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Tuesday, January 9, 2007 12:00 AM

The unkindest cut

When our son was born, my wife decided circumcision was barbaric, but my parents insisted it was an essential Jewish tradition. Behold the sad tale of how one foreskin tore a family apart.

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  • Monday, January 8, 2007 07:19 PM

    Not to judge, but seriously...

    As a circumcised male of Protestant background, I can say with 100 percent certainty that I am completely grateful my parents decided to play Jew for a day and trim away. I'm sure I cried and wailed at the time, and maybe they felt bad, but believe me, I got over it. The end result is cleaner, neater and actually looks normal. You want trauma? I remember being eight or so and seeing the elephant trunk that was my father's manhood and wondering what in sweet Jesus' name THAT thing was supposed to be.

    As far as Neal's situation goes, he should have been a husband before a son, and taken his wife's side against his parents...but he also should have been a father before a husband, and - as a man - said in no uncertain terms that circumcision was an absolute requirement for his son - if he believed that, and the opposite is equally true. The bottom line is this a manhood issue, and the mother needs to keep out of it, and let the father decide. I don't get involved with tampons, ear piercings or abortion, because it's not a man's business...and women shouldn't meddle with jockstraps, their silly son's badly hidden porn and circumcision. Some choices, decisions and conversations are a man's and a father's burden alone.

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