ably be considered to be pluralistic. The varying ethnic, religious, and cultural perspectives can make issues of character and moral value extremely difficult to evaluate. In addition to this diversity, differences in things like socio-economic status increase the complexity of the evaluation. A good example of the problems which may possibly arise from this complexity occurred in Lincoln just last year. Two men of middle eastern heritage were arrested on charges stemming from their marriages to two adolescent girls. These marriages were arranged by the girls’ parents. According to their cultural heritage and customs, what these men did, in cooperation with the girls’ parents, was perfectly acceptable. According to the culture and customs here however, what they did was not only considered immoral but illegal as well. For the purposes of this discussion, the appropriateness of their actions is not at issue. The point is that the cultural diversity involved resulted in a situation of extremely serious conflict. Of more importance to the discussion here is how this situation may have affected the two young girls. On one hand they had their parents exercising a tradition which has been a part of their culture longer than our culture has even existed. These are the same parents who raised and cared for them their entire lives. On the other hand they had the state. The state is telling them that they were put into a situation that was immoral and illegal. The disequilibrium which these girls must have experienced must undoubtedly be enormous. What can they reasonably 1 be expected to believe? If the state is correct, then the parents that had raised them were not only wrong but immoral as well. If this is true then does that put into question everything else that their parents had ever taught them? Is everything they have been told to believe in wrong? What if their parents are right? Do the girls now question everything they he...
