Past isn't carved in stone

"The social imaginary in which we live our individual lives is a peaceful kingdom, but our collective selves have a vital need to mark the history of our side," writes Peter Stockland in the Winnipeg Free Press. "For Canadians, the Troubles in Ireland might seem geographically distant and wrapped in historic fog. Yet in the fresh past, we’ve found ourselves in an escalating action-reaction pattern with regard to the histories we entrust to commemorative sites."