" How did they explain the triumphs and the catastrophes in their lives? Who was responsible, and what were the costs of that responsibility? Who told them the truth, and who lied? What did they expect from their government—and what did they get? How safe did they feel—in their bodies, their homes, their neighborhoods? What, ultimately, did we owe one another as citizens of a political commons? "

― Evan Osnos , Wildland: The Making of America's Fury