Mcveigh (Oklahoma City Bomber) Terms Acts Violence,

¶ … McVeigh (Oklahoma City bomber) terms acts violence, childhood background, situational factors,

Timothy McVeigh will long be remembered as the Oklahoma City bomber and as the principle culprit of the bombing of that city's Murrah Federal Building the morning of April 19, 1995. The mass media was quick to vilify the then 26-year-old as an aberration -- someone who was driven by an unprovoked pathology to commit this act that resulted in 168 dead (including approximately 20 children in an on-site day care center) and which was inexplicable. However, a prolonged analysis into the background of McVeigh from his childhood through his days in the Armed Forces to the erratic behavior he exhibited prior to the bombing of the federal building demonstrates that from a psychological perspective, there are certainly explanations for McVeigh's actions. This document attempts to examine the myriad facets of McVeigh's life through the five axes of the Diagnostic and Statistic Manual. Such an examination strongly alludes to the possibility that McVeigh suffered from a psychiatric illness, which could have possibly accounted for his murderous actions.

Axis I one of the Diagnostic and Statistic Manual focuses on clinical symptoms. Sources indicate that McVeigh could have possibly been suffering from clinical depression prior to, and possibly during his bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma. Douglas Linder notes that McVeigh "fought through bouts of serious depression and thoughts of suicide" (2006). The author of "The Oklahoma City Bombing & The Trial of Timothy McVeigh" states that such sentiments inhabited the young man as early as 1991. Several situational factors appear to support this contention of the author. McVeigh had enlisted in the armed forces in 1988 and fought in the Persian Gulf War prior to requesting an honorable discharge. Immediately afterwards, he lived with his father in upstate New York and worked as a "near minimum wage" security guard (Linder, 2006). It is frequently difficult for members of the armed forces to transition again into civilian life. This difficulty may have helped to contribute to a sense of depression in McVeigh, especially since he was suddenly returned to the lower echelon of the country he had helped to defend.

The second Axis of the Diagnostic and Statistic Manual pertains to personality and Mental Retardation. It is highly unlikely that McVeigh was suffering from the latter condition; he was able to graduate high school without significant accommodations and even enrolled in a business college for a short time. However, there is a plethora of evidence that indicates that McVeigh may have been suffering from anti-social personality disorder. He traditionally spent a lot of time by himself, whether in the armed forces -- during which time "Other soldiers went into town to look for entertainment or companionship but McVeigh stayed on base and cleaned his guns" (No author, 2001) -- or during his school years, which included his childhood. McVeigh's parents separated twice before his mother left his father for good. In school, the young man was frequently the target of bullies, which may have significantly contributed to the fact that "He struck classmates as somewhat introverted and disengaged, and his only extracurricular activity was track." (Linder, 2006). There are also several sources that indicate that McVeigh chose to withdraw into realms of fantasy as fueled by Armageddon-themed movies and a fascination with firearms (Wlash, 2001).

Axis III of the Diagnostic and Statistic Manual relates to medical conditions that may exacerbate any disorders identified in the prior two axes. However, there is very little evidence to verify that McVeigh was afflicted with any medical or physical conditions that affected him. He was able to compete in sports throughout high school, and was an active combatant in the Persian Gulf War. The only time it appeared as though a physical condition negatively impacted him was when he was attempting to enroll in the army's Special Forces. During physical testing for this division, "McVeigh was unable to endure a 90-minute march with a 45-pound pack," which led to his early withdrawal from the program (No author, 2001). However, this physical limitation is widely attributed to the fact that due to his involvement in the Persian Gulf War, he was not able to suitably train for this program.

Axis IV of the Diagnostic and Statistic Manual concerns environmental aspects that t may have affected behavior that is considered abnormal. After McVeigh's parents divorced, he lived with his father in an environment where he did not have access to a strong maternal figure. Such an environment could have contributed to McVeigh's perception of and difficulty interacting with women throughout his remaining life. Reports of his high school tenure indicate that he did not have a girlfriend, and that he "apparently developed a wider resentment" for women that led him to "lash out -- repeatedly and emotionally -- at the concept of working mothers and two-income families, which he considered a major cause of problems in American society" (Walsh, 2001). Additionally, it should be noted that in McVeigh's childhood and adolescent was spent in a somewhat rural portion of upstate New York. It was in those environs that he first became attracted to the survivalist mentality and perception of life -- which may have fueled his participation in the army. Regardless, it was never difficult for McVeigh to spend time alone, and it was during this survivalist face as an adolescent that he initially became fascinated with guns and storing food, clothing and shelter for some sort of a disaster (Linder). It is also noteworthy to mention that after graduating from high school McVeigh purchased 10 acres of land for its solitary purposes.