[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1995, Book I)]
[April 21, 1995]
[Page 562]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks and an Exchange With Reporters on the Oklahoma City Bombing
April 21, 1995

    The President. I wanted to make a couple of points. First of all, I 
was briefed late last evening by the Attorney General on the status of 
the investigation, and I am well satisfied with the efforts that are 
being made, the progress that's being made. I would just ask that you 
and the American people not rush to any conclusions unsupported by known 
evidence and that we give the investigators the space they need to do 
their job. They are working hard; they are moving ahead.
    The second thing I'd like to say is that Hillary and I have decided 
to go to Oklahoma City on Sunday to be a part of the memorial service 
and to be with the families of the victims and the people of Oklahoma 
City. I think all America will be there in spirit and is there today, 
and I have determined that I should also declare Sunday a national day 
of mourning for the victims there and to ask people in their places of 
worship and in their homes all across America to pray for the people 
there and for the community.
    The final thing I'd like to say is just a brief message to the 
children of this country. I have been very concerned with how the 
children in Oklahoma City and, indeed, the children throughout America 
must be reacting to a horror of this magnitude. And my message to the 
children is that this was an evil thing and the people who did it were 
terribly, horribly wrong. We will catch them, and we will punish them.
    But the children of America need to know that almost all the adults 
in this country are good people who love their children and love other 
children, and we're going to get through this. We're going to get 
through this. I don't want our children to believe something terrible 
about life and the future and grownups in general because of this awful 
thing. Most adults are good people who want to protect our children in 
their childhood, and we are going to get through this.
    Q. Mr. President, do you know of any progress in the investigation?
    The President. You know I'm not going to comment. I'm letting the 
Justice Department announce progress. I don't think that it's 
appropriate for me to say anything, except I can tell you that I know 
what they've done and the American people would be very pleased and very 
impressed by the work they are doing. But this is a big issue, and we 
don't want to undermine their ability to work by anything that is said 
or by jumping to unwarranted conclusions.

Note: The President spoke at 10 a.m. on the South Lawn at the White 
House, prior to his departure for Havre de Grace, MD. The proclamation 
declaring a national day of mourning is listed in Appendix D at the end 
of this volume.