I don't remember where I was.

Growing up, my mom would talk all the time about these events, those that define generations, and say, "oh, I was at this place when that happened." Like when John F. Kennedy was shot. Or his brother too. Or when the space shuttle Challenger 'slipped the surly bonds of earth, to touch the face of God.'

Yet, I don't remember where I was on April 19, 1995, exactly 15 years ago today. One year and a day later, I remember exactly where I was, when two high school boys began shooting their way through a Colorado high school. For most events like that, I remember.

But the day a bomb ripped through the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, I've not a clue what I was doing. Prior to September 11, the deadliest act of terrorism on American soil happened 15 years ago today.

Timothy McVeigh will long be the name most recognized with the attacks, but he was just one of four who were charged with some part of it. McVeigh was executed by lethal injection exactly three months before September 11, 2001.

It was the anniversary of the Waco Siege that McVeigh was memorializing when he detonated more than 5,000 pounds of explosives at 9:02 am that morning. He literally blew the building in half.

Ranging from three months to 73 years, 168 people died in the blast, most from the collapse of the building and not from the bomb itself. One thing I do remember was the daycare center. On the news all they talked about was the daycare center. McVeigh parked the van directly underneath it.

During his trial, McVeigh never strayed from his anti-government attitude. To the fact that he killed 19 children, he said: "I didn't define the rules of engagement in this conflict. The rules, if not written down, are defined by the aggressor. It was brutal, no holds barred. Women and kids were killed at Waco and Ruby Ridge. You put back in [the government's] faces exactly what they're giving out."

McVeigh wanted to kill government employees and, despite his claims during his trial, seemingly didn't care who else got in the way. When arrested just hours after the bombing, McVeigh was wearing a shirt with two different quotes on it. One read, as I wrote last week:

Sic semper tyrannis (thus always to tyrants)

The other read:

"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."

The former was said by Abraham Lincoln assassin John Wilkes Booth. The latter is attributed to Thomas Jefferson.

The rest of the building was imploded three months after the bombing.


Though it registers as sad and potentially angering for those of you from Seattle, I noticed that when typing "Oklahoma City" into a Google search, the automatic completion does not bring up the bombing first, but actually the Thunder, who began their first trip to the NBA playoffs yesterday. Some 15 years later, maybe the city is recovering.

What I've also noticed is something I've brought up with a few friends in recent years. As I pointed out at the beginning of this post, every generation has events that shape it and register as those, "I'll always remember where I was," moments. I've increasingly felt as if the ones that have happened in my generation are catastrophic and devastating. Few have been positive. That may be simply because the bad ones have been so bad.

--

Just a few other things:

- North Carolina is seeing another Democratic rebellion right now, with a third party forming to oppose Dems that voted against health care. Obviously this is not good for the party as a whole, despite it being the same sort of effort that won the state for Barack Obama.

- The polls are looking ugly for Washington as 4-in-5 saying they don't trust the city. Interestingly, we constantly get told we live in this "Beltway Mentality" and ignore the pulse of the nation at large. Yet, unless there is a major event going on in the world, the levels are which the public hates this town is the main story everyday.

- Airlines are being critical of European authorities for their inability to send flights up in the air, while the cloud of ash from the volcano in Iceland continues to fill the air. Last I heard there are going to be attempts to send planes up today, but I love one of the quotes given by a European politician when asked when it has been so slow: "What is more important, their profits or passenger safety." Seems pretty black and white. Still, it is somewhat mind-boggling how crippling a volcanic eruption can be. It has literally shut down European air travel for days.

- Speaking of airlines, Sen. Chuck Schumer had success convincing the major ones to hold off on a carry-on bag fee, a big win.

- More struggles for the banking industry. Every time something like this crops up, the chances for financial reform grow.

How fitting that the morning after my Roger Dorn (and his wife) reference, we get a story circulating that Charlie Sheen is cheating on his wife. Can I just say that, of all of the guys named or related to Sheen's, Martin is by far my favorite? He's certainly one of a select group of Hollywood actors that would ever do a commercial in opposition of a death with dignity law, but that isn't why.

This is obvious: The West Wing, plain and simple. Although, as my mother and grandparents can attest, I've seen Emilio Estevez in The Mighty Ducks a few times in my life. Quack, quack, quack, quack, Mr. Ducksworth.

Moving on.

On this date in 1865, just a few days after the end of the Civil War, an actor named John Wilkes Booth yelled the words, "sic semper tyrannis," moments after shooting the President of the United States in the back of the head.

Abraham Lincoln died the following day in a house across the street from Ford's Theater, just about two blocks from my Washington office. It still stands.

