The country has come apart. Rural America has a cure.

Editor’s Note:  The author of this Opinion column is Dana Milbank.  Dana Milbank is a nationally syndicated op-ed columnist for The Washington Post. He also provides political commentary for various TV outlets, and is the author of three books on politics, including the national bestseller “Homo Politicus.”

Like author Milbank, we mourn how the “United States has lost about 2,500 local newspapers — one-quarter of the total — since 2005, and papers continue to fold at the rate of two per week, Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism calculates.”

“Since buying an old farm in the Virginia countryside last year, I have learned many things from the local weekly, the Rappahannock News. Among them:

“Chuck and Diane Moore just celebrated their 43rd wedding anniversary.

“Mae Racer makes the best rice pudding.

“A new bench at the corner of Main and Porter streets memorializes Chuck Hunter.