by Doug Bandow

About the author: Doug Bandow is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank in Washington, D.C.

Washington is often convulsed by events that have no impact on the rest of America. Not so the April 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, which, in contrast to so many other actions, dominated nation and capital alike. And understandably so. It is impossible to describe adequately the horror of the terrorist attack, though many people have tried. The picture of bloodied children alone is enough to indelibly imprint upon our society the barbarity of terrorism, with its helpless, innocent victims.

The Reactions of Politicians and People

Yet if it seemed like ruled and rulers could come together for one moment, it was only one brief moment. Unfortunately, the reactions in and out of Washington were...