Â
I came across this interesting approach to circumcision awareness. Using the personal blog feature of the San Francisco Chronicle, an East Bay man has written an open letter to his parents in the year 1960. He uses actual references to his own birth that his family has told him, to explain what his circumcision means to him as an adult.
Â
I liked how he explained to his parents that 50 years in the future, unbelievably, buying condoms would be easier and less embarrassing than buying cigarettes! He starts of with "You don't know this - yet - but I'm a boy." But the reason for his reach back in time couldn't be clearer from his 5th paragraph:
Â
"Please take my whole body home. Please take my whole penis home. Please don't circumcise me. Let me grow up with my whole penis. Let me grow up with my whole body. Let me be whole."
Â
It's a very heartfelt plea, and based on 50 subsequent years of life experience. Not every guy will feel the same way, but obviously the point is that parents can't know how their child will react to having his penis surgically altered, so what is so absolutely compelling that the choice can't be his?
Â
Â
It got me thinking that it might be fun to have a thread here comparing theoretical letters from 30 years in the future back to today:
Â
"Mom and Dad, thanks for putting thought into the decision to circumcise me, but they cured HIV in 2024 and new tests have revealed about a dozen additional effects infant circumcision has on the developing brain, central nervous system and penis. You couldn't have really known or predicted this (unless you read Mothering.com a lot), but now I sort of wish you had left the choice up to me. More than half my friends aren't circumcised and they got the last laugh. The good news is that one day you'll have 2 beautiful grandsons, and they're both intact. And you spoil them at every visit."
Â
Â
