Whilst I can see your point of view, I disagree with you on the point about differing laws for people based on ethnicity and culture. Should we allow different sections of the community to have their own laws? What if it was acceptable for rape of wives to occur in a culture? What about foot binding? What about arranged marrage? What about black people having to sit in different areas on the bus from white people? There are many things that our modern society deems unacceptable, yet individual members support for "tradition" and if people wish to take part in that society they need to follow the laws set out.
Case in point, traditional marrage in indigenious communities are often used as a defense of underage rape. Is it okay for a man to force a minor to have sex with him because "tradtionally" he is married to her in his "custom"? Judges are often afraid of being seen as culturally insensitive so give softer sentences- how do you think that makes the victim feel? It's okay for them to do this to me because I'm black? http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Aboriginal-men-twisting-customary-law/2007/04/04/1175366301126.html (I've read about this over the past few years on numerous times, but this was the first link that I found when searching this morning)
I'm in support of changing the Xmas/Easter breaks because they do not suit many people in Australian society anymore. What would be fairer would be a number of days of leave people could use for "culturally significant days" depending on their own background. So someone who is Buddist might use it for Visak Day, a Pagan my use it for solstice etc etc
People who blindly follow something without thinking about why they are doing it scare me. It's this type of thinking that causes war, abuse, genocide and other atrocities.
There are studies that *do* back up the claim of STD prevention, though they are often looking at HIV transmission in Africa, it doesn't mean that they are not valid. It also doesn't mean everyone who subscribes to this point of view gets their information from the tabloids. But I would consider it to be more justifiable than doing something because you blindly follow something your elders did without giving it thought.
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Date: 2008-08-05 06:52 am (UTC)Case in point, traditional marrage in indigenious communities are often used as a defense of underage rape. Is it okay for a man to force a minor to have sex with him because "tradtionally" he is married to her in his "custom"? Judges are often afraid of being seen as culturally insensitive so give softer sentences- how do you think that makes the victim feel? It's okay for them to do this to me because I'm black?
http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Aboriginal-men-twisting-customary-law/2007/04/04/1175366301126.html
(I've read about this over the past few years on numerous times, but this was the first link that I found when searching this morning)
I'm in support of changing the Xmas/Easter breaks because they do not suit many people in Australian society anymore. What would be fairer would be a number of days of leave people could use for "culturally significant days" depending on their own background. So someone who is Buddist might use it for Visak Day, a Pagan my use it for solstice etc etc
People who blindly follow something without thinking about why they are doing it scare me. It's this type of thinking that causes war, abuse, genocide and other atrocities.
There are studies that *do* back up the claim of STD prevention, though they are often looking at HIV transmission in Africa, it doesn't mean that they are not valid. It also doesn't mean everyone who subscribes to this point of view gets their information from the tabloids. But I would consider it to be more justifiable than doing something because you blindly follow something your elders did without giving it thought.