Statement from McVeigh's Attorney

[Eric Cordian]

Statement of Robert Nigh, attorney, on the occasion of the execution of
his client, Timothy McVeigh.

-----
   
At 7 a.m. this morning, we killed Tim McVeigh, the person responsible for
the Oklahoma City bombing. But we did much more than that. We also killed
Sergeant McVeigh, the young man who joined the Army because he wanted to
serve his country; the young soldier that was so dedicated to his duty
that he became the top gunner in this battalion of 100.
   
He was the young man who took up arms on his country's behalf and traveled
half-way across the world to meet and engage our enemy. He placed his own
life in jeopardy because we asked him to and because he thought it was his
duty to do so.
   
His actions were of such character that he was awarded the Bronze Star
with designation of valor.
   
But much more importantly than any of that, what we did this morning was
to kill Tim McVeigh, friend to Bob Popovic, Allen Smith and Elizabeth
McDermott. We killed Bill and Mickey's son this morning. And we killed
Jennifer McVeigh's big brother.
   
Of course, we can say that it was Tim himself that caused their pain.
   
And we would be half-right. But it would be a lie to say that we did not
double their pain and that we are not responsible, because there is a
reasonable way to deal with crime that doesn't involve killing another
human being.
   
Although we might not express it in these terms because we know better, we
might say that these people are simply collateral damage, but we know too
well that there is no such thing as collateral damage. There are only real
people with faces and names and loved ones who may never heal because of
our actions, and that is true whether their grief was inflicted by Tim
McVeigh or by federal law enforcement or by us collectively.
   
To the survivors in Oklahoma City who have had the courage to come out
against capital punish in spite of the tremendous pain that they have
suffered, I say thank you. To the victims in Oklahoma City, I say that I
am sorry that I could not successfully help Tim to express words of
reconciliation that he did not perceive to be dishonest. I do not fault
them at all for looking forward to this day or for taking some sense of
relief from it. But if killing Tim McVeigh does not bring peace or closure
to them, I suggest to you that it is our fault. We have told them that we
would help them heal their wounds in this way.
   
We have taken it upon ourselves to promise to extract vengeance for them.
We have made killing a part of the healing process. In order to do that we
use such terms as reasoned moral response, but I submit there's nothing
reasonable or moral about what we have done today. That is true when
killing a human being even means killing Tim McVeigh.
   
There was a time when we recognized this in our country. In 1972, the
Supreme Court of the United States struck down the death penalty as it
existed at the time. In its concurring opinion in Furman v. Georgia,
Justice Marshall wrote, ''The measure of a country's greatness is its
ability to retain compassion in time of crisis.
   
''This is a country that stands tallest in troubled times; a country that
clings to fundamental principles, cherishes its constitutional heritage
and rejects simple solutions that compromise the values that lie at the
roots of our democratic system. In striking down capital punishment, this
court does not malign our system of government; on the contrary, it pays
homage to it. In recognizing the humanity of our fellow beings, we pay
ourselves the highest tribute. We achieve a major milestone in the long
road from barbarism and join the approximately 70 other jurisdictions in
the world which celebrate their regard for civilization and humanity by
shunning capital punishment.''
   
There has been a movement in the states to celebrate the dignity of human
life and to start a moratorium on executions. It did not come soon enough
for Tim McVeigh, but it can come soon enough for others.
   
Where we go from here is a question of critical importance. I have told
you, honestly, that Tim cared for people. And some of the people he cared
deepest about were his brothers on the federal death row. Even Tim
recognized that our claims that we are not racially biased are false. If
we believe that, then we ignore the reality that 18 of the 20 men behind
me on the federal death row in Terre Haute are persons of color. Fully 90
percent belong to a minority. If we do not acknowledge that, we are lying
to ourselves about what we are doing. We are killing the poor and the
minority and people that we believe to be different and lesser than
ourselves.
   
Even in Tim McVeigh's case, to which the racial disparity doesn't apply,
we were incapable of inflicting the death penalty in a fair manner.
   
The FBI could not participate in the prosecution without breaching its
obligation to turn over the witness statements. This must make us realize
that we are too fallible, we are simply too human to extract so final and
irreversible a punishment.
   
If there is anything good that can come from the execution of Tim McVeigh,
it may be to help us realize sooner that we simply cannot do this anymore.
I am firmly convinced that it is not a question of if we will stop, it is
simply a question of when.
   
Thank you all very much.

-- 
Eric Michael Cordian 0+
O:.T:.O:. Mathematical Munitions Division
"Do What Thou Wilt Shall Be The Whole Of The Law"