[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (2000, Book I)]
[April 19, 2000]
[Pages 752-754]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks at the Oklahoma City National Memorial Dedication Ceremony in 
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
April 19, 2000

    Thank you very much, Governor Keating. I 
wanted to be here today, and I was grateful to be asked. I wanted to 
thank you and Cathy for all you have done. 
Thank you, Senator Nickles and members of the 
congressional delegation. Thank you, Mayor Humphreys, and I thank your predecessor, Mayor Norick. Thank you, Chairman Johnson; thank you, Karen Luke.
    I thank all of the Federal leaders who are here today who lost their 
employees and worked so hard, Attorney General Reno and our Secretaries of Health and Human 
Services, Housing and Urban 
Development, and Transportation, the leaders of the Office of Personnel Management, 
the Customs, the ATF, and the Secret Service and many others. I thank 
Bob Stanton and the Park Service for 
making sure this place would be well cared for, forever.
    I thank that unknown number of people who contributed to the 
building of this magnificent monument and to the scholarship fund. I 
thank General Ferrell and all those who 
are working

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and will work here from now on to combat terrorism. I congratulate the 
young couple 
who designed this magnificent memorial, and I 
think we should give them a round of applause. [Applause]
    I thank the Oklahoma City Philharmonic Brass and the Memorial 
Community Choir and Shawntel Smith for their 
ringing in wonderful music today.
    Most of all, I thank the families who lost your loved ones; the 
survivors and your families; the rescue workers; and the family of 
Oklahoma for setting an example for America. I can add little now to the 
words and music, even more to the silence and amazing grace of this 
memorial. Its empty chairs recall the Mercy Seat of Old Testament 
Scripture--a place for the children of God to come for renewal and 
dedication.
    So this is a day both for remembrance and for renewal. Hillary and I 
will never forget being with you at that first memorial service while 
the rescue teams were still searching. I know the last 5 years have not 
been easy. I hope you can take some comfort in knowing that, just as I 
said 5 years ago, America is still with you, and that with this memorial 
you can know America will never forget.
    As the Governor said in alluding to Gettysburg, there are places in 
our national landscape so scarred by freedom's sacrifice that they shape 
forever the soul of America--Valley Forge, Gettysburg, Selma. This place 
is such sacred ground.
    I think you should all know that it was on this exact day 225 years 
ago that the American Revolution began. What a 225 years it has been. 
The brave Americans we lost here 220 years later were not fighting a 
war, but they were patriots in service to their fellow citizens, just as 
much as the police and fire and other public servants are here among us 
today. And they were children whose promise keeps our old democracy 
forever young.
    Five years ago the cowards who killed them made a choice, a choice 
to attack this building and the people in it, because they wanted to 
strike a blow at America's heartland, at the core of our Nation's being. 
This was an attack on all America and every American.
    Five years later we are here because you made a choice, a choice to 
choose hope and love over despair and hatred. It is easy for us to say 
today, and even perhaps easy for you to clap today, but I know that this 
wise choice was also a very hard one, especially for the families of the 
victims. I know there are still days when the old anger wells up inside 
you, still days when tears fill your eyes, when you think your heart 
will surely break. On those days in the future, I hope you can come here 
and find solace in the memory of your loved ones, in the honor of your 
fellow citizens.
    I hope you can find the strength to live a full and loving life, 
free of hatred, which only cripples. I believe your loved ones would 
want you to have that life. And though you have given too much, you 
still have so much to give.
    The great writer Ralph Ellison, who was a native of this city, once 
said, ``America is woven of many strands . . . our fate is to become 
one, and yet many.'' On April 19th, 1995, our many strands became one, 
one in love and support for you and in our determined opposition to 
terrorism. You taught us again how much stronger we are when we all 
stand together in our common humanity to protect life, liberty, and the 
rule of law for all.
    We may never have all the answers for what happened here. But as we 
continue our journey toward understanding, one truth is clear: What was 
meant to break has made you stronger.
    As I left the White House today, I looked, as I often do, at your 
tree, the beautiful dogwood Hillary and I planted on the South Lawn 5 
years ago for those who were lost here. Five years later that tree 
stands a little taller; its spring flowers are a little fuller; its 
roots have dug in a little deeper. But it's still a young tree.
    Five years isn't a very long time for trees to grow or for wounds to 
heal and hearts to mend. But today, like your beautiful dogwood tree on 
the White House lawn, Oklahoma City clearly is blooming again. For that, 
all your fellow Americans and, indeed, decent, good people all over the 
world are grateful to you and grateful to God for the grace that led you 
on.
    In Romans it is said, ``The night is far spent; the day is at hand. 
Let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of 
light.'' May you keep on your armor of light. May you keep your light 
shining on this place of hope, where memories of the lost and the 
meaning of America will live forever.
    May God bless you, and God bless America.

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 Note:  The President spoke at 6:05 p.m. on the memorial grounds. In his 
remarks, he referred to Gov. Frank Keating of Oklahoma and his wife, 
Cathy; Mayor Kirk Humphreys and former Mayor Ronald Norick of Oklahoma 
City; Robert M. Johnson and Karen Luke, cochairs, Oklahoma City National 
Memorial Foundation; Gen. Donald F. Ferrell, USAF (Ret.), chairman, 
board of directors, Oklahoma City National Memorial Institute for the 
Prevention of Terrorism and Violence; memorial designers Hans-Ekkehard 
and Torrey Butzer and Sven Berg, Butzer Design Partnership; and Shawntel 
Smith, Miss America 1996, who sang the national anthem.