In the 70’s I taught a unit within my Social Studies classes called “Ethics and Morals”. The object was to present to students true real-life ethical dilemmas so that lively discussions of right and wrong could take place. The primary purpose was to help young adults discover their own ethics and morals by arguing with others and defending their opinions. For example, one of the cases we studied was the Kitty Genovese murder.

However, one particular story within the unit that has always stayed with me over the years was the true story of the killing of an immigrant that took place on the streets of Chicago in the 1960s. The story involved the brother of a woman who had been wronged by her fiancé back in the “old country”. The brother followed the fiancé to the Chicago immigrant ghetto and shot him as he got off the subway. In the story, the neighborhood old folks called it an “honor” killing, and said it was completely acceptable. That’s the way we do it back in the “old country”, they said.

This story has always stayed with me because as I moved out of the classroom and into college administration, I ran into the Diversity, Multiculturalism and Political Correctness forces. These forces were passionate that everyone’s culture be respected by everyone else. Upon first hearing a dean say that everyone who is from a different culture deserves to have that culture respected, I asked the dean if we were to respect the cultures that believe in the sanctity of “honor” killings. Are we to respect the cultures that enslave women, I asked. The answer was always the same—any actions in violation of our own laws would not be tolerated. Therefore, the dean said, anyone doing an “honor” killing in this country should be arrested and brought to trial for murder. (There was, however, no discussion on whether I should respect “honor” killings that take place back in the home country)

Obviously that did not answer my question—that being “Must we respect a culture that goes against all human decency—cultures that promote honor killings, the stoning of women, human slavery, easy divorce for men (saying I Divorce You three times)and no divorce for women, child abuse and female circumcision?” To me, the answer is No, we do not have to respect that culture, not now, not ever. And the forces of Multiculturalism and Diversity be damned for telling me to.

Over the years I have tried to understand how a freedom loving nation such as ours can maintain political correctness attitudes towards those who practice such inhumane rituals. I have decided that the reason is that the Woodstock Nation that is generally responsible for all our “feel good” rules, has never grown up—they have lived in Never Never Land for much too long. The hippies of Woodstock may have cut their hair and changed their clothes, but their view of the world has not changed—As Ray Stevens wrote and sang--“Everybody’s beautiful, in their own way”. And since everybody’s beautiful in their own way, then everyone must be respected.