The United States is not so far along from having religious police. As late as the early 1960's - while there were not police acting under laws - social convention / pressure dictated strict behavioral codes among men and women. Hell, in the late 60's we girls were not permitted to wear coulottes (skirt/shorts) to school.
On some level, I do understand it - and that understanding scares me. So long as individuals are free to find information about alternative choices and thereafter choose where on the planet they live, I see no problem with radically different cultures enforcing their codes of behavior how ever they choose. That said, female circumcision and stoning for adultery, and the story you mention, etc., need serious attenuation / attention and protections from a human rights perspective. Freedom is freedom, no? In the future, I see lots of people choosing where to live based on culture, based upon what is and is not permitted. It's already happening in the U.S. where homosexuals must surely be flocking to states that recognize gay marriage, and folks who do not accept gay marriage moving elsewhere as appropriate. That's one reason States Rights as opposed to Federal control are important. What needs to be opened up is access to information so folks have informed choice. Censorship of information in China for example is a bad thing. I like how the Amish let their kids out of the fold for a time so if and when they return to the community it's not because they know no other way. Don't have the brain power to write thoroughly on this subject, but...it's an important question you raise Deirdre. Thanks for the diversion. Jan On 2/5/07, Deirdre Straughan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > We all have every right to judge other people, countries, and customs. > They > may not agree with our judgements - they have that right. > > I am absolutely not shy to say that laws like these are barbaric and > medieval. We can only hope that the people of Saudi Arabia some day > succeed > in rebelling against this idiocy - it's clear that many of them aren't > particularly happy about it, either. > > However... the arrestees, while foreigners, broke local laws. You must > live > by the laws of the country you are in, no matter how stupid they are, and > you can't expect to get away with anything just because you're a > foreigner. > Last year there were several highly-publicized cases of Australians > sentenced to death for smuggling drugs into Indonesia. I don't agree with > the death sentence for anything, let alone drug smuggling. However, it > seemed a bit much for the Australian government to expect these people to > be > let off just because the laws are more lenient at home. If you're going to > smuggle drugs, you ought to at least be smart enough to research the local > laws and understand exactly what you're risking! > > Similarly, a foreign teenager (I forget what nationality, maybe American) > was sentenced to lashing in Singapore some years ago, for graffiti. Again, > that's the local law - why should he get special treatment because he's > foreign? > > The lesson here is that other countries are decidedly NOT like our home > countries in all sorts of ways, and it's a good idea to learn the ropes > before you go there. > > > > On 2/5/07, Heath <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > I just read this > > > > http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16978938/ > > > > Ok, I know we have international folks here, help me understand this > > article please.....I read things like this and I am torn....on one hand > > who am I to judge a culture or another country's laws....but on the > > other hand, I mean c'mon it's insane..... > > > > It's time's like this I want to believe in the power of the net, the > > power of education, the power, the hope that things can change....by > > making the world smaller, by sharing, by showing how much in commen we > > really have with each other maybe, just maybe something positive can > > happen... > > > > Heath > > http://batmangeek7.blogspot.com > > > > > > > > > > -- > best regards, > Deirdré Straughan > > www.beginningwithi.com (personal) > www.tvblob.com (work) > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > -- The Faux Press - better than real http://fauxpress.blogspot.com [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
