‘We Can’t Be Held Hostage To Terrorism:’ Oklahomans Reflect On City’s History With Terrorism

While investigators continue working to learn more about the alleged terrorist plot, many Oklahomans are reflecting on the effect terrorism had on the Oklahoma City metro nearly 30 years ago.

While it's not clear yet if Oklahoma City was the target of the terrorist attack, it very well could have been.

And that's what stops many Oklahomans in their tracks: the fear of seeing history repeat itself.

“We can’t be held hostage to terrorism. That’s what terrorists want,” Mike Boettcher, a former network war correspondent, said. “These lone wolfs are radicalized online and then they make a connection with a terrorist organization like ISIS who said go ahead and do the attack.”

Boettcher spent decades covering conflict in the Middle East, but he’s also a native Oklahoman. 

“Oklahomans in general, because of the 1995 bombing, are very attuned to any type of terrorism or terrorist threat,” Boettcher said. 

A threat like this hits home after the 1995 terrorist attack on OKC's Murrah Federal Building that killed 168 people.

“I think what we learned in 1995, now almost 30 years ago, is we’re stronger when we’re together,” Kari Watkins, CEO and President of the Oklahoma City National Memorial. 

Watkins was out of the country to speak at a national conference for victims of terrorism when the terrorist plot in OKC was uncovered. 

“I think about how hard we worked to create this safe space at the memorial where people can come and teach and remember. We don’t want to do this again. We don’t want to live through this again. We don’t want terrorism to become a normal act for us,” she said. 

Watkins and Boettcher both applaud local and federal law enforcement for keeping Oklahomans, and Americans, safe.

“What incredible collaboration to help protect us once again,” Watkins said. 

“They’ve been doing this for a long, long time. The intelligence agencies are very, very good at this. The FBI is very, very good at this,” Boettcher said. 

Both say this is still an attack on democracy and they hope it doesn't keep Oklahomans from going to the polls in November.