It is only a little piece of extra skin

[1littlebit]

why is this an argument for circ? it would really make a better argument against. "its only a little piece of extra skin" ok well why don't you just leave it there then? if it is so small and insignificant why put your baby through the trauma (or for the eternally selfish why go through all the trouble and spend the money) of having it removed?

[benj]

It is because it is not an argument. It is an attempt to minimize the procedure for psychological comfort. One lady told me, "I know that they are born with it but we can fix it." What? I was not aware my penis was broken from the time I was born.

[1littlebit]

see thats why i don't talk to people other then you all about this. b/c i would never have been able to answer without being snarky. why would every single man be born with a penis that needed to be fixed? people have no sense.

i guess i don't understand why saying its a little extra skin makes them feel better about it. even if that were true it is still unnecessary and painful. not to mention that if they actually believe that then they consented to have a part of their newborn's genitalia removed without actually doing any research.

[henny penny]

Your eyelid is "only a little piece of skin" but also a functioning, necessary piece of skin. I wonder if these same people would submit to an eyelid removal. Duh.

[benj]

because it minimizes the pain, etc. to them it's like saying it's just a little scratch. i don't talk to many others about it either. i just note their stupidity and keep it to myself. as a guy, it easily becomes personal. because i got circumcised as an adult to fix legitimate problems, they will automatically use that against me. they do not understand that what happened to my body has nothing to do with circumcising infants and will dismiss everything i have to say.

[philomom]

Originally Posted by henny penny

Your eyelid is "only a little piece of skin" but also a functioning, necessary piece of skin. I wonder if these same people would submit to an eyelid removal. Duh.

Yep, that's exactly the point I make on other forums.

[benj]

Originally Posted by philomom

Yep, that's exactly the point I make on other forums.

i know that the eyelid and the foreskin have similiar functions. but how do you get a pro-circ person to acknowledge the similarities?

[1littlebit]

Originally Posted by benj

because it minimizes the pain, etc. to them it's like saying it's just a little scratch. i don't talk to many others about it either. i just note their stupidity and keep it to myself. as a guy, it easily becomes personal. because i got circumcised as an adult to fix legitimate problems, they will automatically use that against me. they do not understand that what happened to my body has nothing to do with circumcising infants and will dismiss everything i have to say.

your circ status is none of their business and i totally understand worry about people using it against you. you are a great advocate because you were intact through adult hood.. as opposed to most circd men who do not remember having a foreskin. esp. b/c people always say they do it so they don't have to do it as adults.. you can say with complete certainty (i don't know this for sure but i assume you wouldn't be here otherwise) that would not have preferred to be circumcised as an infant.

[1littlebit]

Originally Posted by benj

i know that the eyelid and the foreskin have similiar functions. but how do you get a pro-circ person to acknowledge the similarities?

poke them in the eye and ask how they would like it if you did that and they had no eyelid?

[benj]

Originally Posted by 1littlebit

your circ status is none of their business and i totally understand worry about people using it against you. you are a great advocate because you were intact through adult hood.. as opposed to most circd men who do not remember having a foreskin. esp. b/c people always say they do it so they don't have to do it as adults.. you can say with complete certainty (i don't know this for sure but i assume you wouldn't be here otherwise) that would not have preferred to be circumcised as an infant.

i know it shouldn't be any of their business. in all honesty, i would much prefer to have an optimally functioning foreskin! it was unfortunate, but i don't stress about it. it was not as horrible of an experience as pro-circ people make it seem. consenting and remembering it are not terrible things.

[trmpetplaya]

Originally Posted by benj

i know it shouldn't be any of their business. in all honesty, i would much prefer to have an optimally functioning foreskin! it was unfortunate, but i don't stress about it. it was not as horrible of an experience as pro-circ people make it seem. consenting and remembering it are not terrible things.

See, as a guy who has had it done, you have a very powerful voice. You can tell people (as you've done here) that the surgery wasn't some horrible thing and that you (and other adults who have it done) at least got pain killers and anesthesia! You can tell people that even though you had to have it done for a legitimate medical reason, you're still glad that you weren't cut as an infant.

You can personally counter a lot of the pro arguments that seem to be most compelling for a lot of parents.

