of their lives;

     It's nine a.m. and most is calm;
     Then comes nine-0-two and straight from hell
     comes devastation in the form of a bomb;

     Quickly, we turn to the TV, we see panic and fear,
     we see death and destruction and for some,
     death grows near,

     Death and destruction by terrorist, how can this be;
     it's just not heard of in OKC;

     We listen close, as the body count grows;
     then we realize ``Oh my God'' that can't be, that's someone I 
           know;

     Then comes the helplessness, from within;
     because, we realize there's nothing to justify this act, that 
           cost us relatives and friends;

     We ask ourselves, ``Why Oklahoma'' but if
     we stop and think, the answer is simple;
     the actions of the hunter, is to kill not cripple;

     The hunter, goes for the heart and the rest of the body 
           falls;
     but the cowards, that hit the heart of the United States, did
     not know, how strong faith in Oklahomans can be and this
     they did not anticipate;

     Oklahoma is not only, the heart of America, it is the 
           backbone;
     and our pride in faith will show the world, even in tragedy,
     we will hold our head up, trust in god and walk tall;

     We think of the loss, Men, Women and Children, and ask the 
           Lord ``Why'';
     We try to be strong at first but it's too much, we are but 
           man, so for most,
     We bow our head and cry; but when the tears stop and our eyes 
           clear;
     Nothing on this earth can stop an American, and even in 
           tradegy, we will show the world, there is nothing to 
           fear;


[[Page S3735]]


     ``We'' are a proud Country, the best on the planet; and from 
           our childhood,
     to our death, our pride in faith, become part of us and this 
           we never regret;
     So for the good of the world, I say this;
     ``Be with God, fear not the evil from Hell, for hell has not 
           the courage,
     the pride, the body or the heart of an American, and this 
           day,
     today, the world and Oklahoma will never forget;
     ``God Bless America''

       By S.L. (Spud) Beckes, The Oklahoma Poet.

                          ____________________