[ ARC forum 2 ]
Written by Rood at 15 Oct 2002 02:23:33: Re: Agenda: Child Welfare
As an answer to: Re: Agenda...Child Welfare...or? written by AJ at 14 Oct 2002 22:45:24:
Dear AJ:
As you will note by carefully rereading my post, I never said that "...all doctors and [are] circ-happy." Nor did I say that it is for me or for anyone else "...to decide what is in the best interest of the child in question."
If the best interests of children are also your concern, then you will naturally lend your considerable efforts to the fight to end Routine Infant Circumcision with at least as much effort as you expend fighting bottle tops.
Parents do need an education regarding the reasons why their sons and daughters are born with a foreskin, and, since you don't, as you say, "pretend" an interest in the welfare of children in regard to the anatomy, function and dynamic purpose of the foreskin, well, it will be wonderful to observe your efforts to inform ignorant parents and Doctors, too, of the advantages of having an intact foreskin. It's a noble service that you volunteer, and we are pleased to have you participate in the effort. Thank you. Rood
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>>When you recommend that children seek information from their parents and from their Doctors regarding their genitals, you betray a terrible ignorance of the situation, at least that which exists in the United States, and you should temper your remarks.
>Sorry, Rood, I can't agree with what you are saying. It is not for you to presumptiously suggest that because you believe all doctors and circ-happy that it must be so. It is not for you to decide what is the best interest of the child in question. Nor is it responsible of the individuals here to suggest to them treatments based on an unqualified and remote diagnosis. Parents and/or the doctor should definitely be informed so that the individual does not do something stupid like, for example, filing down a bottle top in a workshop then wedging it down their foreskin (which has been suggested at this forum). It's the responsibility and job of the parent to participate in the education and decision making process. It's not yours or that of anyone else here. It's certainly wrong that so many here feel that they have the "authority" to attempt and subvert that parental right.
>>They do a disservice to the very children for whose welfare you pretend to fight.
>I don't pretend anything, Rood.
>All the best.