The Victims of Terrorism: An Assessment of Their Influence and ...

Pan Am 103: The Predecessor to 9/11 23phisticated link on the University of Syracuse’s homepage, compared to the advanced Web siteslater maintained by 9/11 groups such as 9/11 FSA.Newsletters accessed through 9/11 FSA’s Web site enable members and concerned citizensto help achieve the group’s goals, including signing and mailing letters addressed to governmentofficials. Some of the organization’s efforts have been met with unusual success. In Utah,for example, former State Representative Matt Throckmorton challenged incumbent U.S. congressionalrepresentative and “open border supporter” (a label imposed by 9/11 FSA, referringto one’s not supporting policy changes strengthening U.S. borders), Chris Cannon, for theRepublican nomination. In response, 9/11 FSA members sent letters to all 1,093 conventiondelegates describing Cannon’s support for open border policies and, on May 8, 2004, Throckmortonreceived enough votes to run against Cannon in a primary (9/11 FSA, undated). In sum,the Internet allowed group leaders to quickly mobilize members, disseminate relevant information,and organize a collective grassroots movement, regardless of their physical distance.Indeed, many of the 9/11 group Web sites regularly post updated newsletters, sponsorchat rooms, and include schedules of regional and local events. The result has been an astonishinglydiverse and vast membership. Unlike Pan Am 103 groups, the 9/11 organizations havebeen able to attract a wide base of members, including concerned citizens from around theworld who have no personal connection to the attacks. The Internet has also facilitated membershipacross groups and has allowed those with even the most seemingly obscure missions togain the support they need to continue.The evolution of 24-hour news networks also played to the advantage of 9/11 groups.These networks, eager to fill airtime, actively sought the families of victims to capture their stories,which provided the latter with the opportunity to address a national audience with regardto their groups’ agendas, struggles, and progress. 4Finally, the lessons learned from past victims’ groups and, in particular, those affiliatedwith Pan Am 103, let 9/11 organization founders and leaders study these other groups’ pastexperiences and avoid the same mistakes and emulate what hitherto had proven successful.Oklahoma City: Victim Support ServicesOn the morning of April 19, 1995, at 9:02 a.m. local time, a bomb exploded in front of theAlfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The homemade explosive,which weighed nearly 5,000 pounds, was concocted from a mixture of ammonium nitrate fertilizerand diesel fuel and packed into the back of a Ryder® rental van. By August of that sameyear, Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols, both U.S. Army veterans who housed an extremeanimosity toward the government, were indicted for the bombing that ultimately took the livesof 168 people and injured 853 others (Kifner, 1995; Call and Phefferbaum, 1999). The worst4 Lemack (2006a). This is not to say, however, that all 9/11 family members were pleased with the media’s role. Initially,some people expressed frustration with the lack of media coverage. It took the Jersey Girls, for example, over a year to builda press list, collecting the names of reporters during their frequent trips to Washington (Breitweiser, 2006). Breitweiser’shusband died in the attacks on the WTC. She is an original member of September 11th Advocates and the FSC, throughthe latter of which she was actively involved during the 9/11 Commission hearings.