|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... |
By Rep. RICK WEST
Last week was heavy.
Read more: Bombing anniversary and deputy laid to restOn Monday, we observed the 31st anniversary of the Oklahoma City Bombing in the House of Representatives. On Thursday, I attended the funeral for LeFlore County Sheriff’s Deputy Thomas “Walker” LeMay, who was killed the day of the anniversary, April 19. LeMay was ambushed while conducting a wellness check near Wister. Wister Police Chief William “Andy” Thompson was injured in the gunfire and is still recovering.
There was a lot to grieve, a lot to remember, a lot to be thankful for, too.
Each year that I’ve served in legislative office, I’ve made it a point to remember the Oklahoma City bombing. I worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture at the time of this terrorist attack. I wasn’t at work that day at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, but I had seven coworkers who were killed in the blast. Only my boss at the time survived out of our office. He never got over this attack, and neither have I.
I take a moment each year to read the names of my coworkers who died: Olan Bloomer, Jim Boles, Peggy Clark, Dick Cummings, Adele Higginbottom, Carol Khalil and Rheta Long. Dr. Brian Espe survived the bombing but died in 2008.
I also read House Resolution 1046 on the House floor this year. This recalls the events of the bombing and expresses gratitude to those who responded to help in its wake. It also calls us to live higher than this moment. We renounce these despicable acts, but we don’t repay evil with evil. We seek justice tempered with divine mercy. We forgive what seems unforgiveable because in doing so we live free from the deadly roots of bitterness and the curse they bring.
These are easy words to write on a page, but when you face things such as the ripped apart shell of the Murrah building or the fresh grave dug for a local 30-year-old sheriff’s deputy, it calls you to task for what you truly believe. Do we truly believe in the goodness of God and His ability to help us to forgive and to live past these moments of almost unbearable pain?
It’s a question I’ve struggled with in the 31 years since the worst domestic terrorist act on U.S. soil. It’s something I struggled with anew as I stood with the hundreds of mourners at Deputy LeMay’s funeral. God please forgive us for when we fail Your test of love and we give vent to the hatred in our hearts. Help us to live as better people who bless and not curse, who repay evil with good.
Remember to listen to my Capitol update on the radio at 7:35 a.m. every Thursday on KPRV.
As always, if I can help you with anything, please call my Capitol office at (405) 557-7413 or email me at rick.west@okhouse.gov.
Rick West serves District 3 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. His district includes part of LeFlore County.
📅 Got a community event coming up? Let us know and we’ll spread the word across LeFlore County! 🎉
Whether it’s a: 🎭 Community event ⛪ Church gathering 🏫 School function 🤝 Club or organization meeting 👨👩👧👦 Family reunion 🎶 Concert or festival 🏆 Sports event 🍽️ Fundraiser dinner Or anything else happening in LeFlore County!
Submit your event for FREE and let Heavener.news help get the word out to the entire community!
📝 Submit your event here: 👉 https://heavener.news/submit-your-event/
It’s completely FREE and open to all LeFlore County residents and organizations! Let’s keep our community informed and connected! 🌟
📰 Stay connected with LeFlore County! Like & Follow Heavener.news for daily news, weather, sports and community updates. 👉 https://www.facebook.com/Heavener.news/
#LeFloreCounty #HeavenerNews #CommunityEvents #Heavener #Poteau #Spiro #Oklahoma #LocalEvents #SubmitYourEvent