Sniffing Out a Fertilizer Bomber - Essay Example

McVeigh’s struggles began in New York as a 10-year-old in 1978, when his father divorced − and raised him (Chase, 2004). He was socially disconnected and bullied during his school years, which made him obsessed with revenge − ultimately redirecting it toward the United States government, which he later identified as an ultimate bully (Chase, 2004). The troubled youth soon began a lifelong fascination with using firearms as a means of retaliation. Early signs of defiance came when McVeigh brought guns to school and hacked into government computer systems.

Wanting to own a gun shop, he also became a zealous National Rifle Association advocate after graduation. McVeigh joined the U.S. Army in 1988, becoming an elite gunner in the Gulf War. His fixation with guns and revenge intensified with his opposition to the Iraq War and his Army Reserve discharge in 1992 − after he was psychologically evaluated as “very unsuitable” for the U.S. Army Special Forces (Couch, 2007). McVeigh soon wandered the country, touring with a gun show circuit, visiting restricted military sites, and staying with likeminded friends who taught him to make explosives.

He wrote to newspapers and friends about violently stifling the government’s oppression, and showcased the Waco Siege and Ruby Ridge incidents as the government overstepping its bounds. These developments provided the key ingredients needed to concoct a capable and vengeful terrorist – one who should have been detected (Michel & Herbeck, 2001).