Recent disturbances in Kingston's down town communities has given these areas of the city increased visibility. Especially in places such as Tivoli, we who live uptown have a sense that we are viewing these neighbourhoods for the first time. Fear of violence has meant that many of us have closed ourselves off from certain areas and rarely travel through them, even though much of Kingston falls within a 10 mile radius. As Kingston's middle class retreat further and further up town, it is a shame that our vision has become so limited even to places literally on our doorstep. Yet a visit to many of these communities reveals a history and a heritage that many would have been familiar with in earlier decades. These are communities where many of our grandparents were born. How can it be that the city of Kingston has been divided between uptown and downtown and that we have forfeited this sense of place? Can we afford to lose these connections to the past? Can we afford to abandon them to violence? As we flee the inner city and turn our backs to the sea, we must be careful not lose our sense of the past and our sense of identity.