It comes from the New York Review of Books interview I linked to yesterday. It resonated with several readers and is still resonating with me. It’s about negotiating with the Palestinian leadership: They are products of a culture in which to tell a lie…creates no dissonance. They don’t suffer from the problem of telling lies … Continue reading THAT BARAK QUOTE
I’ve not commented these last few days on the crisis on the West Bank and Israel for a pretty obvious reason. I’m not completely clear what I think. I’d like to argue that Sharon is totally right, that the incursion is essential to restrain terrorism, that the military strategy can work, that Arafat can and … Continue reading THE WAR IN ISRAEL
I guess lots of people will chuckle at the news that one William Stowell is now suing the hospital that circumcized him as a new-born. He claims that he enjoys less sexual pleasure as a result. Actually, I think he has half a point, so to speak. I don’t think he should sue. And I … Continue reading GETTING SNIPPY WITH IT
The Synod convened by this remarkable Pope is now in session – and there are some reactionary voices being heard – as there should be. The head of the Polish church just described cohabitation as “the self-mutilation of [a couple’s] love”. He also noted with dismay that “some parents like to teach boys that they … Continue reading The Vanishing Idols
A UN official who claimed that ISIS had ordered genital mutilation for all women and girls in Mosul appears to have been the victim of a hoax: The story quickly began to go viral, racking up hundreds of shares on social media. Soon thereafter, however, journalists with contacts in Iraq began reporting that the story didn’t hold … Continue reading You Can’t Believe Everything You Read About Iraq
The rescinding of an honorary degree to Ayaan Hirsi Ali is not exactly an act of punishment. No one has a right to any such degree and Brandeis is fully within its rights to breach basic manners and fail to do basic research about an honoree’s past work. And Ayaan has indeed said some intemperate … Continue reading Where The Hard Left Says No
Joseph Stern rants against the anti-circumcision movement, going so far as to compare it to vaccine denialism. It’s an enjoyable piece of hysteria and affront but he fails to address the core point of those, like me, who oppose circumcision. The basic question is a very simple one: Why not leave infant boys alone? The foreskin is … Continue reading Free Willies!
Many more readers are dissenting:
Andrew, your reader is right that "your passion is getting the better of you" about MGM, and your response to her proves it. In one breath you admit that MGM only "merely slightly dulls" pleasure, yet in the next you grab your pitchfork and torch so you can shout down dissent, saying "So, sorry. But you did that. You have scarred his
penis for life. You made that decision on behalf of your infant son."
Yes, the reader made a decision on behalf of her son. Guess what? That’s what parents do, all the time and every day.
Are all these choices wise or correct? Of course not! But we do the best we have with the information that we have. What is the point of accusing good-intentioned parents of "mutilating" their infant boys with a procedure that you yourself admit can still be part of a healthy, pleasurable sex life? Can your reader, and others like her, explain this to her son someday, and make sure that if he has children he is aware of the choices? Absolutely. But can you stop shouting at your readers about something that’s already done – and almost always innocently and/or with good intentions – and focus instead on changing the conversation going forward?
Point taken. But this is not part of usual parenting; it is not teaching a kid how to read or play a game; it's a physical surgical irrevocable operation on the most intimate part of a human being's body. It occurs almost immediately after birth. Would anyone ever think of doing such a thing if it were not related to ancient religious tradition? No. Would we permanently change any other part of an infant's body to ward off nebulous future STDs? No. Those are my points. As for my tone, maybe mutilation does come off as harsh. The online thesaurus proposes the following synonyms: "baptism, initiation rite, initiatory rite." But those are religious definitions, obviously. "Mutilation" has all negative connotations, but captures the permanent loss, or damage and scar tissue. Perhaps the most neutral term that is not cowardly is "male genital cutting", or maybe "forcible foreskin removal."
I am not doubting the good faith of those who choose to permanently alter their infant sons' bodies out of future health concerns.
In a very personal rant, Jesse Bering replies at length to my criticism of his stance on MGM. He covers a lot of territory but he still misses the core point of the entire debate: Sullivan trots out the standard intactivist party line, which is to compare infant male circumcision with the removal of some … Continue reading Why Is Jesse Bering’s Penis Shaped Like That?
Today on the Dish, Andrew hailed the Chief Justice's ACA vote as a revival of conservatism in the face of Republican "contempt for institutions." Speculation of Roberts’ flip raged on following Jan Crawford's behind-the-scenes reporting; Salmon saw it as evidence of partisanship, Kerr wondered about the implications of the leak for SOCTUS collegiality, and Suderman interpreted it as Roberts succumbing … Continue reading The Daily Wrap
