Pride and Optimism Remain After 9/11

Sept. 10 -- Pride, purpose and patriotism mark the public mood a year after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, though lingering fears — and some doubts about the U.S. response — signal the challenges that lie ahead.

An ABCNEWS poll finds six in 10 Americans say they're still frightened by the events of last Sept. 11, and three-quarters remain worried about the possibility of further attacks — a number that's barely abated in the last year. Only half express confidence the United States can prevent further terrorism, down from two-thirds a year ago.

Given the complexity of the problem — and the apparent elusiveness of Osama bin Laden — a bare one in 10 says the U.S. campaign against terrorism is going "very" well. For the first time, fewer than half now express confidence bin Laden will be killed or captured. Eight in 10 believe the hardest part of the war is yet to come. And just half think the United States is doing enough to win the support of its allies, or the world's Muslims.

Pride and Optimism Prevail

Yet for all the concerns, difficulties and doubts, resilience and fundamental optimism underscore public views. Americans give enormously positive ratings to the way the nation has responded to the attacks, reserving their highest marks — virtually unanimous ones — for the armed services and the people of New York City. Eight in 10 are optimistic about the country's future, and even more express optimism for their personal prospects.

People clearly are healing. The number who report being depressed recently about the threat of terrorism has plummeted from 71 percent in a poll last Sept. 17 to 12 percent now. Sleeplessness is down from 33 percent then to four percent now.

High-level fears of more attacks (those who express a "great deal" of concern) are down by 27 points since the night of last Sept. 11. Fear of flying because of the chance of terrorism declined sharply after the initial shock. And most of those who see a change in the nation, or in their own lives, say that change has been for the better.

Two changes stand out, one very public, the other intensely private. Seven in 10 adults call themselves "extremely" proud to be Americans — well up from pre-9/11 levels. And many are showing it publicly: A full year after the attacks galvanized national sentiment, 68 percent say they're still displaying the flag on a daily basis.

A Lesson Learned

On a far more personal level is this change: Given the nation's profound lesson in sudden and untimely loss, 83 percent now say they consider it "essential" to spend time with their families. That's up, sharply, from 60 percent in a pre-9/11 poll.

Part of this lesson in loss reflects the level of focus and contemplation the attacks have commanded. Virtually all Americans, 96 percent, remember specifically where they were and what they were doing when they first heard what had happened. Seventy-five percent say they still think about it "a lot," and four in 10 think about it just about every day. And more than eight in 10 still express anger at the perpetrators.

Like most other sentiments, perceptions of change have an overall positive tone. Nearly all Americans, 94 percent, say the country has changed as a result of the attacks, and most of them say it's a long-term and lasting change. What's telling is that 63 percent of them also say it's been a change for the better.