ALS as president signed “Bill,” one page, 6.25 x 4.25, embossed The President letterhead, April 27, 1995. Handwritten letter to "George," in full: "I enjoyed our visit in Minnesota & passed Tom’s idea along to the folks in Oklahoma—I think they're considering it seriously." In fine condition. Encapsulated in a Beckett authentication holder.
The horrific Oklahoma City bombing had occurred just eight days prior on April 19, 1995, when anti-government extremists set off a bomb at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, a blast that killed at least 168 people and injured more than 680 others. At 4:00 pm, President Clinton declared a federal emergency in Oklahoma City and spoke to the nation: ‘The bombing in Oklahoma City was an attack on innocent children and defenseless citizens. It was an act of cowardice and it was evil. The United States will not tolerate it, and I will not allow the people of this country to be intimidated by evil cowards.’
In the wake of the bombing, the U.S. government enacted several pieces of legislation including the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 and the Victim Allocution Clarification Act of 1997. Letters from President Clinton referencing the Oklahoma bombing are rare, with this example even more so given its nearness to the date of the attack.
