The Importance of Videos

[sanity rules]

From the early 1980's on I've been involved in the battle to put an end to routine infant circumcision, since way back before anyone knew the word "intactivist" and in my experience, validated time and time again, there is no more effective tool for clueing the public in to the horror of circumcision than by letting someone see a video of the procedure itself: the more unedited the better.

Using the old adage that a picture is worth a thousand words, I have found over and over that while I could talk to someone till I was blue in the face, quote statistics right and left, and beg and plead, even, nothing got through like simply letting the ghastliness of the atrocity of circumcision indict itself. Even today, after all these years, I am almost always moved to tears by a circumcision video, and today in the age of YouTube, it's never been easier to direct a pregnant friend or skeptical defender of circumcision on to see for him or her self what actually happens every day in American hospitals and doctors' offices.

Having just seen yet another video in a long line of many I've watched over the years, and having once more been left in tears by what I witnessed, I guess what I'm saying is don't forget to make the current availability of videos a frontline tool in putting a stop to a shameful practice. If the cruelty of circumcision can still affect a battle-hardened old-timer like myself, how powerful it can be for someone living in ignorance of what the procedure is!

Keep up the fight! WE ARE WINNING!

[serendipity22]

I have found over and over that while I could talk to someone till I was blue in the face, quote statistics right and left, and beg and plead, even, nothing got through like simply letting the ghastliness of the atrocity of circumcision indict itself.

Its important to get people out of their heads and into their feelings. The mind can (half)believe all kinds of garbage, but the heart knows the truth.

[perspective]

Wow, you have been at this for a while, if only you could have been around my parents with a VHS.

I am impressed by your dedication to all this, and being a activist during a time when there was no formal movement, with no pocketed communities for support.

[JamieB]

Do you have a specific video that you would recommend? I currently have to friends ecpecting boys and I am on a mission to keep them intact! Thanks!

Also, can someone tell me what the Penn and Teller video is like? I am terrified to watch it because last time I saw a circ video it took me hours to fall asleep for a couple days. Is it very graphic?

[jessjgh1]

I think it works very well for people who have not yet had a child.
I wonder if it is less effective for those that have already circumcised for it leads to defensiveness?

I agree, we ARE winning(-: I just wish it was a bit faster.

Jessica

[lovemybubus]

I try to direct everyone who believes in circ to watch a video. I personally have never been able to finish watching one and dh refuses to watch as he is sure it will bring up some kind of post traumatic stress disorder. That said, I totally agree with you and will try to keep fighting the good fight.

[tammyswanson]

Keep up the great work!!! The babies are counting on you and everyone else who is fighting to end this horrid barbaric practice. My little way of contributing is to put a link to that sick nightmare inducing video on youtube. I can't even bring myself to watch it anymore. This is what my siggie looks like, with a link to the video:

HOW IS THIS LEGAL?!? (Warning:Graphic) Torture of babies that goes on every day in the USA

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...umcision&hl=en

Oh yeah, I also go on craigslist.org and go to rant/rave and post links to the video as well. Sometimes I put, "Circumcision makes me Ill" or something like that, or "Pregnant? You owe it to your son to watch this", then say it's a circ video to warn them.

[MaterPrimaePuellae]

Yep-- I read a lot of posts on here and was still wishy-washy, but the "graphic" video did it for me.

[Nathan1097]

Ah yes- the Intact.ca video. That video is now 10 years old. Wonder how that baby is doing at 10? My eldest is 10, too- going to be 11. I'm glad I wrote out what they're saying in that video so it could be subtitled- took me a while of watching it over and over again. Guess after 10 years, you get a little emotionally dulled. Or, being a musician, all that screaming turned into little encoded bits of sounds rather than what it was.

[painfulquestioning]

Links for Videos for Intactivism

I certainly agree that videos can be among the most effective ways to reach people. Here are some assembled collections of videos that can be used for intactivism.

On youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/painfulquestioning

On myspace: http://www.myspace.com/circumcisionvideos

On geocities: http://www.geocities.com/painfulquestioning/videos1