FGM petition and a sad bit of irony

[vaughnmama]

Here is a link to a petition to President Obama to help end female genital mutilation. http://www.thepetitionsite.com/campa.../958269284/226 please sign if you get time.


As a side note, I scrolled down to read other people's comments and I saw this one:
"If it were boys who were having their genitalia mutilated, the uproar would be extreme."

Oh how I wish this were true. It is so sadly ironic because it is the boys who are having their genitals mutilated in this & other countries. And the campaign to spread MGM to Africa is immense.

[perspective]

Originally Posted by vaughnmama

Here is a link to a petition to President Obama to help end female genital mutilation. http://www.thepetitionsite.com/campaign please sign if you get time.


As a side note, I scrolled down to read other people's comments and I saw this one:
"If it were boys who were having their genitalia mutilated, the uproar would be extreme."

Oh how I wish this were true. It is so sadly ironic because it is the boys who are having their genitals mutilated in this & other countries. And the campaign to spread MGM to Africa is immense.

Thats what people fail to understand. Whats good, whats bad, and more importantly, whats acceptable, are all just cultural constructs. We are not in cultures that routinely cut women, so we are not influenced to find it acceptable. To bad, she does not understand this, if she did she could see the problem she wants to stop is much larger then she realizes, and she could do a lot to fight it in her own culture.


But I dont understand the comment. The poster is complaining like the FGM issue does not get any attention nationally or internationally. To me it gets A LOT of attention from ALOT of different groups and there seems like a lot of national disgust over it. But maybe thats just me looking at it in comparision to male circumcision.

[Stardust27]

A similar saying seems to be a favourite of Waris Dirie: "If genital mutilation were a problem affecting men, the matter would long be settled."

Oh yeah?

Don't bother writing to her to convince her. It's a huge waste of time... :

Stardust

[latinalonestar]

yup, somehow if the boy is over age 2-3 we see it as a violation of his rights but not if he is a helpless infant.

[tlh]

I signed it and mentioned protecting boys in My comments.

[My*Scorpio]

The double standard is so fustrating, isn't it? I got so mad a few months back when someone called the house to ask me to donate money to stop female circ in Africa. I asked what is this organization doing to stop male circ in the USA??? Nothing.