Reply #159: no argument here, just trying to find a middle ground that might be viable

[Mike Niendorff]

As for myself, I think the practice is an abuse of the child regardless of how it's performed. But I also realize that there are a lot of people who won't give it up anytime soon (primarily for religious and cultural reasons, but also just because "I was, dad was, grandpa was", that sort of continuing-the-trend thing). While that debate goes on, though -- and it will for a long time, I suspect -- I'd at least hope that we can all agree that making anesthetic a mandatory part of this procedure is long overdue.


MDN