TEN YEARS AGO TODAY...OKLAHOMA CITY

Xpatriated Texan has a poignant post recalling the Oklahoma City bombing of ten years ago and relating it to the inspired acts of domestic terrorism that have continued to plague our nation.

I remember so vividly that morning. As PR manager of the company that built the Alfred P. Murrah Building, I was alerted very quickly to the disaster. We take so much pride here in the quality of construction we provide; seeing the twisted structure, the death scene of so many innocents, made vividly clear just how much hatred was required to destroy it, spilling over to permanently injure or destroy so many lives. And there's no question in my mind that the vitriolic rhetoric of the Rush Limbaughs contributed to an anti-government atmosphere that has fueled the actions of militias and Eric Rudolphs across the U.S.

It's why, like Xpatriated, I continue to fear that some crazies are going to feel justified by the statements of John Cornyn, Tom DeLay, James Dobson, Sean Hannity et al in committing violence against our duly-appointed judges, decent people just trying to serve their city, state or country the best way they know how. It's bad enough when the talk show wingers speak irresponsibly; when our elected leaders do the same, and on the floor of the Senate, we know we've taken a wrong turn into a dark period of our history. The question is, who has the courage to bring us back into the light?