Today (August 31, 2018) marks a major milestone. Today, a documentary that took several years to compile, fund and promote, has been released at major providers. "This is the first documentary of its scale to comprehensively explore this cutting edge issue, which involves sex, politics, and religion, all in the most personal way possible."
It has been a pleasure and an honor to participate in the funding and promotion of this excellent show. I am proud to have been included by Brendon Marotta. I consider myself lucky to have been one of the very first people to get to see this at a screening in Seattle.
This documentary tackles one of the most hotly debated topics of our time. I realize that it's a topic that touches nerves (both literally and figuratively) of every person I know. I know that it leads many to be defensive, regardless of which side of the debate you are on. I realize that this leads many to avoid the topic completely. This has delayed my involvement on the topic as I fear upsetting people and putting wedges between friends, family, colleagues and myself. However, I only wish I would have been more active on the topic sooner and I wish our financial system would have supported an earlier release of this documentary. Alas, we may simply have not been ready for it until today.
Please trust me when I say that this documentary is as non-biased and fair as I believe anything covering this topic can be. Please trust me when I say that this is a must-see. I won't lie, it will stir feelings. But, how many shows have you watched knowing well beforehand that it was going to stir feelings? Just because this is about a very real topic that is likely to strike very close to home, please do not avoid it. You may think you already know all that you need to know of the topic; I beg of you, please keep an open mind as I keep learning more and more as I have over the past 13 years.
There is so much I could say about this documentary, but I don't want to ruin it for you. Please enjoy:
https://circumcisionmovie.com/
Oh, if you can't afford the show, please reach out. I'll figure out a way.
Friday, August 31, 2018
Wednesday, August 29, 2018
Intactivist things to do
- Check out sites that provide definitions of penis, foreskin, etc (i.e. brittanica.com) and send them feedback to get proper attention and detail given to foreskin and/or circumcision facts.
- Go to Cancer sites (i.e. American Cancer Society) and give them feedback to give proper information (i.e. do not use the word "uncircumcise.")
- Search for the words "circumcise," "circumcised," "circumcision" or "foreskin" on Facebook and GoFundMe for opportunities to educate.
- When out and about at shopping locations (baby stores, Walmart, Target, etc.) and put informational cards in places where people that are likely having a child will see it. Greeting cards for people that are pregnant is a good example.
- Check out educational institutions and museums where there is a display of the male genitalia and speak out if the display does not show an intact penis. Credit: Tara Nova Draegan for doing this in Vancouver, BC at Science World (and succeeded in getting them to change it!)
- Go to "https://www.customizedinc.com/customer-care/contact-us/" and ask that they give information for intact penis care and to remove reference(s) to circumcision reducing penile cancer risk (according to American Cancer Society).
- In the following e-book, there is a list of school texts (in the references section) that do not cover the anatomy of the intact penis; attempt to contact the publishers and request that they send out an addendum to the owners of their book and to stop distributing their current book: https://books.google.nl/books?id=-IMk5TXEdWQC&pg=PA17&lpg=PA17&dq=An%20Analysis%20of%20the%20Accuracy%20of%20the%20Presentation%20of%20%20%20%20%20the%20Human%20Penis%20in%20Anatomical%20Source%20Materials&source=bl&ots=wyWiSzZXF1&sig=oZ1qqaQ4XQKbT7NExc4LwkG5VOA&hl=en&sa=X&ei=5J_AVL6RDcWvU-OphOAC&ved=0CCsQ6AEwAg&fbclid=IwAR2Boowf6rYL2Xpaaq4BbmTrRzr0lbGft64tUqYvPp8fcrTFpkWL5-JB5Is#v=onepage&q=An%20Analysis%20of%20the%20Accuracy%20of%20the%20Presentation%20of%20%20%20%20%20the%20Human%20Penis%20in%20Anatomical%20Source%20Materials&f=false
- If you're genitally mutilated, make sure the medical system knows about the ill-effects. Go to your doctor and ask them to document the "complications" of your "circumcision." For instance, identify any keratinization of your glans, tight skin and scrotum skin on the shaft.
- If you were genitally mutilated as a minor, file a complaint with the hospital/clinic and with the local authorities where it was done. i.e. https://johnadkison.blogspot.com/2018/10/filed-criminal-complaint-for.html
- Go to dating sites, create fake profiles (as a male on gay sites and female on straight ones) and ask men if they are circumcised.
