Americans celebrated our founding 50 years ago. Now, even that is too divisive

Fifty years ago today, America was two years out from its 200th birthday. Americans were gearing up to party like it was 1776. Patriotic fervor dominated the media even though the actual celebration was still 24 months away.

CBS embraced the spirit of America by launching a program that lasted nearly two-and-a-half years called the "Bicentennial Minutes." Every night from July 4, 1974, till New Year’s Eve 1976, America’s leading men and women gave us a 60-second history lesson. 

Each one began with...