Editor's Notebook

During the April 19th rememberence ceremony of 30 years ago, former President Bill Clinton made one of the all-time speeches.

He was the sitting president when the horror transpired in 1995 at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building and made remarks at the prayer service held right after the act of terrorism.

He said he loves Oklahoma City and has been back to the memorial eight different times. Back again Saturday, Clinton, like so many of us, knew a person that was one of the 168 victims of the blast caused by the dastardly actions of Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols.

Clinton said one of the Secret Service Agents killed in the blast at the Murrah Building was at one time on his Presidential detail.

“He said Mr. President you travel too much. I have a family and I’d like to move to Oklahoma City where I think it would be a good place to raise my children,” the former president told the gathering that Saturday.

We thought he would be in a much safer job than what he was in Washington D.C., Clinton told the audience.

“That just shows how much we know about the future,” Clinton said.

Clinton praised The Oklahoma Standard that was set at that time and what the city has done since. He also talked about all the volunteers, first responders, medical personnel, OKC and state leaders and how they responded in the days and months and years since.

“Back then, Oklahoma City needed the help of America. Now America needs your help,” Clinton said, referring to all the polarization in the country between the political parties. “America needs The Oklahoma Standard.”

Clinton was “right on” on several of his points but for sure Oklahoma City has undergone a renaissance in the past 30 years and hasn’t looked back since.