Maggie's Farm

This is the way America is supposed to be: It Takes a Certain Kind of Village - Rallying to save a beloved local institution, D.C. neighbors show what real community looks like.

A sense of local community, "community spirit" if you will, can only arise organically and spontaneously. An outsider cannot make it happen with a few rounds of Kumbaya. In my limited experience, these things are less likely to occur in wealthy communities and in God-forsaken inner cities.

I do not think De Tocqueville experienced either of those during his remarkable study of America. I suspect that most Maggie's readers are ready to serve their communities when needed. It's the Yankee spirit - do what needs to be done outside of government.