This is a young African woman. Circumcision is being forced upon her.  She is being held down against her will while cut with a knife.  No efforts have been made to prevent pain. She is screaming - but nobody is hearing.	This is a newborn American boy. Circumcision is being forced upon him.  He is being held down against his will while cut with a knife.  No efforts have been made to prevent pain. He is screaming - but nobody is hearing.

cir-cum-cise - v.t., 1. to remove the prepuce of (a male) 2. to remove the clitoris, prepuce, or labia of (a female) - Webster's College Dictionary, 1991

Circumcision rates in America peaked at 90% in the 80's.   Since then, more and more parents have chosen to educate themselves on the topic.   In the last 10 years, the rate of infant circumcisions has dropped faster than it has ever risen.

Some parents, however, steadfastly maintain that infant circumcision is a hugely important factor in the mental and physical health of their sons.   At the same time, they gasp in horror at the female version of circumcision.   When this conflict of interest is pointed out, circumcision supporters insist, "But they are different!"  We're going to put that declaration to the test.

Circumcision is often performed simply because it was done to the mother or father.

This sort of reasoning is not for the benefit of the child, rather for the benefit of the parent who has been circumcised.  After all, we do not place other scars on the bodies of our children simply because we have them.

Circumcision is often considered an enhancement of an individual's sexuality.

Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.....and is largely influenced by cultural standards.  Thus, this is another instance of circumcision happening because it has happened.  At any rate, a newborn boy is not sexually active, and therefore the appearance of his penis absolutely will not be an issue in his personal life.  Once again, this excuse for circumcision is in the interest of the parents only.

Routine Infant Circumcision in America is the result of sexual repression.   In the Victorian Ages, it was believed that a raging libido led to social discord.   It was theorized that circumcision would benefit civilization by weakening the sex drive, thereby preventing rape, infidelity, and laziness.

Clearly this effort to end masturbation was a disaster.  Rather than admit a gross ethical error, the medical establishment created medical myth in order to justify their actions.  Unfortunately, it worked.  Here you will find a list of medical quotes regarding circumcision. Nowadays, most of these claims are laughable.  But as each wildly inaccurate claim was dispelled, a new one would magically appear in its place.

"I was genitally mutilated at the age of ten. I was told by my late grandmother that they were taking me down to the river to perform a certain ceremony, and afterwards I would be given a lot of food to eat. As an innocent child, I was led like a sheep to be slaughtered. "Once I entered the secret bush, I was taken to a very dark room and undressed. I was blindfolded and stripped naked. I was then carried by two strong women to the site for the operation. I was forced to lie flat on my back by four strong women, two holding tight to each leg. Another woman sat on my chest to prevent my upper body from moving. A piece of cloth was forced in my mouth to stop me screaming. I was then shaved. "When the operation began, I put up a big fight. The pain was terrible and unbearable. During this fight, I was badly cut and lost blood. All those who took part in the operation were half-drunk with alcohol. Others were dancing and singing, and worst of all, had stripped naked. "I was genitally mutilated with a blunt penknife. "After the operation, no one was allowed to aid me to walk. The stuff they put on my wound stank and was painful. These were terrible times for me. Each time I wanted to urinate, I was forced to stand upright. The urine would spread over the wound and would cause fresh pain all over again. Sometimes I had to force myself not to urinate for fear of the terrible pain. I was not given any anaesthetic in the operation to reduce my pain, nor any antibiotics to fight against infection. Afterwards, I haemorrhaged and became anaemic. This was attributed to witchcraft. I suffered for a long time from acute vaginal infections." Hannah Koroma, Sierra Leone

"I have assisted with about 200 [circumcisions] and I have seen sleeping babies not wake up as I gently strapped them to the table. One even slept through the betadine and that is cold stuff. So it is not the restriction that is the problem. They take a metal probe - similar to the one the dental hygienist scales teeth with - and separate the foreskin from the glans. Babies scream so hard that they end up with their faces red and mouths wide open with no sound coming out. I had to hold their heads to the side because some vomit from the pain. I always had to get close to their faces and stroke their cheeks because they would stop breathing. The doc puts a bell over the foreskin and slides a sterile safety pin through a hole and then through the skin. He cuts with a blade for what seems like an eternity for this baby and deposits the skin on the sterile tray. The penis is RAW - I often thought it must feel like a 3rd degree burn with alcohol being poured over it. Consoling is impossible. They shake and their eyes are wide open with panic. Yes, I felt horrible every time. I never got used to it. Each procedure looked as barbaric as the next. Many times too much skin was taken off or too little (not worth all that torture). I have seen infections, too. The risk of any invasive procedure even with sterile fields. I get calls from moms who had no problems with breastfeeding and suddenly have trouble. If it is a baby boy, I try to remember to ask when and if he was circumcised. Many of my consults are a result of trauma from the circs. The babies state of homeostasis is so messed up from the stress that they are no longer able to suck. Every IBCLC (lactation consultants) that I know will tell you how circumcision is a major source of feeding problems in the days following." Unknown, Babycenter.com

It is impossible to deny the similarities between male and female circumcision.  There are many reasons given for this practice, and they are viscously defended.  But before you choose to have your child circumcised, you MUST ask yourself: If these reasons are valid, then why is circumcision virtually always performed on the unwilling?  The truth, when you find it, will reveal circumcision for what it really is; a crime.

"I'm in favor of circumcision. Everyone in my large family was circumcized, my husbands family also, and my 1st son. I'm expecting another boy in August and I will definately circ. him. My pediatrician recommends it and it's not all as bad as everyone is saying. I was there when my 1st son was circ'd. Yes, he cried, but it was over in no time and then he was fine. Little kids cry when you take them to the doctor too, but you do what you have to do for their best care. Circ'ing helps combat infection. You can teach your child proper hygene all you want, but boys will be boys and you can't stand hovering over them all their lives to make sure that they are washing properly. Young boys like to get sweaty and dirty...and good hygene is not one of their priorities. No matter how good you tell them to wash, they don't usually to it correctly. I can't tell you how many times I've had to tell my 10 year old to go back into the bathroom and wash his hands again because he didn't do a good enough job the first time. I suppose the procedure is painful, but it's over in no time and the child doesn't suffer physically or mentally in the future from it. Obviously, they won't even remember it. I say.....DO IT!" "Slanzill" - Babycenter.com