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Social capital running dry

Sun., Feb. 21, 2016

Regarding “Hospital expands cardiac unit capacity” and “Holy Names Academy, then and now (Feb. 15)”: What the nuns did, and continue to do for our community, are two profound examples of what Robert D. Putnam in his book, “Bowling Alone,” describes as “social capital.”

I doubt that we will ever again see men or women make the kind of sacrifices these women did, first to benefit the poor, but ultimately the entire community by their organizations being one of the primary economic engines in the city.

Unfortunately, by any reasonable comparison, we as a society are approaching bankruptcy.

David Bauer

Spokane

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