"You wanna cut off my what?! You people are crazy! You know that? Get your hands off me! I'm goin home!"This conversation might have taken place about 30 years or so ago, had I been a very precocious child and had been able to speak at the age of .. oh .. about 30 hours. I wasn't there, well ... I was there, but I don't remember it very well, but I imagine the conversation actually went like this:
*snip*
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"*
No. I do not blame my parents. I blame a society that has told us that this is a perfectly normal and sane thing to do. We don't like to talk about it unless we have to. But too many boys are circumcised in this country because "Thats the way I am, and that's the way my boy will be!"
In other words, we're doing this stupid thing because we've ALWAYS been doing this stupid thing. Some major religions out there claim you must be in their super special mutilated genital club in order to be in good standing. I'm curious why if you believe we're created in "God's Image" that we have to alter ourselves physically to be pure. Maybe God is uncircumcised?
Some Myths:
They say it cuts down on masturbation. HAH! Ok, I've busted that myth myself a few thousand times.
They say it cuts down on disease. You know if you wash everything is fine. If I didn't wash my buttcrack, it'd get pretty gnarley too.
They say it looks nicer that way. A lot of people also like to pierce their genitals and get jewelry because they think that looks nicer too. So should you welcome baby Bobby to the world with a nice Price Albert too?
What you do to your own body is your choice. If you want to expand your earlobes to the point that you could drive a volvo through, or if you want to drive a spike through your face, go right ahead. If you want to get a tattoo of a naked 80 year old man taking a whiz on the american flag, well, I'd ask you to sober up and reconsider, but hey, your body, your canvas.
Chopping off the tip of a helpless infant's wang who had no say in the matter? Thats just plain wrong.
Full disclosure: I had my son circumcised. I was young and I was stupid and I believed all the lies. I have since apologized to him for this mistake, but I fear that there's no way I can really make it up to him. My only hope is that someone might read this post and reconsider. Its not something you can ever take back. I very much suggest if you are planning to do this to your own baby, look up the fantastic Penn & Teller Bullshit episode on Circumcision and watch it.
Full disclosure: I had my son circumcised. I was young and I was stupid and I believed all the lies. I have since apologized to him for this mistake, but I fear that there's no way I can really make it up to him. My only hope is that someone might read this post and reconsider. Its not something you can ever take back. I very much suggest if you are planning to do this to your own baby, look up the fantastic Penn & Teller Bullshit episode on Circumcision and watch it.
* (Translated from baby speak, this means "YOU GODDAMN MOTHERFUCKING ASSHOLE DOCTOR I'M GONNA GO CHUCK NORRIS ON YOUR ASS WHEN I GROW UP!")
Thank you for writing this. You ROCK.
ReplyDeleteDitto the previous poster. Couldn't have said it any better. Circumcision is barbaric. As someone from a country that doesn't practice it, and everyone seems just fine without having their bits chopped, it's completely crazy to me.
ReplyDeleteWell said! I too was cut long ago, and I wish I wasn't. I have since restored my foreskin and the increased sensations with my restored foreskin makes me miss my original all that much more.
ReplyDeleteIt is good that you have been open about his circumcision with your son. You or he or both of you may want to consider restoring. See http://www.RestoringForeskin.org for more info.
thank you for this. cutting off foreskins at birth is barbaric.
ReplyDeleteThank you all for the positive Feedback!
ReplyDeletePart of the problem is that parents are often ambushed with this decision. Many hospitals and NICUs alike have 'hand outs' of information that is out of date and incorrect, leading parents to believe their boys will suffer infections, ostracism, and even penile cancer. Parents are presented this information in a time when they are emotionally vulnerable and relying on the doctors to inform them of the real benefits and consequences of their choices. Unfortunately, they don't often get well informed.
ReplyDeleteI have seen parents authorize circs on babies with bleeding disorders and other contraindicative medical conditions. I've also seen 'normal' babies who required stitches, blood transfusions, and surgical repair from circumcisions. This is not a benign procedure, and from the standpoint of someone who watched her own son cut, it is also not a painless procedure. If I had it to do over or if I had been properly informed, NEVER.