"Thus always to Tyrants," is a Latin phrase attributed Marcus Junius Brutus (I love Latin names) as part of the assassination of Julius Caesar. It is also the motto of the Commonwealth of Virginia, as recommended by George Mason. Reports say that Timothy McVeigh, who was put to death in Terre Haute, Ind. in 2001 for planning and carrying out the Oklahoma City bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, was wearing a shirt with the phrase and a picture of Lincoln when captured. Monday will mark the 15th anniversary of the 1995 bombing, which means it will also mark the 17th anniversary of the Waco Siege. More than 250 people died between the two events.

April is a difficult month for many, as I will chronicle in the next few days. Specifically the dates between April 15-20 have been as bloody a time in our history as there has ever been. However, if not our greatest than certainly our second or third greatest president was murdered on this day. Just days after he had finished saving this union.

The irony of the phrase, sic semper tyrannis, "thus always to tyrants," should not escape you. For it was Lincoln who not long before reaffirmed this country's departure from tyranny.

"It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

And who even more recently had boldly stated that it was time this country moved forward to be more perfect.

"Let us judge not, that we be not judged," he said. "With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.

--

Whew, how was that history lesson?

- Since we are moving to forge a lasting peace with all nations, what better news to report than the extremely positive outcomes of the nuclear summit held here in Washington this week. Countries around the world boasted of laws to limit nuclear trafficking (Egypt), while other vowed to limit or abandon weapons-grade uranium projects. China became active in talks to sanction Iran and as president Obama put it, "a new way of thinking," about nuclear weapons prevailed. Ronald Reagan once said we could not rest until we see the day that nuclear weapons, the age of Mad (Mutually Assured Destruction), were gone from this earth.

- Poland had the body of its late president on display yesterday, as it plans for internment. The plans have proven controversial.

- If you haven't picked up this story yet, start paying more attention. Nebrasa has introduced multiple pieces of legislation, with high prospects of passage, that would put significant limits on abortion. If your first reaction is, "the Supreme Court will never allow it, well, remember the balance of the court.

The two main bills were actually signed into law yesterday, one requiring mental and physical screening of abortion candidates, and the other making abortions past 20 weeks illegal. This New York Times story has some incredible detail, as well as quotes, noting that the most important part of either bill was the language in the second one. It was based on the premise that a fetus can feel pain, something that "Right to Life" advocates will be celebrating. If the debate can turn to a fetus being a real, living human being, maternal rights would become really blurry.

And again on the SCOTUS question, this quote says it all: “You need five votes,” Ms. Balch said. “I think there are five on the current Supreme Court who would give serious consideration to Nebraska’s claim.”

She's right.

- There are two interesting hearings that relate to my line of work today, the first being much more focused on a major current events. Several coal executives, none named Don Blankenship, will be answering some tough questions in Rep. Ed Markey's committee, while my rep., Jim McDermott, will be talking about green jobs in the Ways and Means committee.

- Couple of sports notes: The Blue Jays' Ricky Romero came very close to throwing a no-hitter last night, before, get this sequence, he bounced a ball to White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski, who then started hopping around and ran to first base, as if the ball hit him. This obviously isn't the first the much-maligned catcher has deked an ump. Romero had to go into the stretch and proceeded to serve up a fastball that Alex Rios deposited into the left field seats. What I love the most? The media is going to blame Pierzynski for this. Reality: the umpire messed up by getting the call wrong (instant replay anyone?), Romero messed up by putting a ball on a tee to Rios, but Pierzynski did his job. It was only 4-0, not 10-0. He didn't bunt or just try to slap the ball. He didn't even get a hit (nor did he get hit, either). He got on base. That's called doing your job. Just like it was when it helped Chicago get to, and win, the World Series.

Congrats to the Mariners for, you know, winning a baseball game. And woe to you Seattle, as you get to watch the Oklahoma City Zombie Sonics play in the playoffs against the Lakers this spring. Never has that city been so solidly in the corner of a frontrunner.

Remember Seattle, this is where we were:

Q: Brady's out. That really sucks. But it could be worse -- you could be a Seattle sports fan. Let me break it down for you: The Mariners are struggling through one of their worst seasons ever. Our Sonics, the only team to win a professional title in Seattle, moved the team to Okla-friggin-homa and stuck us with the Storm. And the Seahawks -- in Holmgren's final year, mind you -- are now without their TOP FOUR RECEIVERS! Imagine losing Moss, Welker, Gaffney AND Kelley Washington. Plus our quarterback is having back problems (including rumors of bulging discs), and our best running back left last week's game with an injury. Of course, a 6-10 record might win our division, which means we get to lose in Round 1. Oh, and the travesty that was the excessive celebration call on Washington's Jake Locker. But on the bright side … well, I give up. Be thankful you don't live in Seattle.
-- Dan Gomez, Seattle

SG: I have to say, that made me feel a little better. Maybe the good people of Seattle should form an organization called "It Could Be Worse," in which they send e-mails to suddenly traumatized sports fans from other cities to talk them off the ledge.

This is where we are.

Just don't forget where we came from.