Advocates of historic preservation talk about preserving our heritage. They claim that the way to do this is to protect old buildings, usually through ordinances and other regulations. But a discussion of the issue must consider the full context, and that means a careful examination of what constitutes our heritage.
Heritage refers to that which is inherited or passed on to succeeding generations. And that is certainly true of old buildings. But are these buildings the essence of Texas’s heritage?
In 1836, Texas declared its independence and took up arms. Many brave men risked their lives, preferring to die in defense of individual rights rather than live under the tyrannical Mexican government. This is Texas’s true heritage.
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