I Concede Defeat

There is now only about an hour left on the poll for or against a ban on circumcision of infant males on my friend and c-blogger Eddi Haskell´s blog Eddi Haskell´s SecondLife.

Unfortunately I must now concede defeat in that poll. I still firmly believe that the procedure should be baned but have through the discussion that has taken place also gotten a better understanding of the emotional, cultural and sociological aspects involved.

Hopefully this understanding will help me in my future work campaigning against the widespread practice. I feel as if I have "lost a battle, but can still win the war for the foreskin" so to speak.

Yes to Ban Circumcision of Infant Boys

As I have informed you earier (Vote Against Infant Circumcision), there is a poll over at my friend Eddi "Snip-Snip" Haskell´s blog concerning whether or not circumcision of infant boys should be baned or not.

I feel the need to remind you that the voting will be going on for four more days, if you havent voted yet please do so a.s.a.p.

"The choosers", of which I am one, believe that there should be a ban against circumcision of infant boys until the individual himself can give a valid consent. We have no objections whatsoever to those men who elect to perform this operation when they are adults and have the possibilty to choose it for themselves.

The choosers believe that the issue is basically a Human Rights one and can be boiled down to this.

"Leave the children's bodies alone, both boys and girls. Teach them healthy routines to clean their genitals on a daily basis. ...all the rest is religion and culture screwing up with nature."
 

"The snippers", of which Eddi is one, believe that there should be no ban against circumcision of infant boys and that the decision on whether or not circumcision should be performed rests with the parents of the infant boy or the medical profession.They also claim that a vast amount of studies show that there are big health advantages for both the boy himself and the surrounding society and claims this is supported by a vast amount of studies conducted, they therefore believe it should not be banned but left to the parents or the medical profession to decide..

The studies that have been presented by "the snippers" have been opposed by "the choosers" who claim there are a multitude of other studies stating the opposite.

----
Now head on over to Eddi´s blog Eddi Haskell´s Second Life and tell us what your position is on this matter.

Vote Against Infant Circumcision

A truly inspired commercial for a man owning a circumcision clinic in the Philippines

My friend and co-blogger Eddi Haskell has started a vote for or against infant circumcision. Our debate started after a mutual friend and co-blogger Torro Spyker came out against infant circumcision on his blog The Bullring.

My own position on the issue, as I have said before, (so this is partly a  repost) is that mass-circumcision of infant boys is genital mutilation and child abuse. Admittedly there are a few cases when it is warranted by medical reasons, but otherwise I cannot see any valid arguments for this procedure being performed on infants.

In my mind this surgery should only be performed with informed consent on adult men. I for one would hate to have my foreskin removed, just saying.

(And yes, I totally agree that female circumcision is much more invasive and a more important issue to fight against, as it leads to more problems for the women later in life and also deprives them of the possibility to fully enjoy sex.)

----

As I have said already in a comment on The Bullring: "My position is basically a Human Rights one and can be boiled down to this.

Leave the children's bodies alone, both boys and girls. Teach them healthy routines to clean up their genitals on a daily basis.

...all the rest is religion and culture screwing up with nature."

 Now head on over to Eddi´s blog Eddi Haskell´s Second Life and tell us what your position is on this matter.


For me the only possible vote in this pole is "Yes", actually I would have preferred an option saying "Hell yes!"

On Circumcision

Today two of my favorite non-SecondLife blogs choose to raise the subject of male circumcision.

copyranter does so by showing a new Filipino commercial about a boys journey into "manhood" (boring add) but on a back link to an earlier post I found this truly inspired commercial for a man owning a circumcision clinic.

Joe.My.God. also touches on the same subject with a post about a San Francisco anti-circumcision group that has collected enough petition signatures to place a city-wide ban on the practice on the November ballot. The commenter's have gone wild on the subject of the pro´s and con´s of circumcision. There are more than 185 comments now.

My own position on the issue is that mass-circumcision of infant boys is genital mutilation and child abuse. Admittedly there are a few cases when it is warranted by medical reasons, but otherwise I cannot see any valid arguments for this procedure being performed on infants.

In my mind this surgery should only be performed with informed consent on adult men. I for one would hate to have my foreskin removed, just saying.

(And yes, I totally agree that female circumcision is much more invasive and a more important issue to fight against, as it leads to more problems for the women later in life and also deprives them of the possibility to fully enjoy sex.)