Please sign the petition to ban infant circumcision

Devil_Fish

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Tue Jan-27-09 11:00 PM
Original message

Please sign the petition to ban infant circumcision

Edited on Tue Jan-27-09 11:28 PM by Devil_Fish

Ritual infant circumcision is still practiced in the world today, mostly in the USA and parts of Africa. Most countries do not practice it as a matter of policy, such as Europe, Latin American countries and Asia. In the USA, Female Genital Mutilation has been outlawed, but Male Genital Mutilation (aka circumcision) is still being done. The rates are dropping however as more and more people find out the truth about it, which is it's an unnecessary procedure that does NOT prevent STD's or other infections. Anesthesia is rarely used, and when it is used, it is most ineffective. Please support a ban on male infant circumcision. It's a basic human right to choose...HIS right! It's banned for baby girls, so why not baby boys?

Full article at link: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/ban-male-circumcision

(Snip) (what irony)

I was circumcised as an infant. I do not wish to get into a discussion about the health benefits, hygiene, look, feel or any of that. I'm sure people will chime in saying "I'm glad I was circumcised, it's doesn't bother me, etc." Good, I'm glad that your happy. There are arguments for, www.circinfo.net and against www.nocirc.org and more then I care to remember but I'm sure people will post them in this thread. What is missing in the arguments for, is a discussion of human rights.

What I wish to discuss in this topic is the issue of human rights. The biggest thing that bothers me is that the choice was made not by me, but by a doctor not even related to me. I have read a lot of stories of originally intact men getting circumcisions in their 20's and 30's for issues such as hygiene, sexual pleasure, aesthetics, medical reasons and others. Good for them. I read a story about an intact man getting a half circ. because of a zipper snag, not liking it, going back and getting a full circ and liking it much better. Good for him. I read a story about a man who got a circumcision in his late teens due to medical reasons and did not feel deprived in any way. Good for him.

I was deprived when I was one day old of that choice. I got a full circ, and that's it for me. I did not get to grow up and decide that I want to keep my genitals intact, or that I want a half circ., or full circ., or anything in between. I did not get to choose, and that is what this is about. Circumcision is not reversible. It is painfully and un-necessary for most if not all infants.

I am expecting a baby. I do not yet know the sex of the baby, but I will respect the rights of this baby to choose what the genitalia looks, and feels like regardless of sex. I will educate my child about the human anatomy, and I will have an open relationship with my child where if there is a problem with the genitalia, they will be able to talk to me or mommy with out embarrassment. this will be more then what I got.

I feel that every child should have this right weather they are male or female. if you feel the same, please sign the petition. My apologies in advanced to any one I offended regarding this topic.

(edited to cap a T)