ABSTRACT
The nightmarish attacks of 9/11/01 prompted a wide variety of emotional responses: grief at the loss of those whose lives were so cruelly snuffed out, pride in the united national response in helping those harmed and in standing up to those who threaten further outrages, hatred of the murderous perpetrators and their allies, fear and anxiety about an uncertain future. These responses briefly forged a new patriotic theme in political forums but also created a climate of nervous volatility in many of the nation’s financial markets. However, perhaps no response to the tragedy of 9/11 mattered more or held more promise for the country’s future cultural health than that of the renewed sense of moral sobriety evident in the lives of Americans rediscovering the critical importance in their own lives of marriage and family.
