July 2011

Intactivism: Week in Review July 30, 2011

Lloyd Schofield in front of Jewish intactivists demonstrating against circumcisionThe big news this week is that a judge ruled that the San Francisco circumcision ban measure must be removed from the ballot because it violated state law. First, the judge made a tentative ruling that the ballot measure would be stricken from the ballot. the judge said that the California Business and Professions Code prohibits local regulation of medical procedures. She said that it "serves no legitimate purpose" for an illegal measure to remain on the ballot and ordered elections chief John Arntz "to, um, cut it off." (Can we grow up enough to stop with the stupid puns, already.)

Then, the following day after a hearing the judge makes her decision final.

Intactivists say they are considering an appeal of the judge's ruling. Read more . . .

I used to be proud to be an American

y u no do right thing?I do not normally discuss politics. I am neither a Democrat nor a Republican. I believe that it is the purpose of a government to provide certain services to its people, but I also believe that the government should be fiscally responsible. Those are not incompatible objectives.

There has always been strife with our politicians. But in the past 12 years, the pot went from being stirred vigorously to being really heated up to being almost ready to boil over.

The current problem first manifested itself during the 2000 Presidential elections. The Swiftboating of Senator Kerry was emblematic of the new way of winning. No need to have a good platform or a good track record. All that was necessary was to smear the other side, to go lower than the other side dared to go. The tactic was even named Swiftboating after the smear campaign against Kerry. Unfortunately, such tactics are successful in our sheeple society.

The 2008 Presidential elections saw the new Tea Party's rise. The Tea Party revitalized the Republican Party, but it also splintered it. The Tea Party has an extremist platform that is more fanatical than realistic. Unfortunately, the 2010 midterm elections saw the Tea Party move into the House, assuring the Republican Party a House majority, but only in number, not in the party platform. The Tea Party also assumed power in many states.

Now we have the politicians piggybacking solutions to the budget deficit to the debt ceiling. These are two issues that need not be joined. Raising the debt ceiling has traditionally been technical legislation with little fanfare. This time, though, we have the Republicans seeking to use the debt ceiling issue as a vehicle to move their agenda. It is backfiring on them. Read more . . .

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Intactivism: Week in Review July 23, 2011

Private Parts Are Private Property - Stop infant circumcisionParents, protect your babies. Support intactivism. The following list includes blogs, articles, and websites of interest to Intactivists that were published in the past week. This is a running tally of the ones I found interesting.

The big news this week is the lawsuit brought for a boy with a botched circumcision. When the boy was a week old, he was circumcised, Unfortunately, more than his foreskin was removed. This is a complication of the surgery that most parents are not aware of. The boy, now eight years old, has had multiple corrective surgeries and will have to live the rest of his life with his botched circumcision. Sure, he was awarded $4.6 million, but I would rather have my whole penis instead of the money.

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Barefoot Intactivist: Urologist Renounces Infant Circumcision; Discusses Risks, Harms, & Lack Of Benefits
A discussion of a video interview of Dr. Snyder, former president of the Virginia Urological Society. Dr. Snyder talks about the ethical problems with performing an unnecessary procedure (circumcision) on a child that cannot consent.  The urologist also de-bunks the myths that newborn circumcision can stop penile cancer (the rarest of all male cancers), urinary tract infections, and HIV. Read more . . .

Intactivism: Week in Review July 16, 2011

Foreskin Man versus Captain Israel comic book coverParents, protect your babies. Support intactivism. The following list includes blogs, articles, and websites of interest to Intactivists that were published in the past week. This is a running tally of the ones I found interesting.

In less than a month, the Genital Autonomy Conference will be held in the United Kingdom. The conference is scheduled from August 31 to September 1, 2011, at Keele University, Staffordshire, UK. The two day conference will consider the legal and human rights issues surrounding non-therapeutic genital surgery on male, female, and intersex children.
 

Monday, July 11, 2011

HuffPost Religion: The Other Side Of The Circumcision Debate
Ronald Goldman is executive director of the Jewish Circumcision Resource Center and author of "Questioning Circumcision: A Jewish Perspective" and "Circumcision: The Hidden Trauma." The Jewish Circumcision Resource Center represents Jews around the world who question ritual circumcision. Some mothers have revealed great distress about permitting and watching the circumcision of their sons and have regretted their decision for years. "I will go to my grave hearing that horrible wail," one mother says.

LA Times: The debate over circumcising baby boys
The Los Angeles Times presents both sides of the infant circumcision debate. Georganne Chapin is the founding executive director of Intact America and the founder of Hudson Center for Health Equity & Quality, a nonprofit organization devoted to improving access to healthcare. She says that genital cutting of infant boys is a human rights issue. "All people, male as well as female, are entitled to bodily integrity, and nobody — for any reason — has the right to cut off part of another person's body when that person is too young to understand and to consent." On the other side is Daniel Halperin, a lecturer who recites many of the myths that have been debunked. He concludes, "I'm not interested in pushing circumcision but in making the service readily available to everybody who wants it." Hmm. I do not think the baby boy wants to be circumcised.
  Read more . . .

