I'm just finishing a book entitled, "When Paris Went Dark," a history of the city during the German occupation of World War II. The author, Ronald Rosbottom, quotes French President Jacques Chirac, fifty years after the war. Although the context is quite different, I'm afraid similar words about today's America will resonate in the future of this country:

"There are, in the life of a nation, moments that wound its memory as well as the idea that one has of one's country. Nothing must block out the dismal hours of our history if we are to defend a certain idea of humanity, of liberty, and of dignity. In so doing, we struggle against those dark forces that are constantly at work."