Do you know what the terrorist threat level is right now?
Probably not, if you're like most Americans, and that's a good sign that the fear resulting from the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, has dissipated. People are once again living their lives with more constructive purposes " enjoying their families and working to give their children better lives.
It was a violent attack, but this country has never failed to respond to them victoriously. While the threat of terrorism will always be a reality, Americans have learned it's a controllable one as long as we avoid complacency.
Unfortunately, something else has dissipated " a national unity the likes of which many Americans had never experienced. That's why it's important on this Patriot Day to remember not just those who lost their lives on this day seven years ago, and in the years thereafter, but the spirit and sense of purpose that brought the country together shortly thereafter.
We hope the presidential candidates remember it, too. Even though elections have never been a time of unity, we hope that candidates will remember the issues that are important rather than those that are trivial. We hope they will level with Americans and offer real solutions rather than talking points.
The threats we now face include the threat of terrorism, but of greater relevance to most Americans are issues such as unemployment, inflation, the national debt and others with a similar lack of drama. We should be looking for a candidate who can rally the country with the same sense of purpose in solving these issues that we had following 9-11.
The threat level, by the way, is yellow, or elevated, meaning there is no credible intelligence suggesting an imminent terrorist threat.