Male genital mutilation?
Mr. Nice Guy | February 18
The battle over circumcision heats up a notch. Seems a Cook County judge has ordered a mother not to circumcise her 8-year-old son until he can hear arguments from her ex-husband, the child’s father, who opposes the operation.
Key (and only) quote: dad “calls the operation an ‘unnecessary amputation’.”
If we had had a boy, I am pretty sure I would have argued against circumcision (don’t know if I would have taken it all the way to court, though). It’s not on any grounds as offensive as equating it to the horrors of FGM or anything. I just don’t think it’s a necessary procedure. The AAP’s got my back on that one. Oh. Also, these days one has to remain ever-vigilant against rabbi-herpes.
Anyway, I’m glad we had a girl. Having her clitoris removed was a no-brainer.
This was something my boyfriend and I had to really discuss with the birth of our son. I was leaning towards not getting it done, but his daddy was adamant that the boys in this house will all look alike and he was worried he would be the only one in his age group without it done. (in school there was only 1 guy in our class without and it was well known news…he didnt want that). I tried to tell him that only about 1/2 the parents are having it done now, but we ended up doing it. NOw, i am not sure that having it done when the child is 8 is a good idea. He would definitely remember the experience, whereas a newborn will not. I think she missed her opportunity to have that done to her boy. It seems cruel at this point.
If I could have The Donald circumsize my child with a giant pair of scissors… I’d consider it.
Oh, are you a brave one going THERE. I’ve seen this particular issue get really, really heated on my mommy message boards. My husband thinks it’s kind of funny that so many women get so heated over a guy’s schlong.
I have 5 girls so I’ve never had to make the decision. I didn’t know there was even a DEBATE here until 3 of my girls were already born. Had they been boys, they surely would have been circumcized because I just thought that was the norm, what people did, already decided and proven and all that.
But when I was pregnant with my 4th, I learned about the very real debate. I read up, followed, learned, particpated in discussions. And I changed my mind. My last 2 were girls, too, but had they been male they would not have been circumcized. I was able to bring my husband around on the topic too (he is circ’d).
I think most parents out there make whatever choice they do with love and the best of intentions. Even though I weigh-in on the NON-circ’ing camp, I really hate it when “intact-ivists” make out those who circ to be some sort of MONSTERS.
They cut me and what good did it do? None, I could have used the appearence of extra length. My boys are natural. Could not justify hacking off a piece of the little guys.
Why did they chose to lop off the end of the penis? Why not the end of your little finger or toe?
Ohh, yeah, this is one of those hot issues, especially on the mommy/baby boards.
All of my sons are/will be circ’d and I think this is just a personal issue. I honestly made the decision based on my own preferences (read: unpleasent oral sex episodes). I don’t think there are appreciable advantages/disadvantages either way.
I was relieved at what a teensy proceedure it is (after reading all the hysterical debates) on a newborn. We’re talking about a bit of skin the size of your fingernail. I insisted on being in the room when they did both my sons and one cried for the ten seconds it took them to hand him to me and the other never said a word.
BTW, Is anyone else amused by the women who will get up in your face about not circ’ing their sons but have no problem with shooting two steel studs through their infant daughter’s ears?! WTF?
That’s funny, Blue: I make every single one of my parenting decisions based on past oral sex experiences. It’s been working out so far.
I didn’t get into all the pros and cons here, because we know them all. And you’re right it is a personal (religious, aesthetic, fellatiolicious) decision.
The Blogfathers: It’s Strictly Parenting Business…
For someone with Laid Off in his name, Doug’s sure keeping busy. Looks like the teeth have come in at the Opinionated Parenting joint he does for Oxygen!, and this week he launched The Blogfathers, a group blog that’s got a lot of familiar faces. Or …
8 YEARS OLD WTF. Wait a couple of years and let the poor kid make his own mind up!
re: having you daughter’s clitoris removed…
our toddler had a rash in her vaginal area right around the time she was potty training. she didn’t want help wiping herself and her skin got pretty irritated and sore, kind of like diaper rash without the diaper, if you will.
here is an actual conversation i had with hubby:
me: okay, after she goes to the bathroom, you have to help her wipe and then put on some balmex. make sure you get in all the folds, especially around her…
hubby: no. no. no. she does not have one of those. she does not need one. when she is 21, she will drive away, we will wave goodbye and then send it to her in the mail.
i guess i’ll be the one having the sex talks.
We chose to have our boy’s pee-pee sliced and diced. Aside from the fact that he inherited his father’s fantastically small member, which, when confronted with shrinkage, brings new meaning to the term ‘turtle head,’ making it a real chore to pull back his junk to clean it, we decided we just didn’t want to have to break out the q-tips to deal with SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
My oldest two boys are circumcised, but if I had to make the decision now, i wouldn’t do it. I did then, just because it was what you did (I wasn’t a very deep individual back then), but now it seems so barbaric.
I just had a boy in June and we didn’t circumcise him - My reasons didn’t have anything to do with keeping it in tact, or oral sex, or anything noble like that. I was just so in love with the little guy, and couldn’t stand the thought of anyone hurting him.
We chose to have our son circumcised mainly for health reasons.
I’m right there with Peggy in that I just couldn’t stomach the idea of clipin’ off the end of The Voices’ special purpose. Also, from what I understand, the health reasons have been thoroughly debunked (though after reading the comment about the bad oral sex experience, mom became concerned that we might have made a mistake).
I think it depends highly on the choice of caterers available in the areas where the family resides. What good is a bris without decent food?
Honestly, either “cut” or “uncut” the Father should decide not the mother. Just like father can’t make any real intelligent decisions about his daughters period.
So Blue, do you think millions of people in Europe and other parts of the world where circumcision isn’t the norm are silently suffering through bad oral sex experiences? Man, if only you could get your testimony out to them and turn them on to the cut….do it for world peace!
I often wonder if the circ issue or the vaccination issue causes more flaming bitchy parent posts in the virtual world…both are so wonderfully contentious.
I have a daughter (no pierced ears–dodged that hypocrisy bullet), and a son due in 7 weeks. My boy will not be cut. Not at birth, not when he’s 8. Should he decide when he is of legal age to mutilate himself, that will be his choice. My husband is even more vehemently opposed to circumsising the wee man than I am; since he has a penis and I don’t, I give his views extra weight.
My daughter’s best friend is a little boy. His parents did decide to cut him–that was their choice and I certainly would not harangue them about it.
I think it’s ludicrous to day a mother shouldn’t have a say in this decision.
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