gave the circumcision lecture today

[jee'smom]

So, most of you know me by now... I'm the Anatomy and Physiology teacher who, during the Reproductive Unit, teaches about the foreskin, it's function, and the horrors of circumcision (I even went over the whole HIV thing this year.). I have the male teacher next door, who also teaches Anat. and Phys. teaching about it all too! (He is circumcised and was very pro-circ., until I got my claws into him... mwahahaha... he's now anti-circumcision!!!) We teach about 250 kids/year. (VERY high-circumcision rate area!)

Anyway, I gave the lecture today, and they all were appropriately horrified (Why would anyone do that?!!!) I even overheard two males talking/joking about going home to their moms and yelling at them about having it done to them. (We do discuss how many moms make this bad decision based on limited knowledge, and many moms want it done anyway, even though they know it hurts and causes lasting damage.) Not one said that they'd do it to their future sons anyway. (I've only ever had 1 student say that, and I've been giving this lecture for almost 5 years!) YEAH!!! This just made my weekend! BTW, we also discuss female circumcision, etc., and talk about ethics. I ask them point-blank... "Do you or do you not have the right to tie someone down and cut them up? Yes or No?" Some try to talk and I say, "NO... DO YOU OR DO YOU NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO TIE SOMEONE DOWN AND CUT THEM UP. YES. OR. NO." They all say "No." I love my students!!!

[Lula's Mom]

I can't tell you how great this post makes me feel. You are a wonderful teacher! Thank you so much!

[Daisyuk]

WOW, that's a lot of kids, well done!

[GoodMomma]

Wow...that's awesome AND you're awesome!! You truly are making a difference!!!

[Papai]

:

We need more teachers like you!

[Blarg]

Jee'smom, you are my hero! I cannot adequately express the sheer force of positive feelings I feel toward you and what you're doing. You just make me happy inside. :-)

(As a side note, you may already be aware of this study, but if not you may want to take a look, as it may be helpful in some way in your curriculum: http://www.nocirc.org/touch-test/touchtest.php)

[blessedwithboys]

if i had had you for a teacher i would not have cut my boys. how come no one ever told me these things? how come i didnt figure it out until it was too late?

[Ajbaby]

I agree, we need MANY more teachers like you. Good Job!!!!

[~Megan~]

Thank you for doing this. If we could reach kids at a young age we can save so many future children.


Thank you, thank you.

[paquerette]

:bouncers :

How're those kiddoes of yours doing? And the new bellybean? Hope everything's going well.

[titania8]

im smiling ear to ear here in circ-city, michigan! we need teachers like you in EVERY school!! thank you for doing what you do!!

[Nathan1097]

Originally Posted by titania8

im smiling ear to ear here in circ-city, michigan! we need teachers like you in EVERY school!! thank you for doing what you do!!

Which town is Circ-City Michigan, exactly? (I'm in MI, too!)

[MommaLauraRN]

That's awesome! Planting the seed in the youth of our country...they're so much more receptive, I bet you have saved many future foreskins today! Thank you

[titania8]

Originally Posted by Nathan1097

Which town is Circ-City Michigan, exactly? (I'm in MI, too!)

aren't they ALL circ-city in michigan? in my case, it is flint though. where are you?

[AXEius]

Originally Posted by titania8

aren't they ALL circ-city in michigan? in my case, it is flint though. where are you?

wow, most of my whole family lives in Flint or at least near flint anyway (davison, grandblanc, burton)lol.
I live up in Standish, near Bay CitY. Man the internet sure makes this place small.

anyway, to the op, YOU ROCK!!! i wish i could be in a position to educate so many open minds about circumcision (its so hard to educate adults about circ, their minds seem to really close up). You are doing a wonderful thing. It sure lifts my spirit to read about your lecture and the reactions it recieves especially after reading about that poll and the horribly uneducated replys it recieved.

[gridley13]

[phatchristy]

So wonderful that you do this every year!!! I remember cheering you on the last time you posted about this. That is great. Teenagers are that receptive audience, their old enough to understand things now and are just starting to figure out who they are and what they believe. At this point they are not as influenced by their "elders" thoughts though rather prefer to think on their own and make their own sense of the world.

I used to teach high school math, physics, physical science...if I had ever had the chance to teach about the foreskin that would have been awesome!

I have to say though, I seriously wonder if where I grew up in MI they would have allowed it. They were *so conservative* and *politically correct* almost to the point of being ridiculous. The whole thing is bizarre, that midwestern niceness combined with almost automatic chopping of innocent baby genitals. It's amazing how people just accept things up there! I grew up in Grosse Pointe Woods. I can imagine if there was something like that there parents would freak out : . Protest or something. Maybe they're more liberal in Flint.

(I grew up amongst the upper middle class conservative snottiness and survived and somehow wound up on the uber educated liberal side--Go figure. Blame my years at U of M and Ann Arbor )

[ani'smommy]

Yeah, I'm in Michigan, too, and I'm sure some parents would object. Of all my friends/relatives who have had babies, I have been unable to convince ANY of them to leave their boys intact. I'm sure some of it has to do with how I'm approaching the subject, but everyone around here circs and people feel a lot of pressure from hospitals and families. It's very discouraging.

[A&A]

Originally Posted by Lula's Mom

I can't tell you how great this post makes me feel. You are a wonderful teacher! Thank you so much!

:

[Yulia_R]

Originally Posted by Blarg

Jee'smom, you are my hero! I cannot adequately express the sheer force of positive feelings I feel toward you and what you're doing. You just make me happy inside. :-)[/url])

:
Jee'smom, you are my hero too!