Mr. Faires, your post is the first I have ever seen that makes sense of the argument for maintaining one's cultural traditions. That is, it makes as much sense as any other stance I have heard.

When people (of any nation) make claims that their traditions must be preserved at any cost, they are purposely turning a blind eye to the reasons put forth by the dissenting factions.

As you have so eloquently stated, some of the traditions from decades or even centuries ago no longer fit with the newer morality that humans have acquired by examining and redefining our long-standing customs. If we were to hang on to all of our ancestor's practices, we would not only continue to rape and pillage villages, we would also keep slaves; children and the poor would be locked in workhouses - etc.

We must not continue the actions that we now recognize as morally offensive and harmful - to our children, our animals, our planet and all of its inhabitants - simply because we always did it that way. Forward thinking and movement in society does not mean anyone must lose; quite the opposite. Adapting to change is a must in our world, and look what the changes have wrought for humanity: equality and opportunities in so very many areas that were never seen in the past...education, workplace, animal welfare, women's rights, and many, many more. Do we have a long way to go with all of the above? Certainly. Will it be helpful in any sense of the word to allow traditions to remain without inspection just because "that is the way it has always been done"? Never. There are many ways in which we can keep our individual heritages and customs alive that do not involve harming any other living being, and those are the birthrights worth keeping.