American babies are routinely mutilated in the first days of life. Naked, strapped to a board with velcro, sensitive flesh is exposed, torn and crushed- usually without anesthetic. A student who described watching her newborn's circumcision said it was the most horrifying thing she'd ever seen in her life-and that she'd undoubtedly do it again if she had a second son. She said, matter-of-factly, 'I'd want them to look alike.'
We believe that it's cleaner and healthier. We think that everyone does it (so, in fact, we rarely think about it at all). And let's not forget it's prettier. A handful of people do it as a covenant with God. In other words, we justify the practice with health, aesthetics, tradition, and religion.
First, millions of human beings lived and live in conditions far less sanitary. Keeping the foreskin clean requires, at maximum, running the hand over the penis with soap in the shower (and it's not as if most guys aren't doing that regularly anyway). There are certain health problems that happen more commonly in uncircumcised men, but their incidences are incredibly small, too small to justify cutting up the body. In fact, the American Pediatric Academy no longer recommends it. They argue that there's no compelling medical reason to circumcise.
Second, the foreskin is natural, not some disgusting, alien thing to be rid of. Anyone who thinks so is pure product of American culture. Aesthetics isn't a reason worth entertaining and ranks right up there with breast implants and nose jobs.
Third, there's no such thing as truly traditional. What counts as traditional is a political issue. It's a nice word that makes us feel fuzzy inside. But let's face it, we abandon traditions all the time. Some of us are probably glad women get to, you know, like wear pants and vote. Anyway, today only about 60 percent of American newborn boys are circumcised... not exactly an overwhelming majority.
Fourth, ah religion... I won't attack religion. But I will say that less than four percent of circumcisions in America are done for religious reasons, that leaves 96 percent of you out there to defend yourselves.
So defend yourselves against this: Why in the world would parents who want nothing but love, safety, and pleasure for their infants circumcise? It's not news that the head of the penis is saturated with nerve endings. In most newborns, the foreskin hasn't yet separated from the head of the penis so, before cutting it off, they have to rip it off the glans. Until it heals the baby, diapered, urinates and defecates into the raw wound.
Furthermore, there are good indications that being circumcised keeps the head of the glans more sensitive (it's got a blanky to keep it tender) and influences the way men have sex such that women with uncircumcised partners tend to report that it's significantly more satisfying.
And before you shrug this off as the rantings of some (dare I be a) feminist (arguing a cause for men)... almost inevitably we are exposed to the shocking stories of female genital mutilation in other countries. Students are horrified to hear that women's genitals are being 'mutilated' to subordinate women's sexuality.
However, no one ever points out that if you ask the natives of these varied countries that perform female genital mutilation, they will explain that it's healthier, prettier, traditional, and religious. Perhaps Americans should bite their tongue and examine ourselves as critically as we examine others. Ethnocentrism thrives in America. Instead of demonizing, we must acknowledge the rationality, irrationality, civility, barbarousness, good, and evil in us all.
