Just need some encouragement.

[Treece]

Ok, I have finally (after oh, 7 years) decided to start being more vocal. I am not strong enough for the high circ south/midwest. I am almost in tears. People are so ignorant. They believe anything that supports their "choice." Help me please.

[DJay]

I live in NC (south).  Just talked to my buddy whose wife is delivering this month.  Urged him not to circ if it is a boy.  His response was, "We only made that mistake once!". They have three sons now.

As a guy I generally discuss this with expectant fathers and urge them to do the research and protect their son.  Does not always work, but it does, enough times, to make it worth while to say something every time.
 

[purplerose]

talking has not once worked for me. i live in the South also. people believe circ lowers uti and std. total ignorance.

[Rylins mama]

Im feeling the same way. Have been anti circ ever since having my daughter 5 1/2 years ago and Im finally becoming very vocal about it and realizing how many friends I need to "dump" because of their rudeness towards me. For the most part Im "friends" with a lot of groups anti circ on facebook and it seems like people see that I post in the groups and head on over to make insane comments or just complain about me on their facebook. GAH!

[Treece]

My Facebook was spammed with Pro-Circ ignorance. The person who did is my son's best friend's mother. I'm thinking we need to move on to other friends. I don't know. I'm uneasy being her friend now.

Oh, and I deleted all of her comments. There were between 10 and 20. I didn't want to count or even respond to the justification. I posted a link to the number of babies that die. She said all the normal bs, then I posted the link to the 9David's 50 reasons to leave it alone. She discounted it since it's a blogspot and spammed me. So, IDK, just do not know what to do at this point.

[Rylins mama]

I feel ya. I find it baffling that the person who went ranting on facebook about my views on circ, vaxing, breastfeeding and homebirth is the same person who had her baby circed and was rushed into surgery that night because of a bad circumcision. She still stands by her decision and would do it again :( just sad. Its really not about the baby, its about the parents in their eyes.

[mama24-7]

Originally Posted by Rylins mama 

I feel ya. I find it baffling that the person who went ranting on facebook about my views on circ, vaxing, breastfeeding and homebirth is the same person who had her baby circed and was rushed into surgery that night because of a bad circumcision. She still stands by her decision and would do it again :( just sad. Its really not about the baby, its about the parents in their eyes.

So sad for her child & for future children.  What kind of basis is this for a life long relationship?  Rhetorical question.

Sus

[mommyminer]

I think for every 100 people you converse with in the midwest, maybe you'll save one forskin -- but a paradigm shift starts slowly.  When I hear someone is having a boy, I ask them if they've done their research on circ.  They will either ask questions, simply say yes, or get motivated to start researching but at least the seed has been planted.  Try not to take it personally.  As strongly as we feel about intactivism, a lot of people have a strong beliefs in their ignorance.

[Treece]

Originally Posted by mommyminer 

I think for every 100 people you converse with in the midwest, maybe you'll save one forskin -- but a paradigm shift starts slowly.  When I hear someone is having a boy, I ask them if they've done their research on circ.  They will either ask questions, simply say yes, or get motivated to start researching but at least the seed has been planted.  Try not to take it personally.  As strongly as we feel about intactivism, a lot of people have a strong beliefs in their ignorance.

Finally something that I can say :)

[culturalcreative1]

I find that dropping some cards with people is really helpful.  The infocards from Saving Our Sons are great little pieces of advocacy that you can handout to people that will give them a few points to consider and then a place to go find out more info on their own.  I walk right up to preggy moms and hand them the New Parent? cards, I slide circumcision cards into boxes of newborn diapers, breast pads, formula, blue blankets and crib bedding, etc. anything I can think of that will get to a mama at her baby shower or before she has the baby.  Planting seeds is sometimes the best we can do.  http://www.savingsons.org/p/info-cards.html

As for FB activism, it's not for the weak, and if you are going to do it, get some supportive friends that will make informative comments on your threads.  You can get support at any of The Intact Network chapters.  http://www.intactnetwork.org/p/intact-chapters.html  Just chime in on your chapter page and let people know that you'd like some support.  Make some intactivist friends and ask them to support you when the pro-cutters start commenting on your status posts/shares.

Get familiar with the most frequently cited reasons for circ and develop your responses to them.  Keep your comments unemotional and educational and you will begin to break through to some people.  Back up what you say with educational links for further research.  You won't convince everyone, but you will convince some to reconsider this issue if you keep the emotion out of it.

Also, it helps to be able to identify the most used debate tactics so that you can debunk them quickly.  http://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/home