It really was different. The "end of history" bullshit really was widely believed. Even things like school shootings--Paducah was in 97, Columbine was in 99, and there were others, but at that point it still seemed like something that would be fixed, not the new normal that it is today. So each shooting was a shock in a way that they just aren't any more. If you joined the military, you were going to get free college but you weren't going to really do anything as a soldier. People really got swept up in the shocked fear and rage after 9/11. I'm old enough to remember the Berlin wall coming down--I was a kid, so I didn't really get the significance but I remember people dancing on the wall and my parents were VERY EXCITED. The wall came down, the USSR fell, and it seemed like there were no real serious enemies any more. Sure, things weren't perfect and there were small conflicts around the world, but the US was safe. Nobody was launching nukes at us, and nobody was invading us. With 9/11 we had a Serious Enemy again, and everything changed. One way to illustrate how absurd things got is by telling you a story I heard from relatives in Indiana. They told me that at one point that there was a list made of possible terrorist targets so people could prepare security and make sure another tragedy didn't happen. Well, the list included the things you would expect--government buildings, stadiums, etc . . . and also an Amish popcorn company in a small town. Who the fuck is bombing a small town Amish popcorn factory? (Twirls mustache--"They'll never see it coming!")But they were on the list, just in case. People were scared. And like a dog at bay, ready to bite anyone within reach.