- Contact providers and let them know your feelings on the topic. www.yourwholebaby.org has kits that can be sent to providers. Here's a tracking list:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Sryhu0ryQ7RFiyiwbv3UPmvEWFsJyPLeVsoC3Wz3nkY/edit?usp=sharing - Look for contact pages or email addresses of providers and ask them whether they would make this brochure available for expecting parents: https://www.yourwholebaby.org/shop/brochure
- Find out when your hospital and/or local government has a public comment meeting where the public is allowed to speak to the board. John Sambrook has done this in Kirkland, WA: https://youtu.be/u1g3uhomMvc
- Start or participate in a petition directed at your state. Here's an example:
https://www.change.org/p/washington-state-house-make-genital-mutilation-of-minors-explicitly-illegal-in-washington-state?recruiter=8381529&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_petition&utm_content=fhtcon-13912652-en-us%3Av6&fbclid=IwAR3c_CHTWUK2g8r8IYHDU8p73EtMz398v-vBj00F914hK-fHbJEuu2gmmI0
Here's a letter that was written to the state representatives (found on the state's website) regarding the initiation of the petition:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1kvkgn0D-zKnKJvY8VIqjQ1lG-alZwqeb - Contact the Inspector General (USA specific) - https://johnadkison.blogspot.com/2020/06/contact-dod-inspector-general.html
- Contact daycares that care for infants and ask them how they deal with changing diapers on intact boys. If they give you the correct answer, give them 5 stars on a review site like Google Maps; if they do not, give them 1 star.
- Pin images from genital autonomy sites into Pinterest. This is extremely easy once you have the Pinterest plug-in in your browser.
- Write a blog. Places like blogger.com are free. Who knows, you may even get enough followers and figure out ways to get paid for your blog. But, for the purposes of this, you can do things like include images like this one with tags that may cause the image to show up in image searches:
You can also put links in your blog to pages on sites that attempt to educate others about genital autonomy to improve search engine results for those sites. Research "SEO" to understand how that works.
Thursday, August 23, 2018
USA law about male infant circumcision
8/23/2018
I have been looking for specific law that specifically stated that male infant circumcision was legal. I finally found it! And, of course, I am not very happy about it.
I found the text here:
https://americanhumanist.org/news/frank-r-wolf-international-religious-freedom-act-signed-law/
"(3) in subparagraph (B), in the matter preceding clause
(i)—
(A) by inserting ‘‘persecution of lawyers, politicians,
or other human rights advocates seeking to defend the
rights of members of religious groups or highlight religious
freedom violations, prohibitions on ritual animal slaughter
or male infant circumcision,’’ after ‘‘entire religions,’’"
THIS is NOT religious freedom! Religious freedom applies to the individual, not some authority (including a parent)! WOW!!!! I am FURIOUS!!!
This was signed by Obama as H.R. 1150 on Dec. 19, 2016! LOL - here's proof that Obama is not a Muslim, because he would have required the "male" part to be removed!
It further violates the USA Constitution's 14th amendment as boys and girls are supposed to get equal protection!
And, how can this be considered religious freedom when it specifically supports the Jewish based desire to circumcise males, but not the Muslim based desire to circumcise females?! And, before everyone says I'm being anti-Semitic or whatever, I do realize that not all Jews or Muslims practice these customs.
Infant circumcision is persecution of the infant. It's persecuting the infant to make a choice about their religion before they're old enough to understand religious teachings well enough to make *any* decision about it. This section of this law is concerned with persecution of adults! I am persecuted every single day by a religion because I know that I am missing a body part that was taken from me before I had a chance to say NO! Where is my religious freedom?!
I don't want to persecute lawyers, politicians, other "human rights advocates" or other members of religious groups; I just want the persecution of children to stop!
I have been looking for specific law that specifically stated that male infant circumcision was legal. I finally found it! And, of course, I am not very happy about it.
I found the text here:
https://americanhumanist.org/news/frank-r-wolf-international-religious-freedom-act-signed-law/
"(3) in subparagraph (B), in the matter preceding clause
(i)—
(A) by inserting ‘‘persecution of lawyers, politicians,
or other human rights advocates seeking to defend the
rights of members of religious groups or highlight religious
freedom violations, prohibitions on ritual animal slaughter
or male infant circumcision,’’ after ‘‘entire religions,’’"
THIS is NOT religious freedom! Religious freedom applies to the individual, not some authority (including a parent)! WOW!!!! I am FURIOUS!!!
