<![CDATA[Back in 1989, President George H. W. Bush talked about a “thousand points of light.” He meant it as a tribute to America at its best: the churches, charities, volunteer squads, neighborhood helpers, and everyday citizens who quietly held the country together. It was a gentle, optimistic image: millions of small acts of service lighting up the dark, proving that the American character didn’t depend on Washington but on the decency of ordinary people.]]>