I love American culture, I study American culture, and I cherish monuments, symbols and places that celebrate our past. A poignant moment in my past was walking through Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, Va., visiting the grave sites of James Madison and John Marshall, and the monument to the Confederate war dead.

How does it work? If you pay close attention to your mind, you’ll find that it has a mind of its own. All day long, the mind brings up thoughts you didn’t ask for. Much of your thinking is as voluntary as breathing or circulation. Unfortunately, a lot of the stuff your mind regurgitates is negative.