This was signed by Obama as H.R. 1150 on Dec. 19, 2016! LOL - here's proof that Obama is not a Muslim, because he would have required the "male" part to be removed!
It further violates the USA Constitution's 14th amendment as boys and girls are supposed to get equal protection!
And, how can this be considered religious freedom when it specifically supports the Jewish based desire to circumcise males, but not the Muslim based desire to circumcise females?! And, before everyone says I'm being anti-Semitic or whatever, I do realize that not all Jews or Muslims practice these customs.
Infant circumcision is persecution of the infant. It's persecuting the infant to make a choice about their religion before they're old enough to understand religious teachings well enough to make *any* decision about it. This section of this law is concerned with persecution of adults! I am persecuted every single day by a religion because I know that I am missing a body part that was taken from me before I had a chance to say NO! Where is my religious freedom?!
I don't want to persecute lawyers, politicians, other "human rights advocates" or other members of religious groups; I just want the persecution of children to stop!
Thursday, March 22, 2018
My Political Views
I am bothered by the hateful and extreme views of others. I wish more people would take the time to listen to other views and find the common and win-win possibilities between what seems like polar-opposite views.
I also hate labels, like conservative, liberal, democrat, republican, capitalist and socialist. I like to think of myself as a conservative liberal, democratic republican that is a socio-capitalist.
Let's tackle one of these at a time...
Conservatives don't want big government and don't want to be responsible for the actions of others. Liberals want plenty of rules to keep people from hurting others and want to make sure there is a safety net for those who fall on hard times. To me, these can be both complimentary and, in cases, balanced between the two. Depending on your position in society, the extra rules of government can be seen as hurting you; and, it's often hard to see how those rules are protecting others in society. As for the responsibility piece, I used to think I would never need a safety net (i.e. Social Security, Medicare/Medicaid, unemployment insurance) as I was a hard worker who did on-going education and was financially frugal. However, after the 2008 financial meltdown, I was in a very bad position as I had been working for the financial industry. I was laid off and couldn't find a job for 9 months! Since it affected so many others, doing self-employment wasn't very successful either. Would a conservative have me lose my home, my transportation, etc.? By the time this occurred, I had two kids. I thought I was so responsible by waiting until a point in my life where I was in a good financial place before having kids, but 2008 happened! I didn't just sit around, though. I got out and volunteered everywhere I was allowed. I delivered food for the local food bank and helped at Habitat for Humanity.
Democrats want everyone to have a vote. Republicans aren't as big about majority rule. Looking at history, I don't know of any country that was successful without considering the needs and desires of its people. Thus, I think there's a balance. Majority rule can be scary when the majority is ill-advised and lack education. The majority can also be swayed by propaganda, whether that propaganda is from their own government or individuals that have the power to get people's attention. Thus, my opinion is that only people that can prove they have appropriate knowledge should be able to vote. It should not be an age thing. I also think that voting can be more efficient with technology than it was in the past; thus, there is less need for representatives to vote on all the issues for us.
Capitalists think that everything would be OK if we just let the free-market decide everything. We can all vote with our dollars, right? That works until a single entity ends up with a monopoly on a market. Socialists want everyone to be taken care of. Where's the carrot to go to work? Forget about money for a minute. I know it's hard, but just imagine we didn't have a medium of exchange. What would need to occur for people to be taken care of and prosper? Until we have robots that do everything for us, a certain percentage of people would need to perform duties a certain percentage of their time. Thus, there needs to be an incentive to work; however, not everyone is employable either. Do we make the workers take care of their unemployable family, neighbors, etc.? What about people that don't have anyone like that? I like socialism in certain areas where it affects everyone (i.e. roads) and regulated capitalism in others. There are some areas where it's particularly difficult, such as healthcare; but that's at least a separate paragraph.
I also hate labels, like conservative, liberal, democrat, republican, capitalist and socialist. I like to think of myself as a conservative liberal, democratic republican that is a socio-capitalist.
Let's tackle one of these at a time...
