Read the excerpt from "A Quilt of a Country."

The reality is often quite different, a great national striving consisting frequently of failure. Many of the oft-told stories of the most pluralistic nation on earth are stories not of tolerance, but of bigotry. Slavery and sweatshops, the burning of crosses and the ostracism of the other. Children learn in social-studies class and in the news of the lynching of blacks, the denial of rights to women, the murders of gay men. It is difficult to know how to convince them that this amounts to "crown thy good with brotherhood," that amid all the failures is something spectacularly successful.

Which statement best summarizes the central idea of this excerpt?

Among all of the acts of hatred and racism, there is good in our population made of immigrants.

The high number of horrors committed in our diverse nation makes it difficult to believe in a united people.

Explanation:

The piece "A Quilt of A Country" by Anna Quindlen is an article written after the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center by terrorists. In her piece, Anna focused on the unity of the American people at the face of a common enemy, which has brought about the patriotism of the citizens.

The given passage is from the second paragraph of the whole article where she talks of the how it is difficult for others to try to imagine a united nation in America. She admitted that with all the numerous cases / issues of racism, attacks, women discrimination etc, it is understandable to find others unable to believe in the unity of the American people. Since America has been often times seen with instances of all these discriminatory acts, Anna writes that "it is difficult to know how to convince them" to understand the united stand of the American people. But it is this diversity that makes them stand more united when facing a bigger and common enemy.