The importance of knowing what has gone on before

Where we've been is who we become and it makes us who we will be.
A really good example of this is the way we acknowledge our fallen, the impact of war and the  need to not go there again, with our ANZAC commemorations.  I have watched over a number  of years in teaching, the numbers of people, particularly younger people attending the services held on ANZAC Day. As a young person in form 4 ( year 10)and a long time ago now - last century in fact,  I was exposed to a teacher who allowed us to discuss and debate ( during English war poetry ) the anomalies and fallacies of war. at the time it was seen as a great way to avoid us doing the written work but many of us became quite incensed at the senselessness of it in terms of loss of life. Two years later as a 6th former (year 12) the Falklands war broke out and I was totally dumbfounded at the reaction of many of my classmates ( male largely) who openly talked about how they would go if they were needed.  It is only now as an adult that I know what was actually happening in that particular case.  I strongly believe and have to have faith now that our children will know that they have a right to question and challenge and say I do not agree.  Much as ANZAC day is a day to commemorate those incredibly brave people who died when there was little chance of survival for something they believed, it is also about the need to recognise that  we need to have the ability to challenge and think for ourselves, question and pursue things.  This is freedom.