Perhaps, I have often wondered, it is because there are just to many damn laws as to what one can and cannot do or be or whatever. Has this stopped the natural flow of thought that if you see someone struggling you might just stop and help that person. But no, if you do, maybe that person will sue you or perhaps it might break some law or whatever. Less and less do I see people actually recgonize that their actions affect others. They are not alone in this. The lack of responsibility to what one has accepted to do is also mind bending. The lack of intelligent response to what one is subjected too is also amazing. Those that attach themselves to the Tea Party are leaving themselves open to being taken over the proverbial cliff. But maybe they won't even notice. I agree about the commercialization of 9/11 being downright crass. The drug companies SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO ADVERTISE! They are the most egregious snake oil distributors of all time. ARGH! The American values that I think of fondly were truthfulness, honesty, hard working, entreprenurial, when we have lemons we make lemonade, if your neighbor needs a cup of sugar and you have some, you give it to them, no problem, etc. What happened to innocent until proven guilty in a court of law? !@^%*#)($)%*!