An interesting side effect of momentous events in history is how they help put other, more mundane things into their proper prospective.

The events in New York as they unfolded on national television seemed like outtakes from a Schwarzenegger movie.

A criminal mastermind, an incredibly intricate plot to humble a nation, simultaneous hijackings, suicide attacks, calls from doomed hostages fighting until the end…

This stuff can give people nightmares.

Psychologists and psychotherapists across the nation are reporting a sharp increase in the number of reported cases of sleep depravation, surfacing phobias and panic attacks from people who never experienced these problems before.

On the other hand, people who have lived their entire lives under a cloud of depression are suddenly reporting they are doing much, much better.

Having thousands of people die suddenly in a massive act of senseless violence seems to have made their own fears and uncertainties appear to be not so bad.

In this same way, the formerly unmentionable seems to have become an everyday utterance.

Where as once the mention of “God” was unthinkable in governmental or educational circles, it is now commonplace to start every meeting with a short benediction followed by a heartfelt “God bless America.”

This is not to say that bringing God into everyday life is a bad thing, because it is certainly not.

It is simply remarkable to note that it took such horrendous events of such shear magnitude to bring this nation back to its moral foundation.

Before the Vietnam era, America was all about God, mom and apple pie.

Neighbors all flew the American flag, every school kid knew all the words to the ‘Star-spangled Banner’ and people voted along party lines, regardless of the issues.

After Vietnam, we became a cynical nation where nobody over 30 could be trusted. The government was corrupt, politicians were liars and God was dead.

In one sense, a national loss of naiveté is a good thing.

We now hold our politicians accountable. More people than ever are involved in their communities.

Nevertheless, the very reason for the founding of this great nation is still overlooked.

Millions have come to the United States looking for religious freedom. Even our decadent capitalist money still carries the logo “In God we trust.”

Once we had our religious freedom, we seem to have forgotten to care about it.

But that has all changed now.

Knowing we could be faced with death at anytime has brought this nation back to its fundamental roots.

After all, there is no such thing as an atheist in a foxhole.