This past year has been a little different because we Americans are under threat of attack, again. But, to those of use who lived through WWII when there were watchtowers in the industrial areas and wheatfields to guard against "fifth column" sabateurs, the feeling is not new. To those of use who lived through the Cold War with it's constant threat of nuclear annihilation due to the Doctrine of Mutual Assured Destruction, the feeling is not new.

Those in my generation grew up with premature deaths of relatives & friends as a result of wars and disease. We learned to deal with grief at an early age from our parents and grandparents. We do not need the aid of "counselors" and the "spontaneous memorials" which seem to spring up everywhere. (As an aside, millions are spent on the flowers and teddy bears etc, for these things. Wouldn't it be better to give the money to the needy?)

Most of us also have an underlying Faith in a Hereafter that is a better place to be and that death is not the end but a transition and so we do not really "fear" death. It's going to happen to all of us sooner or later.

So, although all the extra "security" is a pain, it is certainly no worse than Ration Cards, Wage & Price Controls or "Duck & Cover" drills. On the other hand, the reawakening of many of the younger folks to a sense of patriotism most of my generation have always had is a positive result from all this.