Last night I went to hear the Minneapolis Pop Orchestra at the Lake Harriet Bandshell. I have been doing a lot of reflection about our 250th Anniversary lately. I figured I'd sit in my chair, enjoy the music, and keep my complicated feelings to myself. Then the conductor asked veterans to stand when their branch's song was played. One by one, a handful of people rose humbly, almost shy about it. Watching them stand did something the music alone couldn’t. It softened the places in me where life had left its harshest scars, and I found a fierce, aching appreciation for the people of our nation. Throughout our country’s history, people have stood up to unfairness, cruelty, pain, and suffering. Each time one person stands up, they stand for all of us. Our struggles have not weakened us; they have strengthened us. We accomplished the most daring task: to look into the recesses of our own fear and find hope, meaning, and greater truth. That is not a footnote to the fabric of this c...