Conservatives don't want big government and don't want to be responsible for the actions of others. Liberals want plenty of rules to keep people from hurting others and want to make sure there is a safety net for those who fall on hard times. To me, these can be both complimentary and, in cases, balanced between the two. Depending on your position in society, the extra rules of government can be seen as hurting you; and, it's often hard to see how those rules are protecting others in society. As for the responsibility piece, I used to think I would never need a safety net (i.e. Social Security, Medicare/Medicaid, unemployment insurance) as I was a hard worker who did on-going education and was financially frugal. However, after the 2008 financial meltdown, I was in a very bad position as I had been working for the financial industry. I was laid off and couldn't find a job for 9 months! Since it affected so many others, doing self-employment wasn't very successful either. Would a conservative have me lose my home, my transportation, etc.? By the time this occurred, I had two kids. I thought I was so responsible by waiting until a point in my life where I was in a good financial place before having kids, but 2008 happened! I didn't just sit around, though. I got out and volunteered everywhere I was allowed. I delivered food for the local food bank and helped at Habitat for Humanity.
Democrats want everyone to have a vote. Republicans aren't as big about majority rule. Looking at history, I don't know of any country that was successful without considering the needs and desires of its people. Thus, I think there's a balance. Majority rule can be scary when the majority is ill-advised and lack education. The majority can also be swayed by propaganda, whether that propaganda is from their own government or individuals that have the power to get people's attention. Thus, my opinion is that only people that can prove they have appropriate knowledge should be able to vote. It should not be an age thing. I also think that voting can be more efficient with technology than it was in the past; thus, there is less need for representatives to vote on all the issues for us.
Capitalists think that everything would be OK if we just let the free-market decide everything. We can all vote with our dollars, right? That works until a single entity ends up with a monopoly on a market. Socialists want everyone to be taken care of. Where's the carrot to go to work? Forget about money for a minute. I know it's hard, but just imagine we didn't have a medium of exchange. What would need to occur for people to be taken care of and prosper? Until we have robots that do everything for us, a certain percentage of people would need to perform duties a certain percentage of their time. Thus, there needs to be an incentive to work; however, not everyone is employable either. Do we make the workers take care of their unemployable family, neighbors, etc.? What about people that don't have anyone like that? I like socialism in certain areas where it affects everyone (i.e. roads) and regulated capitalism in others. There are some areas where it's particularly difficult, such as healthcare; but that's at least a separate paragraph.
Saturday, January 20, 2018
Infant Circumcision
This is the hardest thing for me to write. I struggle to determine where to start. This is a topic that makes many uncomfortable because it is about sexual organs. If you think you know all you need to know about this topic, think again. I've been studying the topic since before my first boy was born (over 12 years) and I'm still finding things I wish I would have known even before I had kids. Also, there is probably going to be TMI, but I desire for people to understand why I'm so passionate about this topic. My conscience simply will not allow me to be silent about this topic any longer.
I hope this post helps bring together a wealth of information into one place that I can refer people to. Some things I'm going to leave to the reader to research on their own.
First TMI: I was circumcised as an infant.
My parents simply chose to do what was done historically in their family and what seemed to be the norm at the time. I do not hold any grudges about it.
Second TMI: I chose to leave my boys intact.
Why didn't I want them to look like me? Honestly, it didn't even occur to me. I was willing to go with whatever my wife thought was best. I guess I'm simply not so vain. And, if they were to ever ask why we look different, I would simply explain.
Am I not worried about their prospects with finding a significant other? No, absolutely not. The majority of the developed world does not practice infant circumcision. I've read stories of women that prefer intact over circumcised. The stories I've seen of the other is only of women that are simply afraid of it because they've only known circumcised men.
Am I not concerned about diseases or infections? No. The more I've looked at the statistics, the more I realized that boys with intact penises have less of a chance of a disease or infection than a woman has of getting breast cancer, but I wouldn't cut out breast buds of baby girls. "No part of the body comes with a lifetime guarantee against disease. Breasts become cancerous, fingers become arthritic, earlobes develop malignant melanomas. If disease prevention is insufficient justification for amputating fingers, breasts or earlobes, then it is insufficient justification for amputating foreskins." Dr. Arif Bhimji. In fact, during the healing time after the surgery, the risk of infection is very high. Think about it: they can't put a band-aid over it; they just put the diaper on where excrement goes!
Aren't circumcised boys easier to clean? No. They are still easier than girls (and, yes, I've changed girl diapers). In fact, the foreskin performs a function that helps keep the penis clean.
