THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, April 27, 1995 TAG: 9504270006
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 46 lines
Like other Americans, I have been horrified and sickened by the terrible tragedy in Oklahoma City. I hope the people who did this pay the highest price for their terrible misdeed.
Likewise, like millions of Americans, I was horrified and sickened by the terrible tragedy that occurred in Waco, Texas - men, women and children slaughtered. These people were not a threat to the U.S. government, but they were a threat to the bureaucracy, and for that they paid a terrible price.
The Justice Department investigated itself and declared itself innocent. President Clinton said about Oklahoma City, ``Justice will be served.'' Millions of Americans are waiting for justice for the victims at Waco.
The media do not even raise the question of whether ``the government'' did any wrong, as if it is incapable of it.
Where do you want to start the litany of government wrongdoing? It took the liberals 200 years to admit that ``the government'' massacred hundreds of thousands of Indians. It took 50 years to admit that ``the government'' wrongfully interred (imprisoned) U.S. citizens during World War II. It took 50 years to admit that innocent GI's were used as medical guinea pigs during World War II, 40 years to find out about exposing unsuspecting GI's to nuclear radiation.
Now a government leader admits that what we did in Vietnam was wrong, and as recently as Desert Storm, innocent GI's were given shots ``for their own good''; now 35,000-45,000 of them are suffering the debilitating effects.
Does our government sometimes do wrong? Certainly. Does that make it a bad government? Certainly not. But when it does do wrong that costs innocent lives, every American expects ``justice to be done.'' This in absolutely no way justifies what took place in Oklahoma City. It was madness, just as Waco was government madness.
Many would vote to indict Janet Reno and others in the Justice Department and the BATF. Who will investigate the investigators? Let us hope that we have a Congress with courage enough to look under this dark rock.
GEORGE M. BLAIR
Suffolk, April 25, 1995 by CNB