Norman Spector has been providing a plethora of interesting information in the comment section of the "Harper Adds Heat, Not Light, to Marriage Debate" post at the Shotgun Group Blog. Here is a letter to the Globe and Mail from McGill Anthropology professor Philip Carl Salzman that he provided.
“Enthusiastic advocates of multiculturalism, diversity and multiple family forms can now show their consistency by supporting plural marriage.
Polygamy is, after all, characteristic in the largest number of cultures by far: 147 allow polygamy, while only 40 are strictly monogamous. If all the world's cultural practices are to be honoured in Canada, polygamy should be high on the list.
It is puzzling that an agency of the federal government, Status of Women Canada, has put out a contract on polygamy, seeking academic rationale for ruling it evil. Does being multicultural mean that you can favour the people and customs you like, and reject the rest? Isn't that cultural genocide and racism?”
But, as we all know, some who proclaim the values multiculturalism, diversity and tolerance are not entirely consistent. It is just "traditional values" they are trying to replace and many other cultures have values far too traditional to be accepted. It's about "progress" not diversity.
