Last weekend I flew from Orlando to Washington DC and back again. I'll admit to being a bit nervous, especially since the return flight was only hours after we started bombing Afghanistan, but if I didn't feel safe I wouldn't have gotten on those airplanes. Security at the airports is tight, I even got my bag emptied and searched. They're being thorough, and passengers are aware. I don't think we should let fear stop us from flying, or anything else.
Yup. Even the smallest things that might have points on them are taken by the soldiers and you don't get it back. So if you fly, put anything sharp in your checked bags.