According to a recent news piece, legislation has been proposed to end the taking of sharks' fins for shark fin soup, a Chinese delicacy. A cruel and wasteful practice, fin removal takes only the fin, and the wounded shark is sent off to die.
Naturally, the Chinese community is divided on this issue, but what stuck me was one comment defending the practice: That it is part of their cultural tradition. This, to me, is the weakest argument of all, far weaker than a simple, "we like the taste of the soup."
Most cultures have long traditions, often going back to periods of ignorance or even savagery. Do we really mean to preserve all those old traditions?
At the time of this story, another cultural tradition was being held, Cinco de Mayo. While probably half the celebrants don't even know the meaning of the day, many likely confusing it with Mexican Independence Day, the celebration is relatively harmless. People drink copious amounts of beer, play loud music and often dress in outfits they'd never wear the rest of the year. If you live within blocks of the music, the celebration can be annoying, but, unlike the shark fins, there doesn't seem to be any real damage.
Three hundred years ago my culture had a tradition of burning witches at the stake. I don't think anyone seriously would advocate continuing that tradition in possibly a national witch burning day. Cultures are supposed to evolve and improve. We don't bleed patients with fevers, we don't still keep slaves and we don't sacrifice virgins to stone idols. Cultural tradition is a specious argument and is often merely a front for ignorance and superstition.
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