If you've ever had something terrible and unexpected happen in your life, you know that the natural reaction to such events is shock, sadness, and anger--usually in that order. Before we seek revenge or look to blame someone for what's happened, we usually need to make sense of the event and accept that it has happened.

In the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, Americans were shocked and saddened, and those emotions inspired deeper feelings of patriotism and community. President George W. Bush's approval ratings soared to 90 percent, the highest ever recorded for an American president. Bush visited the crash sites, directed people to resume their daily lives, and delivered a popular speech hours after the attacks. Here's an excerpt:

A firefighter looks at ruins of the World Trade Center towers just days after they fell.

"Good evening. Today our fellow citizens, our way of life, our very freedom came under attack in a series of deliberate and deadly terrorist acts. The victims were in airplanes or in their offices: secretaries, business men and women, military and Federal workers, moms and dads, friends and neighbors. Thousands of lives were suddenly ended by evil, despicable acts of terror.

The pictures of airplanes flying into buildings, fires burning, huge structures collapsing have filled us with disbelief, terrible sadness, and a quiet, unyielding anger. These acts of mass murder were intended to frighten our Nation into chaos and retreat, but they have failed. Our country is strong.

A great people has been moved to defend a great nation. ... These acts shattered steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve. America was targeted for attack because we're the brightest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the world. And no one will keep that light from shining."

With Bush's approval ratings remaining in the high 80s months after the 9/11 attacks, he felt comfortable implementing policies aimed at guiding the country toward military action against the terrorists responsible.