Preservation of the nation's and the city's history is important work. Generations learn and evolve only because their past is known to them. Buildings or sites can be the source of community pride, tourism, and stark reminders of what we can achieve or learn about ourselves as a people. But sometimes the push to designate buildings and sites as "historic," while honorable can also become a cause célèbre, devoid of true significance and stoked by a desire to "win" versus a need to preserve something truly historical.