A Quilt of a Country: Out of Many, One?

Anna Quindlen's piece, A Quilt of a Country: Out of Many, One? was about how she believes that our country is united through tragedies or conflicts; using examples of 9/11 and the cold war. She also states that the diversity of our country is our strength. She compares the US to a quilt consisting of many parts. In which these parts are everything that makes the US-the US. This quilt is the notion, as she mentions, that holds these "ever-changing disparate parts" together. The notion that "all men are created equal". She goes on to tell her belief that our country's foundation is based on community and individualism.

I think Quindlen made some very interesting points in her article. I agree that our country is very diverse and that's what makes America-America. I remember 9/11 and thinking it was a shame that something severe as that had to happen to bring us together. In a part of Quindlen's article she explains how after the cold war people began to pull back apart realizing that "without a focus for hatred and distrust, a sense of national identity would evaporate,....." (pg. 16) This is an example of things such as 9/11, Katrina and any other major disaster occurred, people came together then when there seemed to be no need of help people just went back to the way things were. I also agree that the thought that our country's foundation is based on community and individualism are two conflicting ideals. Because our country consist of many different people, differences are sometimes accepted and sometimes not.