Most of the readers of this forum know that my outlook is usually optimistic when it comes to the markets. I think it's fair to say that I'm hardly a "doom and gloomer." With that said I would like to make a comment about the markets decline from Sept. 17-21, 2001 and the promises of "patriotism" in not selling prior to that week. It was reported prior to that week that many of the Wall Street pros were promising to hold of selling for patriotic reasons. First of all I think buying and selling stock has little to do with being patriotic. Second of all I knew despite what was reported that the market would show a decline. The markets had to decline due to the fact that the economic risk has increased. So who is more patriotic, those that are responsible for deceiving people by stating that selling is unpatriotic or those that discuss the realities of the situation and basically state the truth? I think this is more or less the spin the financial press tried to put on prior to this week that selling was unpatriotic. I'm probably way off base here but a pox on their house for spinning this nonesense.