January 01, 2006

This. Is too much.

Whilst paging through Health magazine this morning I came across this tidbit:

"Some activists just go too far. A group calling itself MGMbill.org (MGM stands for male genital mutilation) claims circumcision violates international human-rights laws, and has lobbied the United Nations and United States to outlaw it. Research suggests that circumcision, an important ritual in Judaism, reduces the likelihood of urinary tract infections and sexually transmitted diseases. Let's leave this personal decision to the parents, not activists."

Which is precisely why I left the decision to Husband when our son was born. Husband did not hesitate to say he wanted his son circumcised, and I didn't question him, being that he's had more experience, you know, having a penis and all.

I know about female genital mutilation, and YES, that has to stop, but male circumcisions? What in the world would the UN tell the Jewish population?

Let me be honest here and say that when I sent Son off to get his circy I felt tremendous guilt. I know how it's done, I'm not that stupid, but I also knew that NOT having it done would be more trouble for him, health-wise, down the road. I also knew that not having it done would mean a lot of ridicule in the high school locker room.

Vanity? No, as I see it, health, and as for the Jews in this world, a centuries old tradition. This should be, as it always has been, the decision of the parents. Later down the road, that boy who isn't circumcised should be able to make that decision for himself as well.