Federal Anti-anti-circumcision bill: H.R. 2400: Religious and Parental Rights Defense Act of 2011

US House of Representatives HR 2400: the Anti-anti-circumcision BillThe Federal government is trying to limit states and local governments. A recent House Bill seeks to prohibit states from restricting male genital cutting, although most states have such restrictions for female genital cutting. United States Representative Brad Sherman introduced a Bill in the House seeking to prevent any government entity in the United States from prohibiting male infant circumcision. The Anti-anti-circumcision bill was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce for consideration.

US Representative Brad Sherman is a California Democrat for the 27th District. He is joined in the Bill by 9 co-sponsors. The names and contact information for the Congressmen are listed below. Everyone is encouraged to contact these Congressmen and let them know how ill-conceived the Bill is.

The Federal Bill is remarkably similar to California State Bill AB 768, which is an Anti-anti-circumcision Bill for the State of California.[1] Read more . . .

California proposes an Anti-anti-circumcision bill

California State AB 768: the Anti-anti-circumcision BillI am speechless. At least I can still write, though. I just found out that the state of California is proposing to outlaw any local effort to restrict male circumcision. California State Bill Number AB 768, amended, was introduced by Assembly Member Gatto.

Assemblyman Gatto is seeking to reform California's initiative process.[1] California allows members of the public to file ballot measures through the initiative process. Although subject to abuse by monied interests, the California initiative process allows the public to participate in governing themselves.[2]

Along with Assemblyman Gatto's initiative reform, he also seems to be targetting one initiative in particular, the San Francisco Male Infant Circumcision Ban that is coming up for a vote in November. Read more . . .

Intactivism: Week in Review July 9, 2011

Randy Delaware demonstrates against male infant circumcisionParents, protect your babies. Support intactivism. The following list includes blogs, articles, and websites of interest to Intactivists that were published in the past week. This is a running tally of the ones I found interesting.
 

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Choose Intact: Forgiving (and Ignoring) Bullies
A postcard in PostSecret sets the author thinking about the silly reason often given for circumcising an infant boy: the parents do not want the boy to be teased for being intact. Teasing and bullying is temporary. Infant circumcision is permanent. Some men never get over losing part of their penis, particularly when it is physically damaged by circumcision complications.
 

Monday, July 4, 2011

Secular News Daily: Circumcision: Maiming infants
A rational look at the practice of male infant circumcision. Stripped down to its basics, infant circumcision removes healthy tissue from a non-consenting person's genitalia. It really is no different than female genital cutting except for level of severity. Some FGM is more severe, some is less severe, than male genital cutting. Read more . . .

Intactivism: Week in Review July 2, 2011

2011 San Francisco Pride March Intactivist ContingentThis past week has seen many intactivists in Gay Pride events across the Unted States. New York City. Chicago. San Francisco. Seattle PrideFest. There is even a YouTube video of the San Francisco Intactivist Contingent.

The British Columbia Pride Parade and the Vancouver Pride Parade are coming up later this month. The Canadian Foreskin Awareness Project (CAN-FAP) is sponsoring marching units at those pride parades. Check out the Intactivist Calendar for more information on upcoming intactivist events.

Parents, protect your babies. Support intactivism. The following list includes blogs, articles, and websites of interest to Intactivists that were published in the past week. This is a running tally of the ones I found interesting.
 

Sunday, June 26, 2011

NORM-UK: Circumcision 'Like having your tongue but not being able to taste': NORM-UK members on BBC Radio 4
The radio program "Broadcasting House" featured contributions from NORM-UK members. The men discussed the harm caused by their circumcisions and their efforts to restore their foreskin.

Dr Momma Peaceful Parenting: Pennsylvania Mother Charged For Bloody Chicken Sacrifice; U.S. Baby Blood Sacrifice Continues
A mother following the Palo Mayombe religion was charged with child neglect and cruelty. The mother held an initiation rite that included a chicken sacrifice and feeding the chicken's heart to her daughter. There was a large outcry over the barbarism of the religioius rite. Why isn't there an equal outrage over the blood sacrifice of cutting off a healthy part of a baby boy that is widely practiced in the US? No one seems concerned that the mother's right to practice her religion was restricted.

Read more . . .

What happened to my penis?

What happened to my penis? I'm circumcised?I just found a great blog called What I'm Missing. The author kurt_t has a lot to say about circumcision and he says it well. He tells his circumcision story from the beginning, with each blog post adding to the story of his journey. The posts remind me of story teller Jean Shepard, but Kurt should not give up his day job, yet.

My first hint that something was missing came about age nine or ten. Some grown up or another had given my friend John a new Slip 'N Slide for his birthday. He and I and our friend Michael were changing into our swimsuits in John's bedroom preparatory to slipping and sliding on this most coveted Wham-O product when one or the other of them (I forget which one.) said to me "What happened to your penis?"
 
I bent forward and looked down. "What do you mean what happened to my penis? It looks just it always does."
 
"What happened to the cover?" John-or-Michael said.
 
"The what?" I said. I straightened up and looked at John. Then I looked at Michael. And I don't mean in the eye.
 
Well, whaddya know? My penis looked like a little mushroom with a little brown stripe around it. And their penises looked like ...