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Sunday, Nov 8, 2009
it isn't designed to stamp out a man's sexual pleasure or identity
In religious terms, it usually establishes an identity, which I guess can also be construed as subsuming personal identity to the tribal, if one wants to be all academic about it.
And as someone mentioned already, the popularity of circumcision among American Christians-- who have no religious obligation to do it, of course-- can be directly traced to efforts to prevent masturbation by decreasing sensation.
Regarding the subheadline, I don't think these studies will have much impact on people in high-risk areas, but they certainly make circumcised Americans feel superior. Personally, I wouldn't do it to a kid unless I expected him to become a truck driver in Botswana or something; a middle-class American should be perfectly capable of understanding the significance of condom use and acting accordingly.
Much of the initial coverage about Fort Hood turned out to be wrong. Is there anything wrong with that?
The accountability imposed by another country for the CIA's kidnapping and torture reveals much about our own.
Fox News' morning show plays to type, talking about whether Muslims in the Army should face "special debriefings"
The survivor and author is upset about comparisons some on the right are making to genocide
Once seen as a lunatic fringe, reactionary anti-women groups are courting respectability
Salon headlines in your mailbox
