Being a patriotic citizen

This weekend marks the 244th anniversary of our declaring our independence, when, as Lincoln said at Gettysburg, “our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”

This is the perfect moment to consider binding up our nation’s wounds, as he also wrote, in his second inaugural address.

Our nation. Our wounds. Our defense. It is us, plural. We are both citizens and patriots together. Patriots defend us, the people, our country. That is we, together, whether it is the community of La Conner, the state...