[Carol Costello, Cnn Anchor:] Tomorrow, it will be two years, two years, since the 911 attacks. And as we look back, we want to know what has changed for Americans since then. Gallup Poll editor-in-chief Frank Newport joins us live now with some new numbers. Good morning Frank.
[Frank Newport, Gallup Poll Editor-in-chief:] Good morning, Carol. We've looked at a lot of data, of course, over the last two years, a lot of normal aspects of life, like going to church, gun ownership, all of that really hasn't changed. But when we ask Americans right out: Had things return to normal two years after September 11? The result? Very, very few Americans say yes. In fact, it's only 3 percent who say things are completely to normal. The modal response that is, the one that's more given than any other is somewhat to normal, that's 56 percent. And 4 out of 10 Americans say, no, things haven't returned to normal at all. Another way of looking at this some two years after the attacks is to ask America: Have the wounds of 911 healed? That's a question we asked last year on the one-year commemoration of the terrorist attacks, and at that time 71 percent of Americans said no. That was September, 2002. Carol, we just asked it again, and actually more Americans this year than last year say that things the wounds have not healed. We're up to almost 8 out of 10 Americans who say no. But two years later, certainly the wounds are still open.
[Costello:] Having said that, do you think do Americans now think of terrorism as pretty much a part of their everyday lives?
[Newport:] I think they do. When I look at the data, I believe that there is a part of the American psyche that is concerned with terror 24 hours a day, maybe seven days a week. This exemplifies it. We just asked: Are acts of terrorism likely in the U.S. in the next few weeks? We've tracked that. It's gone up and down. To me, what's most important is on the right-hand side there. Over half of Americans just a week or two ago told us, yes, they think it's at least somewhat likely there will be new terrorist attacks in the next weeks. There haven't been any domestically, of course, in two years, but the fear is still there. And I think that's part of what we're seeing. Americans are concerned even two years later Carol.
[Costello:] All right, Frank Newport live from Princeton, New Jersey, many thanks. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.