[MD] Intellect battles the (immigrant) barbarians

[ARLO J BENSINGER JR]

[Khaled]
it's like learning about women circumcision and foot binding in my women's study
class. These issues should be left for that society to solve by itself. No
external force can do that.

[Arlo]
To both circumcision and binding I find myself in the same mode of thought. A
society that forces it upon the unwilling is barbaric. However, if one can
imagine a scenario where one would freely, and I mean freely, choose it, then
there should be now laws prohibiting that. In our culture, for example, there
are many who practice what I would consider bizarre, painful and severely
damaging forms of body modification. But in all these cases, the act is
voluntary. And therein lies the "morality".

[Khaled]
It gets a little sticky. But then again, if society is comfortable, well fed,
and not living in fear ( big brother, the commies are coming, the sky is
falling) such diversities are rather welcomed and makes society proud.

[Arlo]
This gets to Ham's assertion that customs that make (what I presume are the
majority) "anxious" should be forbidden. Its not cultural divergence per se,
but those things that make us scared. As you correctly surmise, we are living
in the Age of Fear (as William Durant might call it).

[Khaled]
It personally bothers me when I see a seven year old covered up (especially in
the west).

[Arlo]
And it bothers me to see football stadiums full of zombie-eyed Christians, with
their seven year old kids, praising "the Lord". The world is full of people I
think are short-sighted and narrow-minded, but I don't think we should forbid
them from doing something (of their own free will) they value. 

[Khaled]
Once these people emigrate and go to a different country that forbid such
customs, then they should obey these laws.

[Arlo]
What would be the difference between forbidding a Muslim woman from wearing a
veil, and forbidding a Hasidic Jew from wearing a kippot? 

[Khaled]
FDR said " we have nothing to fear but fear itself."  This administration says "
we have nothing but fear."

[Arlo]
Hell, its this administration's campaign slogan.