The Circumcision Debate

I hardly hold women accountable for it seeing as how they usually do it at the recommendation of their ignorant doctors.  More and more studies are coming out with reasons not to do it, but not everyone is lucky enough to see those before having their baby boy.

I will never understand how we can treat one sex differently from the other.  It's illegal to circumcise a woman and we frown upon African cultures which still practice female genital mutilation.  Is it because they're black and we're white?  Is it because one is a male and one is a female?  Is it our better-than-everyone-else-in-the-world culture?  Religion?  All of the above?  

It's easy to see why it was done decades ago.  Women were told to do it by their doctors or were less in control of the situation than their male counterparts.  Even if we look back just ten years ago, the internet was nothing like it is today.  It wasn't as simple as hopping onto Baby Center or checking out YouTube videos about it.  

That said, I was fortunate to have my son be born at a time that I'd already read up on it and looked into both sides of the debate.  Had my daughter been a son, she would have been circumcised because that's what every doctor would have recommended, and I wouldn't have known any better.  I'm ashamed to say I was ever a supporter of it.  But what did I know back then?  Apparently not as much as I thought I did.  My partner was cut, and that was a good enough reason to continue the tradition.  Thank the stars I wasn't given the opportunity to circumcise.

Now I'm very much an intactivist.  I try not to harp on about it to my friends who have chosen to do it because I know it can hurt feelings.  We should never judge others by their looks or assume that because they're different, they're bad people.  I'm not here to hurt feelings.  I realize most women have it done because they don't know any better.. not because they are complete fools.

Politics aside, I have heard some.... erm.... interesting arguments in favor of circumcision.

For:  He needs to match his father.

Against: Um, that's weird.  I don't sit around comparing my vulva to my daughter's vulva.  What business would any father have comparing his penis to his son's penis?  And really - what's so hard about using it as a diversity lesson?  All people are different; their penises, their vulvas, their skin color, eye color.  No two people are alike, regardless.  

For:  He will get made fun of in the locker room.

Against: Really?  Because last I checked the country is pretty divided now.  It will be a pretty even mixture of both in the locker room.  Morally, you should be teaching your son that he doesn't have to get naked in front of everyone anyway.  If he's not comfortable being naked in front of other boys then don't force him to be naked.  It's that simple.

For:  I'm letting his father make that decision, I'm staying out of it.

Against: Do you not have the mother bear instinct that most of us are born with?  Grab your ovaries and protect your son!

For:  It's more hygienic to have a boy circumcised.

Against: Gross!  No, it isn't!  Men/boys who are circumcised should be cleaning their penis just like men who are intact. Simply wipe off the penis at diaper changes (do NOT retract, wait for nature to take it's course) and find an intact-friendly pediatrician.  Problem solved!

For:  I know all these other men who were circumcised later in life because they weren't circumcised as babies!

Against:  Is your son every other guy in the world?  No?  Then don't treat him like a statistic.  

For:  I do it because God says so.

Against:  Now why would God put something there just to have us remove it?  How does that make any sense whatsoever?  

For:  It protects against AIDS and HIV!

Against:  Are you an idiot?  Nothing protects against AIDS and HIV except for abstaining from sex - HELLO.  Buy your son condoms and teach him how to practice safer sex.

For:  It doesn't even hurt.  My baby didn't even cry!

Against:  Babies are far less anesthetized than adult men that have it done.  It still hurts like hell!  The reason they aren't crying is because they are in shock, which is a proven fact.

For:  Whatever, it's not like he's gonna die from it.

Against:  Okay, this one's a no-brainer.  At least 600 babies will die from circumcision this year.

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