Culture is no excuse
I READ Julian Tomlinson’s article last week (15/6) and I am obviously not a “feminist” as I agreed with what was written.
As a mother and grandmother of boys the rule was, as a boy you are stronger than the girls, so boys do not ever hit girls.
If girls hit boys, they must realise there are consequences, but definitely not a physical retaliation from the boy.
Our children were brought up, as we were, to respect others regardless of their gender.
I would have had a lot more respect for Dr Carole Ford (letters 21/6) if she had written a letter in relation to an article printed in Saturday’s Cairns Post, titled “Cultural clash over domestic violence.”
This article cited a University of NSW Centre for Refugee Research study.
Apparently we should show “cultural sensitivity” towards migrant men who resent women’s rights and bash their wives and children when they suffer a loss of “status and masculinity.”
The article further states that some refugees argue that women’s and children’s rights contravene the cultural values of many ethnic groups who come to Australia and is detrimental to their successful settlement in Australia.
The article states this was a three-year study, funded through the Australian Research Council. In other words, Australian taxpayers. Suzanne Thelan, White Rock