Sharansky spoke at Philadelphia Free Library on the topic of group identity as a strong support of democracy in democratic nations. You can watch him on Book TV.

Many of us, myself included, hold on to and emphasize our family ethnic identities as Americans, but always identify ourselves as Americans. I can get downright serious about it with the little kids at this time of year. (There's this story time I do about the Battle of Lexington & Concord...) It has always felt important to me to tell the stories we all should know as a country, so we can have a conversation, even if it's at the tops of our voices. Sharansky may have put his finger on why this is so.