So maybe you should start thinking of your changed status as a bonus during those discussions instead of as a liability :

[1littlebit]

:

now if only we could get every single person who wants to circ their kid to come here and read that you have survived adult circumcision, you do not wish you were circ'd as a baby, and you would prefer to have a foreskin if at all possible.

this woman i know told me that everyone she knew who was not circumcised as a baby got circd as an adult some for medical reasons and some because they hated their foreskin. i just said oh really? the intact people i know are fine with it. what i really wanted to say was what the F%^$ did you do, survey every guy you know? or did you just make it up. who knows that much about the genitalia of their friends? i certainly don't

[benj]

Originally Posted by trmpetplaya

See, as a guy who has had it done, you have a very powerful voice. You can tell people (as you've done here) that the surgery wasn't some horrible thing and that you (and other adults who have it done) at least got pain killers and anesthesia! You can tell people that even though you had to have it done for a legitimate medical reason, you're still glad that you weren't cut as an infant.

You can personally counter a lot of the pro arguments that seem to be most compelling for a lot of parents.

So maybe you should start thinking of your changed status as a bonus during those discussions instead of as a liability :

true, i could do that. i am just worried they will point out that since i had problems, all intact men have problems. just like they pull the 80-year old men card.

and yes, i am glad i wasn't cut as an infant. i dealt with my problems the same way you'd deal with a heart or lung or eye problem...you don't do anything until there is an actual concern. i don't understand why it's logical for everything else, but not the penis?

Originally Posted by 1littlebit

:

now if only we could get every single person who wants to circ their kid to come here and read that you have survived adult circumcision, you do not wish you were circ'd as a baby, and you would prefer to have a foreskin if at all possible.

this woman i know told me that everyone she knew who was not circumcised as a baby got circd as an adult some for medical reasons and some because they hated their foreskin. i just said oh really? the intact people i know are fine with it. what i really wanted to say was what the F%^$ did you do, survey every guy you know? or did you just make it up. who knows that much about the genitalia of their friends? i certainly don't

i'm pretty sure most (sane) guys i know don't think that a knife and a penis go together. and if she was from the US, how many intact guys could she actually know?

i could definitely use it in an argument. but there are too many thngs that could be skewed. and actions speak louder than words, i left my sons intact.

[1littlebit]

Originally Posted by benj

i'm pretty sure most (sane) guys i know don't think that a knife and a penis go together. and if she was from the US, how many intact guys could she actually know?

this is what i was thinking too! i know five people who are intact and one is my brother, one is my son, and one is my very good friend and two are my best friends' ex boyfriends. the only one of those i found out in an actual conversation was my friend.. and i found out after i got all anti circ. otherwise i have never spoken to a guy about the status of his foreskin... nor did it ever occur to me to think about until i had a boy. which is why i can't imagine how she knows that they were intact and then got circd and why.... how would that come up in every day conversation?

[mysticmomma]

It's NOT extra.

[1littlebit]

no its not.. but even if it were why would you remove it?

[benj]

Originally Posted by 1littlebit

this is what i was thinking too! i know five people who are intact and one is my brother, one is my son, and one is my very good friend and two are my best friends' ex boyfriends. the only one of those i found out in an actual conversation was my friend.. and i found out after i got all anti circ. otherwise i have never spoken to a guy about the status of his foreskin... nor did it ever occur to me to think about until i had a boy. which is why i can't imagine how she knows that they were intact and then got circd and why.... how would that come up in every day conversation?

i only know two friends that are intact...and this is only because i saw them. and my four brothers are intact. however, we don't sit around and talk about this. we can't automatically rule her out as a liar though...there has to be SOME situation where this is plausible.

[1littlebit]

maybe she knew they were going to get surgery and asked why? i can see this happening once.. but more then that? she made it sound like she knew several men who were circd as adults some b/c they didn't like having a foreskin. how many adult men get circd b/c they want to?

[benj]

Originally Posted by 1littlebit

maybe she knew they were going to get surgery and asked why? i can see this happening once.. but more then that? she made it sound like she knew several men who were circd as adults some b/c they didn't like having a foreskin. how many adult men get circd b/c they want to?

i've heard of several guys doing it. but i don't know if they actually did it or are lying because they want to make a foreskin seem bad. i, for one, don't see anything wrong with the foreskin. even if it were true, i don't know why they would confide in a random lady.

[1littlebit]

i just don't understand why people who want to make it ok to circ their babies act like calling it extra skin somehow makes it better. what an absurd argument. like they know they shouldn't do it ... but for w/e reason they still want to so they have to make it sound less bad.