Are We Growing Up?

CNN’s William Schneider is today reporting on results of a poll which asks if America “will ever be the same again” after September 11th. In the days following the attack, 54% said no. Over the last few weeks, 70% said no.

Reality is sinking in. You could say this poll measures an increase in fear or insecurity, and behind it lies a desire to restore the pre-9/11 world. But I think it indicates the reverse--that is, we are beginning to really accept the world as it is, not as we convinced ourselves it was.

I believe it’s a hopeful sign. Maybe it means we are growing up--that is, that we increasingly realize we are part of the world, and that we cannot ignore what goes on elsewhere. Maybe it also means we are beginning to understand and even accept our ongoing, long-term responsibilities as the most powerful and prosperous nation on earth.