The Silver Lining of 9/11

by Amitai Etzioni
from the September 13, 2002, edition of The Christian Science Monitor

The silver lining of September 11, writes Amaitai Etzioni, is that Americans have paid less attention to material things and have become more involved in their families and communities. According to public opinion research agencies, the terrorist attacks have shifted peoples' priorities from "making more money" and "retiring young" to "serving the country" and "being helpful to others."

Sports figures and other celebrities have lost some luster as the public expresses more admiration for those in civic-minded professions such as teaching, fire fighting, and police work, Etzioni reports.

Etzioni, a professor of sociology at George Washington University, believes that the events of September 11 heightened an existing trend. Ever since the shutdown of the government in 1995, he argues, Americans are more aware of their dependence on the government and see its relevance in their lives. Respect for government has risen sharply as people have become more aware of their dependence on the services of government agencies such as the U.S. postal service, passport agencies, and parks.

This new trust in government, he says, is "paralleled by higher trust in one another, making Americans more community-minded and secure."

To view the article, visit http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/0913/p11s01-coop.html.

Watch your mail for the fall issue of Liberal Education that addresses how higher education seeks to advance civic engagement as a key liberal education outcomes for the 21st Century.