I believe in realistically assessing everything, not just what any one person or group says.
Y2K, for example, was something that we examined very closely, and ultimately concluded the danger was largely not there. This, despite the fact that many IT administrators were coming out of the woodwork saying that many companies simply weren't ready.
To put this into context, I also had a friend back then whose entire family was fully convinced that a breakdown akin to Stephen King's book, "The Stand" was about to happen. The Apocalypse realized. Being close friends, it was very difficult for me to disagree with them, but I stuck by what I believe in. I lost them as friends, which was really sad for me, but life did go on.
However, I did make some preparations anyway, in particular, stocking up a small supply of bottled water and canned foods; things that would be usable even if nothing were to happen. It made sense for me to play it safe but realistic.
Post 9/11, however, has made everyone jumpy. Everyone. And for good reasons. I've always thought our ports are wide-open. It still is. Just look at our southern borders with Mexico. If impoverished illegal immigrants can easily cross, just think how easily it can be for even semi-organized terrorist cells.
Still, what does it mean to prepare post 9/11? For me, believe it or not, it meant an opportunity to sell my entire gun collection. Yes, roughly 2 weeks after 9/11, I knew everyone and their auntie would be buying guns, and I knew that I could make a killing (even though I didn't really want to sell my gun collection).
Thing is, people at the time felt that they needed firearms to fight off terrorist cells, but that's not a realistic reponse. Yes, terrorism is very real. However, the usual MOs for terrorists involve methods that simply can not be countered with conventional firearms. Sad, but true. (I have to be careful because if I said that to the gun crowd I usually hang out with, they would brand me as a heathen. I might as well be coming here and telling people that hybrid cars are not any better. Oh wait....
)
Rather, it will involve things that is a bit more esoteric. In my humble opinion, it means having to go to foreign soils and provide economic assistance; to show the world that America is a country of loving people who wants everyone to prosper. In short, foreign countries need to understand that WE are not the threat, that we are not the enemy, and that we are not Satan's nation (which is realistically how we are perceived elsewhere).
I'm afraid simply stocking up on bullets and cans won't be enough (although I also do that to some extent).
But don't worry though. Such a scenario is not only extremely unlikely, but there is much we can do to curb terrorism in general. For one thing, we should keep such issues in mind when we vote. We should get actively involved with others in our neighborhood through informal meetings and neighborhood watch programs. We should show and continue to show support for our law enforcement officers and members of the military. Let them know that we will not forget.
In short, NO, I do not believe we should be concerned. We should be continually involved, however, watching the trends closely. Stay informed. Stay connected. Sure, if you want to stock up a little bit for general short-term emergencies that includes but is not exclusive to terrorism, that's fine too.
I'm really rambling, but I hope some of this made sense.