Saturday I was driving along the expressway and saw a minivan driven by a young woman of about twenty-five, I'd guess, and was thrilled to see, here in our very conservative area, a bumper sticker that said, "Bring Home A Whole Baby Say No To Circumcision" and she had two young boys with her, so I'm assuming they were intact!
That made me day...for about another hour.
Then I stopped in at my local library branch and back in the so-called Silent Reading Room saw a lady named Avril whom I'd not talked to in about a year and half, maybe, and saw she'd had twin boys. They were lovely boys and I told her so. I had no idea she was pregnant or had twins---if I had known I'd have flooded her with intact literature---and then as she was talking to me about breastfeeding and the birth experience, before I could bring circumcision up, she changed one of the twins' diapers and this baby boy, maybe three weeks old, was not "just" circumcised but his penis was absolutely skinned! It was one of the most radical circumcisions I'd ever had the misfortune to behold, the still visible cut-line, like a 360 degree red welt, was truly at mid-shaft on him with what looked like nothing skin wise above that, just this taut, bared organ and it instantly made me sick. I didn't even feel like talking to Avril anymore or going into anything anti-circ. It was tragically saddening and it made me furious that some doctor somewhere mutilated that baby (and I suppose his brother) to this degree. To circumcise is bad enough but this looked like some sort of abomination. I can't even convey my disgust and pity for that child.
So....this weekend had a great moment and a terrible one. The message against circumcision may be getting out but there's still so much work to do. As for Avril, I wish to high Heaven she and her DH would sue the doctor who tortured her sons and left them in that condition!
Thought I'd report the good news and also vent a bit amid my depression.
Hope everyone else is well and keeping up the fight.
That made me day...for about another hour.
Then I stopped in at my local library branch and back in the so-called Silent Reading Room saw a lady named Avril whom I'd not talked to in about a year and half, maybe, and saw she'd had twin boys. They were lovely boys and I told her so. I had no idea she was pregnant or had twins---if I had known I'd have flooded her with intact literature---and then as she was talking to me about breastfeeding and the birth experience, before I could bring circumcision up, she changed one of the twins' diapers and this baby boy, maybe three weeks old, was not "just" circumcised but his penis was absolutely skinned! It was one of the most radical circumcisions I'd ever had the misfortune to behold, the still visible cut-line, like a 360 degree red welt, was truly at mid-shaft on him with what looked like nothing skin wise above that, just this taut, bared organ and it instantly made me sick. I didn't even feel like talking to Avril anymore or going into anything anti-circ. It was tragically saddening and it made me furious that some doctor somewhere mutilated that baby (and I suppose his brother) to this degree. To circumcise is bad enough but this looked like some sort of abomination. I can't even convey my disgust and pity for that child.
So....this weekend had a great moment and a terrible one. The message against circumcision may be getting out but there's still so much work to do. As for Avril, I wish to high Heaven she and her DH would sue the doctor who tortured her sons and left them in that condition!
Thought I'd report the good news and also vent a bit amid my depression.
Hope everyone else is well and keeping up the fight.
I'm so sorry you had to see that poor baby, especially after the brightness of seeing the anti-circ sign. 
I'm so sorry you had to see that.
