Letters to the Editor
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Wow so many letters
Anyway, I liked the excerpt. It was funny and shocking and entertaining, to me it was actually one of the better written more pleasurable reads than many of the claptrap published here. I liked the levity of the article, because unlike some people I do not think male circumcision is the biggest deal, it's a tradition that's not medically necessary, but on the same note, not everyone has the same physiology even if they have the same anatomy. Which is why some women can't use certain lubes because it increases yeast infections in them while it doens't effect other women at all. Some people's bodies just work differently so I could imagine for some men, removal of the foreskin could help with UTI's and yeast infections, but there is probably no way to tell beforehand if they would be more prone to those than other men, which is why some men get it done as an adult.
What I really take away from the excerpt is it made me feel a little bad for Neal, but I don't think he was a coward per se. It's pretty brave to publish your mom berating you and yes, he does get back at her by showing how nutty she can be. I can't assume they are like this all the time, because he did marry a gentile. Let's not extrapolate that from one circumstance surrounding one issue of tradition means every interaction he has with them is like this.
There are plenty of things I just don't care about one way or the other so if my spouse or parents had a strong opinion, I'd probably go along. You only need to stand up for things you actually care about. Family drama just sucks booty and sometimes learning to keep your mouth shut or a little white lie just makes things easier. So if it had been me, I would have just lied. You can't choose your crazy family and not all of us are so easily adept to cutting them off or holding onto anger or care enough about a certain issue to upraise an entire family. So I see it as a story of two people who really didn't care that much, just thought it's no big, lets not do it then the family says it is big, huge, monstrous, so they go okay and have it done. The problem he had was dealing with the blackmail and I hope he took away something from that experience, such as, it's an empty threat, they are bluffing like a two year old when they hold their breath.
As for circumcision itself, I'm still on the fence and since I don't have kids I don't have to worry about it much. All I know is that my brothers are uncut and my husband is cut. While I have never discussed my brothers foreskins with them, all I know is that one of my brothers and my husband seem to have their hands in their pants, a lot, so I would think they are equally pleased with their penises and my husband says that he would prefer for his son to be cut as well. So all I've really taken away from the letters is if we have a son and if we decide on circumcision, we'll get a mohel.
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Before you book that Mohel...
“So all I've really taken away from the letters is if we have a son and if we decide on circumcision, we'll get a mohel.”
Despite that editor's star you might want to do just a tad more research then what you’re getting in the letter’s section here today. I mean – the specifics can add up to a pretty strange practice if you're not a Jew. This past year a little baby died after contracting herpes from a Mohel. I’m not going to spell out exactly how that happens – that’s what google is for - but it makes handling snakes sound almost normal.
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Opposition to circumcision is not made on humanitarian grounds
It's made on vague feelings that somethings not entirely what you personally think is rigth and you're just the people to fix it. Here are the people who wouldn't hesistate to put a sick dog down out of 'compassion' seemingly have all the answers when it comes to imagining the inner working of others. Here's a tip - stick to dogs. Say what you want, there's nothing like the blinding bigotry of a liberal.
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Pointless
It appears that people want to use circumcision as some sort of good excuse for preventing disease or "grotesqueness". Come on. We don't have our appendixes removed at birth, "just in case". If there is good reason to have a prceedure do it. If it ain't broke, why would you extend to your young baby an unneeded trauma so early in life?
There is no good reason. I read alot of people talking about the kids dicks looking like daddies. That also freaks me out. What? Who hangs out with thier dad comparing each others junk? Also weird.
If you think the sight of a uncircumsized penis is gross, then you are just being childish, and you are just coping with envy. It is obviously how we are built to look. And being uncircumsized, which my parents had to fight very hard for in the 70's. I assure you, isn't difficult to keep clean. Unless you are a moron and most likely the other regions of your anatomy will not be so plesant.
Either way, this story points out two of the major problems in our world. Family using guilt and tradition over logic to dissuade the newest in the family to comform to old ways instead of choosing decisions that make logical sense. It another part of religion that stinks in its lackluster way it dominates its flock by imposing rules in life that make no sense snuck in with the ones that do make sense.
Listen people, just because its tradition doesn't actually make it a good idea.
-Z-
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My Perspective
My husband is circumsized as are about 97% of native born American men in our cohort group. Both our sons were born at home. We chose to not circumsize either of them and neither of them ever had an issue with "not looking like Daddy" or were teased in gym. By the time they were born the rate was much closer to 50/50 for circumsized or not cicumsized for newborn males in the United States.
A reader asked that "given the harmlessness of the procedure who not do this?" Well, because I would never mutilate my son's genitals. Lopping off his left earlobe might be harmless but I sure as heck won't do it.
For those who had grandfathers who were circumsized late in life and found it terrible uncomfortable and painfull while there newborn baby barely cried well, your newborn baby can't articulate for himself, can he? He can't tell you how agonizing it is not only in terms of pain but to have someone who supposedly loves you, someone you should trust with your life, mutilate your sex organs while you are totally helpless. Well, lots of psychiatrists who deal with regression therapy have men with horriffic memories of being circumsized not to mention "accidents" where the penis is mutilated to the point of destruction.
I would never, ever do something this cruel to a baby. Especially not one that I loved. His body, His choice.