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Two California cities put circumcision ban on ballot

June 6, 2011

Proposals to ban the circumcision of male children will appear on the November ballots in several California cities, the first public votes on a subject that has long been considered a family decision. [AHN]

San Francisco and Santa Monica voters will decide in November if performing circumcisions on boys under 18, even for religious reasons, will be banned. The sponsor of the proposed bans, the group MGM Bill, contend boys need the same protection from genital mutilation similar to the state-wide ban on female circumcision.

Supporters of the ban say male circumcision is an unnecessary and extremely painful form of genital mutilation that removes thousands of nerve endings on the male genitals.

“Circumcision began in the United States in the late 1800’s largely because some doctors thought that it prevented masturbation, which at the time was thought to be harmful,” the MGM Bill website says. “But once that and other myths were proven wrong, new reasons were created to perpetuate circumcision, most notably that a circumcised penis is more hygienic than an intact penis, that it makes boys look the same as their fathers or others in their community, and for religious reasons.”

Opponents of the proposed bans argue that circumcision is a religious rite practiced by Muslims and Jews and protected under the First Amendment.


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I can’t believe this is even being argued and considered for a law. I really don’t care one way or the other, other than the fact of here comes NANNY Government AGAIN to tell us how to live our lives. If it was somthing that was threatening someones life than fine but here we go wasting more time of the people with this kind of crap!!!


If the legislature’s from the Fed. down to State and then local level have this much time on their hands to consider this kind of junk, while local cities, states and Gov. goes broke, I say lets save some money (and sanity of this kind of STUPID waste of time laws) and cut them all back to part time, because they obviously have WAY to much time on their hands!!! Ridiculas.


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I’ve never understood why doctors think they know better than God or evolution when it comes to how our bodies are naturally created. I understand that circumcision was started to assist with cleanliness. My mother was way ahead of her time and although my family is Christian she didn’t allow my brother to be circumcised and he never had any problems.

As for the person who said the Jew’s don’t know why they circumcise, they most certainly do know why. It is the sign of their covenant with God as told to them by Moses (or one of those guy’s), it is religious and they have a right to practice their 5000 year old religion. I believe that it should be a matter of choice by the parents, there is too much gov in our lives as it is. I also suggest that parents be made aware of exactly what the procedure entails, the advantages if any, the degree of pain, etc. There is really no reason to circumcise in my opinion. Parents should use their heads but gov needs to bud out.


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If (Jews) they have “a right to practice their religion” as you say, then why do you then say, “there is really no reason to circumcise”? Which is it?

People have an obigation to do the right thing, then play religious if they wanna, too bad that causes so much conflict and perpetual wars. Hey, maybe it ain’t worth it?

Religion is written as mythology but percieved as reality by people who replace hope with self-delusion or need to delude somebody else, more often and doctors circumcise because they can bill it AND not get sued for NOT doing it “as prescribed” by them. If you don’t have it done ask for a credit on your bill. Yeah, that’ll happen.


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I can understand the pressure parents feel to do this to their sons. I must admit that I fell to that pressure. I wouldn’t do it again, it’s horrible and cruel. Some states have laws about clipping dog’s tales and ears I guess our kids should be allowed the same respect and humanity as our dogs.


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I did not see a need to circumcise both my boys… they are the first in my family to not have the procedure.


To cut, or not to cut – that is the question.


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I’m so sorry that I did it. Someone said, they’ll be so embarrassed in the locker rooms and when they are with girls so I fell for it. Now I’m wondering if guys look at each other winkies when in the locker rooms,,bit creepy.


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Thinking about circumcision brings tears to my eyes. Kids go through enough. Why start their inferiority complexes that early. We can make our own mental problems all by ourselves. I suggest operations that actually lengthen the member. I think most people will vote yes on that as long as the operation is when we are very young. I know we can keep that clean. We won’t have to reach so far.

Sorry, I couldn’t resist.


God Bless. God has a sense of humor for sure.


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I can still hear my kid getting his, they try to hide the procedure from parents. I seeked it out cuz I wanted to be around for him I guess.No anesthetic, just horrifying screaming from him.

As far as the Jews go……gimme a break, another tradition from just after the dinosaurs that they can’t even explain why it started.

If they do push it through we may see the end of zipper flies. Huh, Guys?


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Body piercing on infants should be out lawed too


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This is good news it should be nationwide


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I have seen body piercings that should be considered mutilations. Let’s outlaw those too!


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This is such an IMPORTANT issue that much time and money has been spent getting this on the ballot. Never mind double digit unemployment, housing crisis, 3 wars, etc. At lease someone’s got their priorities straight. A ban on pierced ears should be next!


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The same can be said for most of the ridiculous propositions that end up on the ballot. Almost all of the issues you mentioned (especially 3 wars) are FEDERAL issues and there is nothing any CITY proposition could do about them. The fact remains that stopping the mutilation of defenseless infants is an important issue to many.


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Hopefully our politicians can walk and chew gum at the same time. You people that say this don’t seem to understand multi tasking comes easy for some. Should everything stop because of those things that you mentioned? Of course they are important but we can’t shut down the govt. because of them.


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