Do not reject the past
In the great zeal for modernization, many societies have committed the grievous error of presuming that they should also reject their traditions and their past. Puerto Rico is not an exception. In the 1950's, there were some who wanted to tear down Old San Juan, urban foci during the Spanish period. It was claimed that majestic colonial buildings should be destroyed to make way for the construction of a mini New York City, in the process stimulating its economy. Fortunately. Mr. Ricardo Alegria and the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture saved what is now a tourist region and a rich economic source for the island. Nonetheless, the lesson has been forgotten by many Puerto Ricans today. They destroy majestic architectural pieces in their modernizing zeal, replacing these with a sea of tar, building parking stations of questionable cultural value and economic function. Little do they know what makes an economy tick, and much less what constitutes the national patrimony. They imitate the superficial, thus destroying the rich fountains of progress and Puerto Rican identity.