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> So, I'm assuming like most of those circumcised males, you were probably circumcised at birth. Therefore you and others circumcised at birth really have no wa

by umvi 5y ago

> So, I'm assuming like most of those circumcised males, you were probably circumcised at birth. Therefore you and others circumcised at birth really have no way to compare the experience of before and after. As a male circumcised from birth, am I not allowed to hold an opinion on whether what I thought was done to me was a "terrible thing" or not? I dislike people telling me "you were wronged and what happened to you was terrible and you aren't allowed to disagree because you don't know what it's like to not have been wronged. Only me and my enlightened colleagues, who are either uncircumcised or were circumcised much later in life are allowed to hold an opinion on this." > Also, there are plenty of reason to discourage optional, unnecessary surgical procedures. Most parents, I suspect, are not strongly in favor of circumcision. What happens in American hospitals is this: - baby is born - doctor: "would you like me to circumcise this boy? Now is the time" - parents: "do most parents circumcise their boys?" - doctor: "yes" - parents: "uhh... sure then"

ZGDUwpqEWpUZ 5y ago
> As a male circumcised from birth, am I not allowed to hold an opinion on whether what I thought was done to me was a "terrible thing" or not? You're absolutely allowed an opinion, and everyone else is allowed to view it in context. Women in cultures that practice FGM (both the milder and the extreme forms) are often its most ardent advocates, that doesn't make the practice okay. And while it may have worked out fine for you, it doesn't for everyone, as this story shows.
- tomrod 5y ago
  Hear hear! If you read my comment, you'll note nothing about opinions being invalid. Rather, the correct reading is purely positive, not normative, and solely observational: males circumcised at birth have no basis of comparison since the event is outside their memory. In no way does it invalidate anyone's opinion.
prvc 5y ago
> am I not allowed to hold an opinion on whether what I thought was done to me was a "terrible thing" or not? You are, but you have done more than that, namely to minimize the experiences of others. When someone says, "I, for one don't mind", they typically want to use that to determine what the actions of others or accepted social mores ought to be. There's no problem with saying you don't mind (and merely that), but that doesn't mean you weren't grievously harmed, whether you realize it or not. Moreover, such an observation carries such exceedingly little weight wrt the broader issue, that it hardly seems worth mentioning.

by umvi 5y ago

ZGDUwpqEWpUZ 5y ago

> As a male circumcised from birth, am I not allowed to hold an opinion on whether what I thought was done to me was a "terrible thing" or not? You're absolutely allowed an opinion, and everyone else is allowed to view it in context. Women in cultures that practice FGM (both the milder and the extreme forms) are often its most ardent advocates, that doesn't make the practice okay. And while it may have worked out fine for you, it doesn't for everyone, as this story shows.

tomrod 5y ago
Hear hear! If you read my comment, you'll note nothing about opinions being invalid. Rather, the correct reading is purely positive, not normative, and solely observational: males circumcised at birth have no basis of comparison since the event is outside their memory. In no way does it invalidate anyone's opinion.

prvc 5y ago

> am I not allowed to hold an opinion on whether what I thought was done to me was a "terrible thing" or not? You are, but you have done more than that, namely to minimize the experiences of others. When someone says, "I, for one don't mind", they typically want to use that to determine what the actions of others or accepted social mores ought to be. There's no problem with saying you don't mind (and merely that), but that doesn't mean you weren't grievously harmed, whether you realize it or not. Moreover, such an observation carries such exceedingly little weight wrt the broader issue, that it hardly seems worth mentioning.