From INTACT AMERICA:
The AAP is actively considering whether they should recommend circumcision.
Make sure they hear our side of the debate!
Send a message to Susan Blank, chair of the circumcision task force, today.
"Very compelling."
That's how Susan Blank – who chairs the American Academy of Pediatricians' task force on circumcision – described studies of adult males in sub-Saharan Africa that suggest circumcision reduces the risk of HIV transmission.
Well, here's what we think is very compelling: circumcising babies is wrong – ethically, morally, and medically. It's shocking to think Dr. Blank and her task force are considering policy recommendations for baby boys in the United States based on misconstrued data from controversial African studies.
Send a message directly to Dr. Blank today and urge the AAP task force not to recommend circumcision. http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5922/t/6483/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=2318
Here's my letter:
Dear Dr. Susan Blank and American Academy of Pediatrics,
The human baby feels and remembers everything that he or she experiences in the womb, in labor and at birth, and in the first seconds, minutes, and hours of life. The prenate feels, tastes, hears, and responds to the environment - via the mother. The human being is in a continuum of NEVER-ending brain development from conception forward, and the primal period is the foundation for the rest of life.
It is logical and scientific that during the birth process the newborn brain is not somehow miraculously selective, thus being capable of "turning off" during time in the hospital with medical caregivers and interventions. There is no mechanism that allows that -- so that medical people can do whatever they wish to a baby. The human newborn is not capable of "de-selecting" the violations of medical caregivers on his personhood. The science is clear: Your own science tells us "what fires wires" so we know the birthing and newborn brain "wires what fires" and learns, even more so outside the womb than she or he did prenatally. The newborn baby is an aware, feeling being - a fully sentient being - and the brain IS "on" while in your hands in your institution. We/You can no longer say: "the baby won't remember" and "the baby won't feel it". Circumcision is just one of the medical interventions experienced by newborns in your hands.
Circumcision is the worst human rights violation of mankind, done by mankind to mankind, wherever it is inflicted upon on a non-consenting uninformed baby, child, or third world country. The American Academy of Pediatrics is being called upon to protect and defend our babies, and to be protectors of the human rights of newborns in our society. As a society we will look back on this action against males, and we we see how it is the primary cause of violence of all kinds, but especially against women and children. We will see how "we" plundered the world's people because of it. People will wonder how we could have been so barbaric at this point in history in our human evolution. Your name will be there, Dr. Susan Blank ... either as the person who helped stop the routine, barbaric, torture of NON-CONSENTING, UNINFORMED baby boys, or the one who pushed for it; the one too blind, too bought to see the impact to every aspect of a male's life and to our society, and to our planet.
Choose well, your legacy, Dr. Susan Blank.
I am a birth trauma therapist, baby advocate, and filmmaker doing a birth film for and about fathers in birth. Part four of my film will address the impact of circumcision on the male baby disconnected from his mother, unprotected, and so unspeakably violated ... for no medical reason ... and how this plays out his entire life, including family and child abuse, sexual assault, violence, and war. On my radio show this fall I have done a series with guests who are advocates of intact males; they are doctors, psychologists, midwives, and therapists in a series this fall. I have come to believe that circumcision of our baby males is the most barbaric act of humanity. It is outrageous that female genital mutilation is seen as such, while male babies in our culture are tortured, and these tortured males lead us to war after war, while porn is number one money maker, and pedophiles are a number one concern for communities and parents. Circumcision is torture Dr. Blank, and from what I have learned there is no medical reason to do it, only political and financial gains. The research in Africa is inconclusive and even shows no decrease in AIDS for these men, while AIDS has risen for women.
I have one circumcised son, age 34, and one intact son, age 27. I was holding my son when he was circumcised. It was horrible and shocking, and I couldn't stop it. I had assumed that what I was told to be done next was humane and science based. Now, we do know that it is not. It was tragic to learn later there is no reason for it, and more tragic, as a mother, to learn the resulting outcomes for him that he has to live his whole life with. For example, the violation of the body part responsible for creating pleasure results in a lifetime of dysfunctions in sexual functioning, from minor, like premature ejaculation, excessive masturbation, and being unaware of one's partner's needs (rough because he doesn't have the part of his penis meant to communicate to his brain about pleasure), for which we now have industry after industry to "fix" to the violent crimes against women, children, and society. Men do not know what it is they are missing, and depending on other aspects of their early life and violations, to varying degrees, they go after what is missing with a vengeance; and, Dr. Blank, they go after women and children. This one act against male babies/men provides multiple industries to this country and fuels war.
I am grateful that I became aware of alternative methods of emotional and physical healing, besides the ineffective talk and drug therapy that dominates our society. I could begin to support my son to heal his soul, an apology from the one who allowed it instead of protecting him begins the healing, and he can now choose to even restore his foreskin. Even so, as a mother, I suspect I will never get over the brutality and loss that I allowed my son to experience for no reason. We know now many modalities for healing those who have been harmed, but these modalities are also diminished and vilified by your profession, after promoting the violation, for financial reasons. To embrace the healing of the trauma one has to see the violation inflicted upon helpless newborn babies.
I guarantee you the American people are wising up, and rising up, and they will continue to become a majority against circumcision. Three cultures circumcise their male children: Christian, Jewish, and Muslim. You figure it out. Do the research outside your status quo of medicine funded by drug companies, about the real reasons your professional group struggles to promote what it knows is true one minute and then is promoting the opposite again the next. Your profession has a responsibility to tell and BE the truth, and to stop the torture of our male babies. EVERYWHERE.
Again, Circumcision is the worst human rights violation of mankind done by mankind to mankind, wherever it is inflicted upon on a non-consenting uninformed baby, child, or third world country. As a society we will look back on this action against males, and we we see how it is the primary cause of violence of all kinds, but especially against women and children, and how we plundered the world's people because of it. People will wonder how we could have been so barbaric at this point in history in our human evolution. Your name will be there, Dr. Susan Blank ... either as the person who helped stop the routine, barbaric, torture of NON-CONSENTING, UNINFORMED baby boys, or the one pushed for it; the one too blind, too bought to see the impact to every aspect of a male's life and to our society, and to our planet.
Choose well, your legacy, Dr. Blank.
L. Janel Martin Miranda, MA
Columbia, MO
573-424-0997
www.theothersideoftheglass.com
www.thoughtcrimeradio.blogspot.com -- you can listen to podcasts of many professionals from many areas speaking about the impact of circumcision.
I agree with Intact America:
Your statement to ABC News that recent African studies of male circumcision are "very compelling" suggests that the American Academy of Pediatrics Task Force on Neonatal Circumcision may ignore the ethics, risks and harms of performing medically unnecessary surgery on non-consenting infant boys.
As chair of the task force, please respond to the following questions regarding your upcoming decision:
- How will the task force address the ethical problems related to performing medically unnecessary circumcision surgery on non-consenting newborn males?
- How is the task force taking into account the risks and harms of circumcision?
- Aren't circumcision trials conducted on consenting adults irrelevant to circumcising baby boys who cannot consent?
I look forward to your prompt response.
Sincerely,
