Cord Byrd: “this morning the U.S. Postmaster General warned Americans that their mail is not guaranteed to be safe. The American…”

“this morning the U.S. Postmaster General warned Americans that their mail is not guaranteed to be safe. The American people have been on an emotional roller coaster ride ever since September 11. In the days and weeks following the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the American people collectively have experienced a national anxiety attack--fear, remorse, outrage, despair, confusion, depression, and unease have all manifested themselves in recent weeks. Before the brutal terrorist attacks of September 11, American consumers were already nervous as layoff announcements rolled out of auto factories, and stock market retirement savings dissipated into thin air. Since that dark day, the economy has grown even more unstable as consumers, seized with fear--Franklin D. Roosevelt said, there is nothing for us to fear but fear itself, but fear is here, and it permeates throughout this city and throughout the Nation--consumers, seized with fear, have stayed riveted to their television sets and away from shopping malls. American consumers have postponed taking that much-deserved family vacation out of fear of getting onto an airplane. I would share that same fear. I know it is all right for some to say, go ahead and ride an airplanes if you have the Secret Service there to protect you and you can go on a special plane, but I would not ride on a commercial plane right now because I share that fear.”