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:O
Can a square circle be gay?
When in Rome...
As harsh as it is to say, some cultures are just savage and barbaric. Honor killings have no place in the West.
It is to contribute toward the holy effort to create a worldwide caliphate in accordance to the commands of the Quran.
Allahu akbar! Slavery and death for all infidels!
Erase all signs of infidel religious cultures--ancient and modern--from the face of the earth.
They don't "understand" anything but their brutal Islamic "laws".
We provide pony rides for little kids. Almost every single time I have done a party or festival for them, something has gone wrong, often seriously wrong. Thus far nobody has been injured, but it's nearly impossible to get things done my way instead of their way. They don't listen, especially when my wife is talking. Some boys started a soccer game during a birthday party. She told them to go around the other side of the house so the ball didn't frighten the ponies. Her words had no effect. I think she stopped doing rides and packed up and left.
Some people have told us, "It's cultural. You'll just have to get used to it." No, it's religious. My wife says, "Never again! YOU do those parties. I won't. They don't listen to me."
Seriously. Consider for a moment this narrative of a “rape culture” on college campuses. Well, if that were true that’d be a “cultural thing” right? Now in reality there is a rape culture, but it isn’t present on American college campuses, rather it as deeply embedded in Islamic “culture”. Lest you think that comparison too extreme, that “cultural “ argument is already making the rounds in European governments.
A good book on interacting with people from other faith backgrounds is How to Be a Perfect Stranger.
My wife and I are humanist atheists. We had a friend who was Jehovah's Witness. It was against her religion to recognize any holidays or even to say happy birthday. Did we make it clear to her that it's the predominate custom in America to recognize birthdays and that she is in a minority that must adapt and graciously accept our tolerance of her beliefs? Did we point out that UUs would (theoretically) be more accepting of her than her church would be of atheists? Did we reminde her that trees and religious festivals have deep roots in many cultures, and if she can't take most of the world is undeveloped, so she could go there? Obviously not!
I'd like to see the US, or more likely some other country, maybe some micronation, become more of model of liberty, with very few laws but strictly enforced. Come to America. It's an idea of liberty, not an ethnicity. Bring your lifestyle, as long as it doesn't break the law. You can have your Lexus without giving up your olive tree.
That's the easy part. The hard part is "cultural aspects of [American] life" not supportive of freedom and independence.
Yes. When an American hears "he rejected all the plans his family had and his religious community to do what he wanted," an American's first thought is "good for him". In much of the world it's "who does he think he is?"
America is great. We've expanded the idea of people living their dreams without interference to everyone, regardless of background or physical attributes. But there is also an element of Roman decadence. The ideals of personal liberty seem to many people like good concepts but not applicable to the modern world.
What I'm referring to is how we keep that passion for liberty alive a century after becoming so successful it feels like freedom comes for free.
I am all for rejecting people who want to immigrate but have clear anti-freedom views. A much, much bigger problem is people who are born here but take freedom for granted.
I agree that it is a huge problem.
As to what to do? I think we must do a better job of teaching the Declaration of Independence and Constitution to our children. Math, science, etc. are all great, but it goes back to a quote from Jurassic Park “Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.”
I don't have the solution to this huge problem, but I agree with more teaching of things like the Declaration of Independence and math and science. The tools of reason, including math and science, are helpful in understanding liberty.
I also wonder about the very controversial idea of denying people the right to vote if they clearly have no idea what they're voting for. There is so much potential for this to be abused that it may be impractical. My idea is certainly not for it to be partisan or racist. It just seems to me like you should to show some proficiency to vote.
I think a spirit of liberty would come out of having fewer laws and having a citizen militia who keep and own their own equipment and weapons. Anything that asks people to take responsibility or denies opportunities to turn over responsibility to someone else could help. Decriminalizing drugs could be part of it. Ending any notion of banning products that are safe when used properly but not idiot-proof could help. These sound like effects of liberty rather than causes, but I wonder if they could be a virtuous cycle where liberty begets more liberty.
As to voting, my idea is simply that if you are receiving government handouts (welfare, etc.), you don't get to vote in Federal elections.
“When the people find that they can vote themselves money that will herald the end of the republic.” - Benjamin Franklin
That's really the key thing.