We’ll finish this year’s discussion of our divisions with a bit of a call to action, issued in the form of a powerful book by Nautilus Book Award winner Stephen P. Kiernan: Authentic Patriotism. Here’s Stephen:

“The problems America faces are not going to be solved by either political party, nor are they exclusively the fault of any political party. I am reminded of the line in William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet: “A plague on both your houses.” In a democracy politics are merely the manifestation of the people’s will; if Congress is weak, it is because the public’s leadership of politicians has been insufficient.” Event photos.