The New Shape of Patriotism: Still Shocked, We're All Patriots Now. What We Owe the Nation-And Each Other

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I wanted to go to the Statue of Liberty, and figured my police press credential might get me there. Not a chance. They tell me at the ferry that it is "closed indefinitely," which depresses me as much as anything all week. I call a government official who says that the president has said privately that he wants the Statue of Liberty open as soon as possible, but he has been told that it simply is not secure. They're hoping to let tourist boats at least float past Lady Liberty soon, so the people can feel her patriotic presence.

Patriotism. Even now the word has a musty quality, like an old war-bonds poster. We spent so many years thinking of "patriots" as New England football players that the concept almost turned to kitsch. American celebrities are so out of shape, patriotically speaking, that many didn't seem …