In 1905, George Santayana wrote, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” In 1948, Winston reworded it to say, “Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”
Why does it matter? April 19th has a significant role in our country's past, and its security has been greatly affected on this day:
- 1775 – The American Revolution began on this day in Lexington, Massachusetts, followed by “The shot heard around the world” later that day in Concord.
- 1775 – Paul Revere makes his historic midnight ride.
- 1943 – Warsaw Ghetto Uprising - The 1943 act of Jewish resistance in the Warsaw Ghetto in German-occupied Poland during World War II to oppose Nazi Germany's final effort to transport the remaining ghetto population to the gas chambers of the Majdanek and Treblinka extermination camps. (This would have meant the death of 300k – 400k Jewish executions).
- 1971 – Charles Manson sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Sharon Tate.
- 1972 – The U.S. performs its first nuclear test at the Nevada test site.
- 1973 – Russia performs its first nuclear test in Kazakhstan to show their capabilities in response to the Americans 1 year prior.
- 1993 – FBI raids the Branch Davidians compound in Waco, Texas; 76 people die.
- 1995 - Oklahoma City bombing: Timothy McVeigh sets a truck bomb at Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, killing 168, including 19 children, and injuring 500. Note: He scouted Omaha, Nebraska, but felt the OKC target was less secure. His attack was because he felt the Branch Davidians raid was unjust by the ATF.
First off, no, this is not a history class, and no, there will not be a quiz to test your knowledge. I state these facts because terrorists/bad guys (adversaries is a sugar-coated phrase of saying enemy) like to find a date from history and attack to draw attention to a past fallen so-called “heroes” for their cause, religious holidays, and large events. “More bang for their buck” so to speak.
So, what do we do? We remain vigilant. If something seems off, report it:
- Someone wearing a long trench coat on a hot day.
- Strange odor coming from a mailed package.
- Backpacks left abandoned.
- Have an escape plan; what would you do if something were to happen? When I taught my son to drive, I remembered my Defensive Driving course and I showed him how to plan ahead should something go wrong.
- Listen to your “gut” instinct. If something just feels off, there may be a reason.
If you see things like this, take action: report it, get away, or bottom line use your training and brain to protect yourself and your family. You don’t have to be paranoid, just vigilant.
