Tolerant?

My husband came home today and told me a very disturbing story. He was leaving the mall and saw a parked car. He wasn't sure what made him look closer, but he did. Inside, was a lady sitting by herself in the back seat covered head-to-toe in a burka. She was obviously waiting for her husband to come back from the mall.

In Canada we pride ourselves on being a tolerant nation. You can come here, be from anywhere, and that is OK. We are all immigrants, afterall (well, except first nations people). You can be any colour, have any religion, and that is all OK. But, is it really?

Is it really OK to allow oppression to happen? Is it really OK for a wife to have no rights? To be left alone to sit in the back seat of a car, like a dog? And, what about the burka? Sure, I understand that some women say they don't want men eyeing them, and this is the way to ensure that, but head to toe?? And, if in their country a women decides to not be totally covered and she is raped, the men say it was because she wasn't covered, and she was asking for it. RIDICULOUS!

I believe in being tolerant. I believe in different races, and religions. But, I also believe in equality for men and women. I believe a marriage is a partnership, a team, not one person coming before another.

I may not be able to change any of this, but at least I can be happy in the knowledge that I truly have a partnership. My husband would never do that to me. He knows better!