The meekness is easy to understand
Anything else would lead to the realization that we've done some real, real stupid things.
And what if we were to notice that the attacks have turned us from "the land of the brave" to a bunch of pansies willing to trade everything we stand for for the mere feeling (never mind that we all know it's a complete illusion) that we might be safer than we were before? We'd be embarrased to wave the Red White and Blue.
No, for our mental health we must trust that our leaders know what's best. To even consider the alternative - in other words, to be Americans - is just too painfull. There is no sarcasm at all in this paragraph. Horror, not sarcasm.
