and as robert putnam, a sociologist found the parts of america today with the greatest racial and ethnic diversity are also the part with the highest degree of lack of trust in others and participation or voluntary association. tocqueville was looking forward, i think here, to a threat that in a different kind of america you would have a super intending government creating soft despotism that would break the ties between individuals and put them in a situation of isolation, of individualism. and he describes this process in these words "above these an immense tutelary power is elevated which takes charge of ensuring their enjoimts and watching over their fate. it is absolute, detailed, regular, far seeing and mild. it would resemble paternal power if like that it had for its object to prepare men for manhood. but on the contrary, it seeks only to keep them fixed irrevokably in childhood. it likes citizens to enjoy themselves. it willingly works for their happiness but it wants to be the unique agent and sole aar bit of that. it facilitates their pleasures, conducts their principle affair

there's some indications the percentage of people involved in such associations are declining as robert putnam suggests in his book "bowling along." i think there's important counterveiling evidence that's come forward. so voluntary associations are part of american life. americans give more money and volunteer more time for charity than people in any other significant nation in the world and by a lot. arthur brooks, the president of american enterprise institute, has documented this. it's part of an american tradition. the tradition of american philanthropy is still strong. remember that a century ago in that progressive era, a masters of great fortune like andrew carnegie and rockefeller gave enormous sums to charity and changed america life through building our system of libraries. rockefeller created our medical research institutions and the rigorous medical schools that we have today and the teaching hospitals. that was the creation of john d. rockefeller. a contribution to american life that was above that of many government policies and government programs. so the federal government doe

robert putnam has matched the growing disassociation since the 1980s.is decline comes a lack of solidarity, trust, and tolerance and social fabric is bad for our politics. the rugged relip yant individualist finds himself standing alone and isolated in a moment my colleague, chris hayes, has dubbed the elites. the colorado massacre can make the problem worse. it's understandable why in the wake of random terrifying acts of violence we may want to scoop up our families and fall to our knees in prayer and makes sense why we may want to do so behind closed doors but that is the impulse we must resist by consciously cultivating our civic faith. if the experiment of self-government is going to survive, we must be willing to trust anyone even when trust feels foolish. there are comments and policies that can make communities safer and if we are responsible, we will move in acting them. no wall will be high enough to act on our vulnerability. a good society can never ee nerge and democracy requires that we find a way to trust one another, in our neighborhoods

robert putnam who i quoten the book o of al--iost nginuran diverse communities become weaker. it by weaker union less volunteerism and socia inractn,s cmit to co pct led un dan h n r sn other comes into their community. i am very pro legal immigration and think we could have more immiatanl nesa aguor spicliliut is uativsi otriisehd aeplacement for an argument rather than making an argument. one place where i have a problem with it ion wh--d he anorthveit igndowt falyaid it big affirmative-action case for the supreme court that diversity is portt shaspea ic fei lage ro wths e argument about affirmative action was as lbj said it is unir and unjust to taka manning ange his entire life thetake oth ai etope eqlyir bee heac oslery and jim crow we make a special effort toward the african-american pulation. that is a morally serious argument rrgen avsameho iended wo ond oth rarment. because of the potency of their argument has faded, theeft has run thef vey me sy diit g se vicoempesou they may be diverse as far as numbers on the page, you have black kids in the cafeteria eating with b