True patriots measure themselves not by personal wealth or power but by the degree to which they contribute to the community.

As it stands now, those of us who are lucky enough to be citizens by birth don't have to do much. Very little is asked of us.

To be sure, the United States has profound problems, not least our faltering educational and physical infrastructure.

Love of country cannot be a supersized version of individual narcissism. True love of country-of this country-is love of our children, of a creed that promises them a better life before it promises us anything, and embraces the sacrifices needed to make that better life. True love of country is giving ourselves to a cause and a purpose larger than ourselves. And that cause is to make liberty worth having, to make the pursuit of happiness deeper than the quest for personal pleasure, and to leave a legacy of progress and possibility.

At the heart of our public morality is the idea that he who gives generously is most virtuous and morally praiseworthy; that there is no greater citizen than she who sacrifices; and that there is no greater measure of worth than contribution. These are values we can be proud of. After all, there is no moral system or religion on earth where the guiding ethic is grab more for yourself.

Throughout this country's history there have of course been systematic efforts to create an official underclass.

The Boomers have modeled a set of bad habits, and one grand gesture is not going to unwind all those bad habits.