Okay, I really need to go do some housework, but one more thing:
I don't think the comparisons to Saudi Arabia are appropriate. We shouldn't base our standards of decency and respect for others on a country that denies women, racial, and religious minorities the most basic, fundamental human rights. We need to encourage them to come up to our level. Not lower ourselves to theirs.
I get what you're saying, really I do. Moral high road, etc. But then there's such a thing as reciprocity. For instance, North Carolina and Missouri will let pharmacists licensed in one state practice in the other, because that's the deal that's been worked out. Many, if not all, states have similar arrangements with each other, because pharmacists licenses are handled on a state level. If North Carolina changes the rules and requires pharmacists from Missouri to be re-licensed in NC before practicing, then I don't see what would be wrong with Missouri implementing the same sort of arrangement re: NC-licensed pharmacists.
Plus, we get back to the "obnoxious jerk" factor. Seems like tolerance is demanded of us, but foreign to them. There's an inequality there, which can be seen as the moral high road, but which also could be seen as weakness and submission. Morality aside, the practical consequences of showing weakness are not good, in my view.
PJ
