Another vent

[kimkabob5]

I have the right to decide my child's diet. What they do in their spare time. Even whether they are vaccinated or not. But what right do I have to amputate parts of their body when there is no medical necessity? And especially because it is the most private part of the body! My sons' penises have absolutely no bearing on how I live my life, our how our family conducts itself.

It is only at sexual maturity that the penis becomes the owner of itself.

It is at that point a measure of how much respect was shown to said child. Maybe he will chose to have part of the skin of his penis amputated (with proper anesthetics and post op pain meds) be surgically removed. It's his body and he can decide what is done. It is he and his eventual sex partner that will be affected by whether or not part of his penis was removed at birth when he was helpless and could not object.

I am horrified that this horrendous practice continues. Now it's the AID's thing. Please. If that was the case, then the US would have the lowest rate of AID's ever, for most of the men have endured a newborn circumcison. But yet we have an alarminly high rate of AIDS here in a develped country.

I don't know what to do anymore. Neither does my 20 yo dd who works in a daycare center. She can't just put anti circ propaganda in random pregnant women's diaper bags. But some women stay so aloof that she never gets a chance to talk to them.

I guess I am feeling frustrated. I used to be a host of a circumcison debate board. Unfortunatelly that board was discontinued. I know I influenced alot of people, but now I feel my hands are tied. I don't know what do to anymore. This atrocity has to stop!

Thank you all for listening. I know this is the one place I know I can get support on this subject.

[LavenderMae]

It's so frusterating. :

[Mommiska]

I hear you - it amazes me that anyone thinks they have the right to surgically alter someone else's body for no medical reason.

[Nodtveidt]

What bothers me the most is the women who will fight tooth and nail for "women's rights" regarding abortion because it's "their body" (which is already HIGHLY debatable scientifically), yet will chop off their son's foreskin without a second thought, and will defend their right to mutilate their child when questioned. Wait a minute lady, isn't it *their* body, not yours? Ohhh that's right...I guess that argument only holds weight when it's convenient.

[PuppyFluffer]

I fully understand the frustration.

I do want to chime in with a comment about abortion. MDC does not host abortion debate. It's a rare conversation that contains abortion that remains civil and appropriate to the user agreement here. We have had this exact same analogy made before and I can clearly see how one can make connections between exercising choice over their own body and the apparent hypocricy of authorizing a circumcision on another's body. As long as our conversation remains within this vein, it's fine. We cannot debate abortion or argue it's right or wrong here. Just a friendly reminder.