Resident Poet, Bardic Society of Dogtown
"I think it's too little, too late. I think if it takes a tragedy to create patriotism, then patriotism is bogus."
Parm Seeram
Owner, Maplewood Liquors
"It's human nature, from creation to now. Few people think about a disaster like Sept. 11 until it occurs. However, now that we are conscious of it, it allows us to realize what a powerful, great nation we are. So this is God's way, in my opinion, to get us to focus on what we should be focused on, and that's reality."
Carol Savio
Co-Owner, Milo's Tavern
"I'm all for it, as long as it's not a moneymaker advertisement for a company. Deep down, we are one world, and people just needed to show it. When you drive under an overpass, doesn't it make your heart feel good to see the American flag hanging there? It makes my heart feel good. We should have been doing it all along. God bless America."
Bryan Assata
Percussionist, 4 Stories
"Everybody's waving the flag. I saw it coming. For some reason, the American people tend to pull together under stress. Unfortunately, it's become like a fad, and I think it'll dwindle down once things are technically back to normal and the president says, 'OK, we're done over there. We've caught Bin Laden, given him a good wedgie.'"
Connie Johnson
State Representative, 61st District
"It's kind of like you don't recognize what you have till it's gone, and what happened on 9-11 was, like, 'Oh my God, what're they doing to our country?' And it made us dig down deeper and look at things that matter. We have so much to be grateful for in this country. These flags and bumper stickers you see everywhere? I'm OK with that, but they're material things. They'll pass in time. I just hope the spirit doesn't."
Adriana Boter
Student, University of Missouri-St. Louis
"I think it's a shame that it took such a great tragedy to trigger recognition and appreciation for this great country that we live in.
