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#########___########_____###____#########_########__###____####_##########_A best-selling book in 1896, All About Baby, told American mothers that circumcision was "advisable in most cases," and particularly recommended to prevent "the vile habit of masturbation. [p 92]Also
At first, most circumcisions were done on boys, not infants, of the middle and upper classes. According to historian David L. Gollaher. a circumcised penis soon became a badge of status--proof of one's membership to the American elite. [p 93]Of course, once the habit became a tradition, the original reason for doing it in the first place went out of sight, and others were found. But, in cases like this, when one country does some thing completely different than other countries, it's always best to look at the history first. And not at the reasons currently given.
it is morally objectionable to remove a healthy part of someone's body when they are unable to give informed consent.This is really all there is to it. Don't cut up an infant's body unless you have a really good reason, people.
Seriously? My parents "violated my human rights"?Yes. It was about as minor as such a violation can be (the tendency of some people to get hysterical about the subject is silly), but the principle still applies.
Every complaint you are leveling about circumcision is equally true of braces.If people are putting braces on their infants, they should stop.
HOLY FUCKING CHRIST STOP ITIt didn't work the last 3 times you tried it, maybe you should try a different approach.
As your son gets older, the foreskin of his uncircumcised penis will begin to separate from the tip of the penis. This allows the foreskin to be pulled back or retracted. Some boys can retract their foreskins by age 5, while others can't do so until puberty. As soon as the foreskin can be retracted, it's important to clean beneath it regularly.posted by Dixon Ticonderoga at 1:30 PM on February 3, 2011 [1 favorite]
A recent study looking at sensitivity of the penis in the circumcised and uncircumcised male found that the five most sensitive areas on the penis are removed at circumcision, and that the keratinized glans on the circumcised penis is less sensitive than the foreskin-protected, mucosa-lined glans on the uncircumcised penis. The skin removed from the penis at circumcision makes up close to 50% of the total penile skin, amounting to 15 square inches in an adult.posted by psyche7 at 3:50 PM on February 3, 2011
I do not believe it is within my rights to tell a particular cultural group which of their beliefs are valid and which are not.Are you OK with fundamentalist Mormons taking child brides, Jehovah's Witnesses refusing blood transfusions for their children, and Christian Scientists refusing medical treatment?
Son: "The circumcision, which, due to your grandmother's strong influence was hesitated for so long about, has finally taken place. We're happy about it, and we hope you won't hold it against us."Although I find it a bit appalling that she admits to having "no reasonable explanation," at least she thought about it and had the backbone to be honest with her son. My parents have never whispered a word about it to me, and I've never mentioned to them that I'm unhappy about it. I'm afraid to raise the issue because I expect my mother to say, "I'm sorry, son, we didn't know any better. We didn't know it could cause a problem." The idea that they passively allowed a doctor to do this, whether out of ignorance or in the belief it was more hygienic or whatever, and then made it my responsibility to learn from books that I'd even had a surgery performed on me, is somehow more disappointing than the mother in the video. I feel a bit as though they've somehow let it be *my* fault for hurting *their* feelings if I ever do bring it up.
Son: My first question is: why did you express that hope?
Mother: There was probably a little voice at the back of my mind... to use that awful expression... It probably crossed my mind that there was a possibility, although I don't really remember, that you wouldn't be happy about it. For us, it was a cut and dry decision. If it's a boy, he'll be circumcised.
Son: You'd discussed it beforehand.
Mother: Of course. But not at great length. It just went without saying. Why? There's no reasonable explanation for it. I can't say: It was more hygienic. That would be nonsense. Because I knew I'd raise you in such a way that that wouldn't be an issue. There's no reason you could come up with now... The only reason was emotional. For Otto and me, it was clear. Boys are circumcised. End of story.
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posted by nathancaswell at 2:48 AM on February 3, 2011 [9 favorites]