Cumulative Effect - In trying to think back to last September, and recall what we felt here in Washington, it seems to me that we didn't experience one big day of horror like New York did. There were smaller tribulations, but they extended over a drawn out period of time. While the Pentagon was the only DC target that was hit, we suffered from a siege mentality for weeks and even months afterwards. The National Guard was on the streets and the airport was closed. Then came the anthrax and the worries about the safety of the mail and mass transit. It was more like water torture than an electric shock. It was hard to put into words, and more difficult still for distant friends and relations to understand. Gradually we've come out of our shell. Let's hope it's not just in time for another assault.