How can it be interesting if we've forgotten?

by Derrick from Apathy is Boring — June 18, 2010


[Photo from Chairman of the Board]

A couple of months ago, I was reading this biography of Pierre Elliot Trudeau for a Canadian Studies class at university. Like most biographies, it began by giving a little background information - some basic facts about Trudeau's early life. While scanning over the first few pages, I learned that I in fact live about 2 blocks from Trudeau's early childhood home.

Learning this made me think back to a family road trip through the American Midwest in 2003. We happened to pass through the town of Abilene, Kansas, which also happens to be the childhood home of former US president Dwight D. Eisenhower. This small town of about 6500 people not only made it known that he had grown up there, but had an entire compound complete with meditation tomb site erected in his honour.

Now, I'm not saying that I think that we should dedicate oodles of tax dollars to building massive memorials to our former Prime Ministers but I do think that the basis of a strong political culture is education - a simple plaque or information panel would do. People are always complaining that Canadian politics are not as interesting as the political happenings south of the border, but I really think that, half the time, these people just don't know the history of how Canada's political system has evolved. Love them or hate them, our elected officials are not always boring, and I think we owe it to the Canadian population to make sure those who have shaped Canada are not forgotten.

 

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