Thought for the day

April 18, 1999

Today's L.A. Times carried an editorial column by Vicki Lovine called "Girlfriends' Guide to Family."  The topic was male circumcision (yes, there is such a thing as female circumcision, and it is even more horrific because it is usually performed on adolescent girls when they can be guaranteed to remember it.)   A reader said her husband assumed it was a given when their son is born in a few weeks that he will be mutilated.   But she wasn't so sure it was really necessary.  Her husband's reasoning was that it might be traumatic if the child ever sees his father naked and besides, it was good enough for dad.

If an adult wants to pierce, mark, slice, or otherwise modify THEIR OWN body, then I suppose that is their business.  But to torture your child because it might spare you from having to tell your son that his grandfather didn't know better, well that's just sick. 

Cutting off one of the most nerve-rich and sensitive parts of your anatomy (without any anesthesia, no less!) is stupid.  It was done to prevent boys from masturbating and "thinking too much" about sex just as it is still done to girls.  There aren't any "cleanliness" reasons to justify it.  But for parents who intend teaching their sons that their penis is inherently dirty and should be touched as little as absolutely possible (definitely no washing!) find it crucial to maintaining the cycle of ignorance.

Ms. Lovine tells her reader finally "If your marriage is like mine, this issue is probably not really up for discussion.  After all, penises are the business of the menfolk."   Come on Vicki, which "menfolk" in your family have MORE to do with your husband's penis than YOU?   His dad?  His brothers?   His friends?   Try to imagine telling your husband that you were planning on mutilating his soon-to-be-born daughter to prevent her from enjoying sex.  Would he go along with it just because vulva's are the business of "womenfolk?" I sure hope not. If you, the mother, refuses to defend your son from this atrocity, who will? If you don't, I feel doubly sorry for your son. Your husband is willing to mutilate his boy to make his penis "just like dad's" imagine what that sick-puppy would do if he ever had an accident and lost an arm, leg or eye. YEECH!

Sorry about cutting off your hand son, but I think there is a chance you might be traumatized if you have a normal arm and you see my deformed one. Hold still this will only hurt A LOT!

Some religions force their members (no pun intended) to have this performed EVEN IF THE BOY IS BORN DEAD, so I really don't think "cleanliness" has anything to do with it.  After all, how much should we worry about a corpse getting an infection?

Look at it this way, when your son reaches manhood, if he decides that he just can't stand having his most sensitive region looking natural (not to mention, L-O-N-G-E-R) then, hey, let HIM have it chopped off!   I don't make it a practice to ask my friends about this, but I've NEVER-EVER heard a guy say "

I'm just sick of how good my penis feels.  I've GOT to find someone to chop some of it off, and I hope we can do it without any wimpy painkillers!   Those are for pussies!