How About A Vote For Mandatory Circumcision?
February 8th, 2007 by Nancy ClevelandHere we go again! A couple of weeks ago we had thousands on the Mall protesting a woman’s right to abortion…the bottom line of which is choice, letting people…specifically women…choose for themselves what they do with their bodies, and when. Now, several States…and the number is growing by the day…want to mandate a vaccination for, not women but little girls from the age of nine, for HPV, because they run the risk of cervical cancer later in their lives. The State of Va. wants to require that children who don’t have this vaccination not be admitted to school. This equates to removal of choice yet again. And, again, pertaining only to women.
Listen, those who are opposed and have no wish to have this vaccination foisted and forced on their daughters, may feel this way for many reasons and don’t they have every right to that choice ? How dare govt., the medical fraternity or anyone else require that our female children, from a very young age, be vaccinated in this manner and for the reason given? For one thing, this vaccination hasn’t been around nearly long enough for anyone to know what, if any, long term effects are. Like most vaccinations for a variety of health situations, it’s not a lifetime guarantee of eliminating the threat of cervical cancer. And why do most of the voices I heard this morning…in favor of said vaccine for our little girls, belong to men?
What about preventative treatment in our little boys? It’s long been said that circumcision of males appears to reduce the chances of cervical cancer in women, as seems to be evidenced in Jewish society. Why haven’t we mandated circumcision in every male birth? Heaven forfend!! And no, I certainly am not a proponent of this, either. It’s just incongruous to me that we, as a society, feel we can and should mandate perceived health concerns on our females. And just a thought…over the last few years we have discussed, debated, argued and chosen as our ‘defense’, the bringing of human rights for Muslim women with the threat that, if we don’t fight it now we all will be subject to Sharia Law, women relegated to second class citizenry ad infinitum. Just what do you think laws such as the Texas and VA proposal are offering?
Were I to be raising a daughter, now, you can be sure I would refuse this on her behalf.
February 8th, 2007 at 11:41 am
Good idea Nancy! Circumcision would definitely be a cut above the rest in addressing this problem.
February 8th, 2007 at 11:41 am
I can understand mandatory inoculation of children against contagious, serious diseases, of which cervical cancer is not; therefore the latter should be left up to the wishes of parents.
Even in the former case, contagious, serious diseases, there are complications, such as the mercury preservative that had been used in pediatric inoculations. I recall that there is evidence that mercury has a negative impact on brain development in the fetus and very young children, as in autism for example. Therefore, the authorities must be quite convinced by science that these mandatory inoculations are safe and sound, understanding also that there is no such a thing as absolute certainty about any scientific conclusion!
There is always risk, thus we must be willing to accept thoroughly reasoned and well reasoned and risks, for the overall well being of our children.
February 9th, 2007 at 1:23 pm
The link between intact penis and cervical cancer is debunked, for example in this medical report from the Isreal Medical Associatoin web site:
http://www.ima.org.il/imaj/ar03feb-11.pdf
To answer your question - why not mutilate boys? That’s easy. Circumcision removes over half the sensual nerve endings and about 16 square inches of sexual interface in the adult. It eliminates protection for the glans and mucosal skin, and it takes away the natural frictionless rolling/gliding mode of stimulation for a man and his partner.
Those are all certain drawbacks for every circumcision, plus about 1 in 5 cuts gives unintended results:
http://www.noharmm.org/IDcirc.htm
Over 3/4 of the world is not circumcised and suffers no unusual health, hygiene, or social problems. Every mammal on earth evolved a foreskin before there was surgery or soap. HIS body, HIS decision.
February 9th, 2007 at 4:53 pm
Exactly, TLCTugger…as I indicated, I would be just as opposed to mandatory circumcision. And as you would surely agree…HER body, HER decision. Other mandatory vaccinations have been attributed or suspected in health problems among children, as has been mentioned… but more than just autisim. Stilbestrol and Thalidomide were wonder drugs of their era before they determined birth defects or vaginal cancers were likely or a possibility and the FDA felt strongly enough about it to publish warnings.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=4627406&dopt=Abstract
The point is…do we vaccinate our little girls now and worry about possible side effects when it’s too late or do we say “NO” to mandatory “possible preventative measures”. Choice, man…choice.