From: gdavis@griffin.uvm.edu (Gary Davis)
Subject: Re: A few facts about circumcision
Organization: University of Vermont -- Division of EMBA Computer Facility
Distribution: default
Date: Mon, 21 Dec 1992 15:03:11 GMT

In <1992Dec20.192503.14010@newstand.syr.edu> kgatling@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Keith E Gatling) writes:

>Please excuse me for attempting to be rational in the face of such an
>emotional discussion, but so far the only two issues have been been being
>talked about here; religious reasons and vanity; and I distinctly remember
>mentioning a third...ease of maintenance.

>As I've said (calmly) many times before, one of the reasons I enjoy being
>circumcised is because of the ease of maintenance.  When I took a bath or a
>shower, *everything* got clean without me having to do excessive fiddling
>around.  As I've also said before, my wife, who's a nurse could tell you
>quite a few stories about uncircumcised men whose foreskins you had to clean
>with a Dustbuster.  So...forgetting the religious and vanity issues, how are
>we on maintenance?  I really think it's been easier for me as well as my
>parents when I was a baby.

>Also, this whole discussion, and recently finding out just what *is*
>involved in caring for an uncircumcised penis finally shed some light on
>something I saw when I was a kid.  I was staying over my friend John's
>house, and the last thing I remember before we went to bed was happening to
>see his mother come in with a Q-Tip and some other stuff (this was a good 25
>years ago, so my memory may be a bit fuzzy) and start doing something to his
>penis.  I thought maybe he'd hurt himself or something, but I wasn't about
>to ask what was going on and embarrass him or myself.  Now I realize what
>was going on...his mother was making sure his foreskin was clean!

>Nah...I'll take circumcision.

>*Rational* responses, anyone?

First there is the small matter of your always having been circumcised
and I'll bet your ego doesn't allow you to believe your anything
less than perfect in other ways either. Circumcision may be the least of
these.

I can hardly believe this story about the Q tip!
First care of the normal penis is so simple that a one year old can do it.
Secondly what care would be needed. The foreskin is usually attached
to the glans until separation takes place by age five and at the latest
13 years. My son is 13 and not circumcised,he has as clean a penis as
any circumcisied child and only takes showers. We never fiddled with his
penis in any way. In fact a lot of ignorant MDs still tell parents to
force the foreskin back and clean.. clean... clean.. This is stuff
from 1950s baby books!
Could it be the mother of your firend was disturbed? Was your friend 
retarded? It sounds like one or the other must have been true.

Stop trying to rationalize your circumcision through old hygiene
arguments.. most parents who have intact sons know these stories
are nothing more than biased stray-men attempting to hang on to a
dead or dying newborn ritual.


>* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
>* Keith E Gatling                                  kgatling@mailbox.syr.edu *
>*          Opinions?  I've got plenty of them.  Just ask my wife!           *
>* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

--
                       Gary E. Davis /WQ1F/
              Dpt. Electrical Engineering and Com Sciences
              University of Vermont @ Burlington