ABC list of Polls (Including trading liberty for saftey)

Poll: Americans Fear More Attacks
By Analysis
by Gary Langer ABCNEWS.com
Poll: Americans Back Reprisals for Terror

Through the shock of today's devastating terror attacks, four sentiments loom large in American public opinion: prayers for the victims, fears for the future, faith in U.S. efforts to find those responsible - and vast support for reprisals.

The sense of shared risk is palpable, an ABCNEWS/ Washington Post poll found. Nearly nine in 10 Americans say they're worried about the possibility of more major terrorist attacks in this country. Half say they're very worried about it. And nearly half worry that they themselves or someone close to them may be victimized, a higher sense of personal risk than in previous terror attacks.

Watched/listened to broadcast news reports 99%
Prayed for the victims and families 91
Changed plans/activities 53
Stayed home from work or left early (among employed people) 41
Called or e-mailed to check on a friend or relative in N.Y. or D.C. 28

Americans divide almost evenly on whether the United States did all it could to prevent these attacks — more than four in 10 think not. Nonetheless, two-thirds express at least some confidence that the country can deter future terrorism in this country. And as many say they would sacrifice some personal liberties in support of anti-terrorism efforts.

Nine in 10 express confidence that those responsible will be found and punished; 54 percent are even "very confident" of it. And more than nine in 10 support military action against any groups or nations found to be responsible; 86 percent support military reprisals even if that means war.

Beyond those responsible for these particular attacks, more than 80 percent also support U.S. military action against countries that assist or shelter terrorists. President Bush (news - web sites) tonight pledged "no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them."

The nation gave the attacks its virtually unanimous attention. An overwhelming 99 percent of Americans say they watched or listened to broadcast news reports about the destruction, and 91 percent prayed for the victims and their families.

About half of Americans changed their day's plans or activities in some way as a result of the attacks. Four in 10 employed people stayed home from work or left work early. And 28 percent of adults — more than 50 million — called or e-mailed a friend or relative in New York or Washington to see how they were.

Just over four in 10 adults say they're concerned about the possibility of a major terror attack in the community where they themselves live; a good bit fewer, 16 percent, are worried "a great deal" about that.

Worry is much higher among urban dwellers — 69 percent are worried about an attack where they live, compared to 47 percent of suburbanites, three in 10 people in towns and two in 10 in rural areas.

More broadly, 87 percent of Americans express worry — and 49 percent a "great deal" of worry — about another attack somewhere in this country. That exceeds the concern about future attacks that was measured after the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995.

Yet while concern is up, so is confidence in the United States' ability to prevent terrorism — perhaps a rally-'round-the-flag effect. Sixty-six percent say they're confident in the ability of the United States to prevent future attacks, and 35 percent are "very confident" of that.

This ABCNEWS/ Washington Post poll was conducted by telephone Sept. 11 among a random national sample of 608 adults. The results have a four-point error margin. Field work was done by TNS Intersearch of Horsham, Pa.

This subject is the most worrisome to me about the whole situation. Sheeple are dangerous but scared sheeple could be disasterous. I did hear one ex-military guest on Fox news make the point of not giving up more personal liberty for the sake of percieved safety.

Isn't it very interesting how quickly they posed this question? The government can spend what money it needs, do what it takes to go destroy the enemy, but I am not willing to give up one jot of my civil liberties.

Sorry, but this stupid debate about "personal liberty" is all horsefeathers right now. We gave up PLENTY of personal liberty in World War 2, gladly, because we knew that we were at war and had to make sacrifices to defeat a very tough enemy.

We're at war. Stop whining about "liberties" (which in our day and time has come to mean nothing more than license for self-indulgence anyway) and start EARNING them.

I think it may be time to swing the pendulum back to when times were a little harder, and people were a little more thankful.

Don't you freakin talk to me about EARNING liberty and don't be so freakin ignorant as to poopoo the loss of liberty. I have and will continue to EARN and PRESERVE my liberty. My ancestors paid for my little in blood (don't make me have to hit you with the list). I will not forsake their sacrifice so don't bother to tell me not to worry about it.

What the hell have you done to preserve our liberty, not including running around here calling everyone a bigot.

Times shouldn't have to be hard for people to be thankful! They just have to discard their narcissism.

Sorry that you think everyone ought to be automatically grateful. That ain't the way it worked. Between the world wars we had a brief "swing-time" (similar to the Clinton administration just past) and then it was fifteen years of depression and war.

It made us BETTER.

I think we're due for some culling of the stock.

Glad you think you're right on top of the Liberty heap. But your fellow-citizens aren't--they think liberty means being able to record the grossest garbage as "rap music" and selling it to what can only POLITELY be called "disaffected youth."

Well, how "disaffected" are they gonna be when the draft starts up again?

Sir, how does what you say here square in the slightest with the Spirit of '76. Our original Revolution was fought JUST SO we could have such "horsefeathers."

Your post is at odds with the Founding Fathers, the Founding Documents, the love of liberty, and common sense.

I will thank you not to pooh-pooh MY Constitutional liberties -- even if you are willing to trade yours for a mess of "security" pottage, Esau.

Our founding fathers were paragons of courage and strong-will and altruism based on biblical principles of freedom. But their love of freedom did not preclude their speaking and acting out on what they considered to be evil in their culture and government. I think some here have misunderstood your position because they may not realize that our founders were firmly grounded in and lived by biblical principles which precludes a lot of behaviors currently in vogue in this nation. Freedom was the main goal, but freedom to do what was right, not freedom to do what is harmful to others, according to biblical principles.

What do you think the main goal of terrorism is? It's to cause a government to act in such a way that the opposition becomes attractive. Where the enemy can be seen as liberators.
We don't need an end to our rights.

What happened yesterday may have been prevented by a lock on a cockpit door.

And as many say they would sacrifice some personal liberties in support of anti-terrorism efforts.

Just sit and thank you lucky stars that Gore or Clinton aren't President right now. They would consider this an ideal opportunity to snatch away our liberties.

We were struck precisely because we have these liberties, and there are scum in the world that are seethingly jealous of it.

You don't see people flocking to Arafat's Palestine for all that it offers, do you (the pictures of the children celebrating with free candy is burned into my memory for all time)? I think we ought to offer a free ride back to terrorist sympathizers (Palestinian spokesmen)though. Maybe even fully fuel the plane.......

Well said!

The closed-minded morons on this site love to throw around terms like "sheeple". They are the sort who equate arming yourself to the teeth with liberties, screaming about the jack-booted thugs of the U.S. Government. They sound more like Timothy McVeigh and less like patriotic American citizens.

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