When I first heard about the attacks in New York and Washington, I got a very hard knot in the pit of my stomach. It is still there. 
Now that U.S. (and U.K.) military forces have actually attacked in Afghanistan, what concerns me is:
–Whether any other country/organization might side with the Taliban.
–Whether there is a great likelihood of further attacks in this country.
–What psychological damage this will do to Americans, or anyone else, in general.
Hence the knot in my stomach.
I worry that Israel will try to turn this into a religious war.
As for long-term effects on us, the answer is: it varies.
Some people are very much affected by it, some not at all.
And it’s not just how close you were to the WTC or Pentagon, either. I know someone near by who’s absolutely afraid something’s going to happen here (and it’s not like the Hershey area would be a prime target for terrorists; well, there IS Three-Mile Island, but nobody would want that, would they?)
As for the odds of another attack, I can guarantee you that it’ll happen again. It may or may not be from Bin Laden, but if it’s not him, it’ll be some local-grown nut with a pipebomb and a grudge. Or it could be a different terror group.
As for the Taliban, ain’t nobody’s gonna side with them now. There’s no profit in it. Even countries like Cuba and the Sudan are siding with us on this one. Of course, that can change if there are some serious mistakes made, but that hasn’t happened yet.
Dougie, just wondering why the “psychological damage this will do to Americans, or anyone else” concerns you. Just curious.
I guess it boils down to the effect the maniacs who did it–and planned it–had hoped. if they intended to turn 230 million Americans into terrified mice, I think they’ve failed miserably. But if most other people have had done to their general emotional state what has happened to mine, well, then that could be psychological damage…
pesch, the hershey area is VERY important. all that chocolate MUST be protected!!!
Sorry about that knot in your stomache, dougie_monty. You have a lot of company. Whenever I hear about more anthrax scares, I just keep on with my old “enjoy the moment” theme. We can’t deny the changes in our psyches as a result of all that has happened. But unless a person was at ground zero (WTC or Pentagon) and/or lost loved ones, “psychological damage” is kind of strong. To me, that indicates needing professional help. That’s not my situation. Right now I’m feeling tired/fatigued or exhausted because I stay up too late and still overdose on news. FWIW