Every government has a non-negotiable duty to protect, preserve and respect the heritage, history and culture of its people.

That's why the story in yesterday's edition of the Observer West about the need for the erection of a cenotaph in Hanover to honour the fallen World War veterans of that parish is so important.

According to the story, Hanover is the only parish that does not have a cenotaph in memory of those who served in the world's two most debilitating international conflicts.
Hopefully, that anomaly will soon be corrected, and yet another important chapter in the history of this nation will be recorded with the aplomb it deserves.

In the meantime, we should use yesterday's report - timely against the backdrop of last Heroes' weekend - as a reminder, not just of where we are coming from, but where we are aiming to go.

For it is, by now, trite philosophy that there is no successful foray into the future without a thorough understanding and appreciation of the past. And if we are going to truly appreciate our past, we must know as many of the stories from that past as possible.

Ideally, these should include stories like the one cited by Mr Balwin Samuels in yesterday's report, about the way in which his wife's grandfather lost both legs to frostbite due to poor treatment by the British. Who was this unfortunate man? How can we ensure that we don't fall prey to the victimisation that others have to offer, the way he did?

How many ounces of liberation are we, as a nation, enjoying today as a result of his efforts?

These are issues that we must begin to take seriously if we expect our youth to grow up with the sort of sense of purpose that will begin to erase the melodrama of indiscipline and violence that is marring their progress.

That sense of purpose will provide depth in an environment that is too often dominated by the shallow and frivolous. The cenotaphs and other monuments which point to the realities of our past have to be maintained in a manner that stimulates curiosity on the part of our young people.

They must be made to know their history and how it connects with the histories and cultures of other nations. For it's not just about Jamaica anymore. It's about how Jamaica fits and will fit into the historic chapters that are currently being written on the international stage.

It is full time we acknowledge these basic realities, for in the hallowed words of the Dalai Lama, where ignorance is our master, there is no possibility of real peace, or, we would add, progress.

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