A day of anniversaries...

Ten years ago this morning, a sunny morning in Oklahoma City was shattered with a horrifying explosion. The nation watched in horror at the scene of open offices, papers fluttering into the sky. Of people being led away, coated in blood.

And perhaps the most burning, stomach-turning image of all... of a firefighter carrying the body of a toddler from the rubble.

That's what I remember most about the news from that day-- that horrible image.

April 19, 1995 was a wake-up call for the United States. Terrorism isn't something that just happens overseas. It happens here. By our own people. The attack on the World Trade Center in '93 didn't quite click with people because it didn't do enough damage. The attacks on abortion clinics (and the doctors that performed them) wasn't enough.

Oklahoma City got people's attention. For a little while, at least. But did we learn anything?

Does America care about its domestic terrorism problems? They happen every day, after all.

~~~~~~~~~~

On this date in 1982, Sally Ride was announced as the first woman astronaut. On the same day, Guinon Bluford was announced as the first African-American astronaut.

Apparently NASA finally took its head out of its collective white male ass.

~~~~~~~~~~

In 1971, Charles Manson received his life sentence for the Sharon Tate murder that has made him so infamous.

~~~~~~~~~~

In 1966, Roberta Gibb became the first woman to run the full Boston Marathon. She ran without a number, hiding in the bushes until just before the race started. Katherine Switzer, normally credited with being the first woman, was actually the first woman who ran with a number (which she got by not identifying herself as female on her application form) in 1967. In that year, a photo of a man trying to drag her out of the race was taken. At that time, it was considered too dangerous for women's reproductive health for them to run long distance.

~~~~~~~~~~

In 1951, General Douglas MacArthur retired from military service. Have you studied the career of Gen. MacArthur? You should.

~~~~~~~~~~

In 1946, the ABC network went on the air. On the same day, Chiang Kai Shek was elected president of China. That, of course, did not last long.

~~~~~~~~~~

In 1943, Jews of the Warsaw ghetto revolted against their Nazi oppressors following an attempt by the SS to destroy the ghetto.

~~~~~~~~~~

In 1939, Connecticut finally approved the Bill of Rights-- 148 years after it was ratified. Apparently someone missed the original memo.

~~~~~~~~~~

In 1933, FDR announced that the United States would be taken off the gold standard.

~~~~~~~~~~

In 1897, the first Boston Marathon was won by John McDermott of New York in 2:55:10.

For time reference, yesterday (April 18, 2005), the winners of the Boston Marathon were...

Men's Open: Hailu Negussie (Ethiopia), 2:11:45
Women's Open: Catherine Ndereba (Kenya), 2:25:13
Men's Masters: Joshua Kipkemboi (Kenya), 2:19:28
Women's Masters: Madina Biktagirova (Russia), 2:32:41
Men's Push Rim Wheelchair: Ernst Van Dyk (South Africa), 1:24:11
Women's Push Rim Wheelchair: Cheri Blauwet (United States), 1:47:45

~~~~~~~~~~

In 1775, the Shot Heard Round the World was fired, announcing the historical beginning of the American Revolutionary War in Lexington, Massachusetts. We recognize the beginning of the Revolution here in Massachusetts (and Maine does, as well). If you're in the United States, do you? If not, why not?

Because it is, after all, the day that should be honored by all Americans who claim to be patriotic and proud Americans.


But of course... I'm just a tree-hugging Pagan liberal. What do I know about patriotism or history, right?