re: #28 Jimmah

It’s patently fucking ludicrous.

Besides, since when was forcing kids to take part in sporting etc events/pastimes that they hate a cool thing?

It’s not patently ludicrous, Jimmah. Calling it that isn’t going to make it go away.

And the analogy isn’t to forcing kids to do things they hate.

I see two contentions against circumcision:

1. Circumcision shouldn’t be performed because the kids can’t consent to the modification of their body.

This one is the one that seems mystical to me, because this idea of body intactness being sacred it kind of weird. However, even if we treat it as valid, there’s a shitload of other things we do that modify kids bodies— cosmetic orthodontics being one (minorly defensible on the grounds that people are shallow fucks who’ll judge people with crooked teeth), and ballet being another good example. The only way that you can see the bone deformation of ballet as better, and not worse, than circumcision is from a non-medical, mystical point of view that holds body intactness as somehow sacred.

2. Circumcision shouldn’t be performed because it sometimes causes harm to the child.

This is pretty much covered by the above, but it’s worthwhile reiterating that the WHO recommends circumcision since it reduces the rate of AIDS transmission. The medical literature is divided on the sexual effect of circumcision, with no solid research showing that there is any ‘desensitization’ or anything else. There are mutually contradicting studies showing both circumcised and uncircumcised men happier with their sexual, ah, stuff. In terms of disease transmission, it is slightly better to be circumcised, you’re less at risk of passing on disease. And again, a very small number of people experience complications, but we are fine with kids undergoing much more risky activities— like playing soccer, which has the certainty, rather than the possibility, of microconcussions.

If you want to make an argument, then make an argument. Just asserting “It’s patently obvious” doesn’t do much.

And please, please stop piggybacking circumcision on FGM. It is totally, totally trivializing what FGM is and the harm that it does. If you make people think that FGM is like circumcision, the most likely effect of that is to make people think that FGM is not a big deal. So please, please stop associating the two.