From simple contact, radio talk shows and e-mail from viewers, there are several emotions that you can pinpoint after this week's savage attack on ordinary people.
People are angry, fearful, defiant and seeking vengeance.
This is to be expected, but it's also a wake up call to many Americans who are too far removed from the real news of the world. For years, we've gone merrily through our daily lives, many of us oblivious to the news overseas, or even the news at home. I am not startled by the fact that many angry Americans have no knowledge of the militant political forces that may have unleashed this disgusting act of terrorism. I remember my late teenage years in the early sixties when most of my friends, sweetened by the peace of the fifties, ignored the warning signs of war in Southeast Asia, and went about their way, until that letter arrived in the mail inviting them to show up for a physical exam for the draft. Hopefully the current events won't result in a massive call up, but the terrorist attack on America proves that all of us, young and old, can't turn away.