What was the greatest community impact of the Oklahoma City bombing?

Answer 1

It was the most destructive act of terrorism on American soil before 9/11. It killed 168 people and injured numerous others. 324 buildings were destroyed or damaged.

This however is just statistics, the most significant thing about the bombing is that it exposed the low security levels surrounding federal buildings, that a crime of this magnitude could be carried out without any warning. After this legislation was passed to increase security around government buildings, which has prevented over 60 domestic attacks.

Answer 2

The Oklahoma City OK bombing outside the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building was so devastating to the America psyche for numerous reasons, especially for the depravity and disregard for human life. If I was to prioritize why Americans reacted so strongly, I would put the reasons into this order (with #1 being most deplorable):

1. The bombing killed 168 people including 19 BABIES and CHILDREN, and injured more than 680 people.
2. Few people can forget the iconic photograph of Firefighter Chris Fields carrying the lifeless body of Baylee Almon, one of the babies.
3. Timothy McVeigh knew the building housed a Day Care Center and that it was on that side of the building, but bombed it anyway; he never apologized even for killing the youngest babies.
4. This was the first major attack on US Soil since Pearl Harbor, but Timothy McVeigh was a US Citizen, not a foreigner attacking the US. Even though other unusual situations had occurred (such as Waco), no person or group had attacked the US or attacked a government building in this manner.
5. This was 1985. This kind of violence (bombing) had never been seen in a US City, except for fire-bombing violence during the 1960s Civil Rights Movement and going back into slavery.
6. Shockingly, Timothy McVeigh was a former Army soldier! He used his training from the Army to make his bomb and commit his crime.
   
7. His actions and words later showed how ideas within wars can become twisted in meaning in the hearts and minds of some. See his statements to his biographers, Lou Michel and Dan Herbeck. Speaking in terms of war, to which he likened the bombing, McVeigh said:"I am sorry these people had to lose their lives. But that's the nature of the beast. It's understood going in [a military operation] what the human toll will be." [74, Wikipedia] However--- a US Citizen bombing a US Building cannot be compared to war!
8. Some people believe that McVeigh preyed on and took advantage of Terry Nichols, someone less sophisticated, rather backwards, and shy. But in other reports, Nichols supposedly held anti-government views and "told a fellow soldier that he would be starting his own military organization soon, and would have an unlimited supply of weapons." [22, Wikipedia]
9. The idea that everyday people could stockpile ordinary, everyday products with the intention to build a bomb was relatively new. No one had ever stockpiled that much fertilizer to do a dastardly deed. Timothy McVeigh reigned in the era of one of the first major governmental controls over what US consumers can buy, how much, etc. From this, over the last 20 years, other restrictions have followed whenever "a group" misuses products for purchase; for example, that regular folks cannot even buy Cold or Sinus medicine in bulk now, cannot buy even one box without showing a picture ID, etc., all because drug dealers used the med to make illegal drugs!
10. For creating governmental paranoia and giving the government the idea that they can control what and how much product any one person can buy is, to me, death-penalty worthy!
11. McVeigh orchestrated his own suicide, death by government. He wanted to die.

Answer 3

The Oklahoma City Bombing affected America In Many Ways. One Is That The American Public Has Upgraded The Security In Important Buildings. They Now Use Better Cameras, That Are High Tech.

Answer 4

By poeple dying