Doesn't it say in the Bible to circumcise? In the Old Testament, yes; however, the New Testament has several places where that rule is cancelled due to Christ's sacrifice (see references below). If you're Muslim, check out this: http://www.quranicpath.com/misconceptions/circumcision.html. If you're Jewish, check out the documentary put together by a Jewish man called "Cut: Slicing Through the Myths of Circumcision (2007)"
Am I not concerned that he'll be laughed at? In the USA, the rate of circumcision has dropped significantly. The chances of being laughed at for being intact are most likely less than being laughed at for being circumcised. Besides, remember the days when geeks and nerds were laughed at only to become the wealthy and successful adults due to their knowledge?
Third TMI:
I have/had 3 side-effects due to being circumcised:
Besides the downsides of circumcision, there are many benefits to foreskin: http://www.circumstitions.com/Functions.html
What about what the doctors say? The AMA does not find any medical reason for circumcision. Here's a good link too: https://www.doctorsopposingcircumcision.org/
I haven't heard many stories of men that chose to get their foreskins removed after puberty, but here's one good one:
https://www.yourwholebaby.org/without-his-foreskin
Also, in the American Circumcision documentary, there is a young man that was interviewed who allegedly ended up committing suicide. In the documentary he was extremely unhappy with the decision.
There's a link between erectile dysfunction and circumcision (probably why the USA is the biggest consumer of Viagra): http://www.thewholenetwork.org/twn-news/does-circumcision-cause-erectile-dysfunction
If you're still convinced that a boy should have his foreskin amputated as an infant, please look at one more thing: http://www.savingsons.org/2014/10/i-researched-circumcision-did-you-really.html
Technically, I believe it is actually illegal, but it hasn't been explicitly and clearly been given the green light to enforce. Here is a very thorough write up on the legality of the practice: https://scholarship.richmond.edu/jolpi/vol16/iss3/3/
I could go on. There's a ton more. But, honestly, if all this does not convince you, I doubt that anything will. Just keep in mind that someday your child will be grown and may very well ask you why and you may want to be prepared with a very good answer. I'm not sure that my parents answer will fly with anyone when the parent lived in the days of the information superhighway.
Documentaries:
Cut: Slicing Through the Myths of Circumcision (2007)
Elephant in the Hospital
American Circumcision
Informational websites:
https://www.yourwholebaby.org
Biblical references:
"For you created my inmost being. You knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful, I know this full well." -Psalm 139:13-14
"But in fact, God has arranged the parts of the body, every one of them, just as he wants them to be." -1 Cor 12:18
"Behold, I, Paul, tell you that if you be circumcised, Christ will be of no advantage to you." -Gal 5:2
"And I testify again to every male who receives circumcision, that hue is in debt to keep the whole Law. You who do so have been severed from Christ...you have fallen from grace." -Gal 5:3
"For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, it makes no difference to God whether we are circumcised or not circumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love." -Gal 5:6
"But if I still proclaim circumcision...then the stumbling block of the cross has been abolished." -Gal 5:11
"I wish that those who are pushing you to do so would mutilate themselves!" -Gal 5:12
"And even those who advocate circumcision don’t really keep the whole law. They only want you to be circumcised so they can brag about it and claim you as their disciples." -Gal 6:13
"For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision matters. Rather, what matters is being a new creation." -Gal 6:15
"For there are many who rebel against right teaching; they engage in useless talk and deceive people. This is especially true of those who insist on circumcision for salvation. They must be silenced. By their wrong teaching, they have already turned whole families away from the truth. Such teachers only want your money" – Titus 1:10-11
"Watch out for those wicked men – dangerous dogs, I call them – who say you must be circumcised. Beware of the evil doers. Beware of the mutilation. For it isn’t the cutting of our bodies that makes us children of God; it is worshiping him with our spirits." – Phil 3:2-3
"But each of you should remain in the place in life that the Lord has given you. Stay as you were when God chose you. Was a man already circumcised [Old Covenant] when God chose him? Then he should not become uncircumcised. Was he uncircumcised [New Covenant] when God chose him? Then he should not be circumcised. Being circumcised means nothing. Being uncircumcised means nothing. Doing what God commands is what counts." -1 Cor. 7:17-19
"Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching, saying, 'Moses commanded you to be circumcised. If you aren't, you can't be saved.' But Paul and Barnabas didn't agree with this, argued strongly with them, and were appointed to go up to Jerusalem with other believers chosen to go with them. The apostles and elders met together to consider this question. [...] Peter got up and spoke to them, 'Brothers, you know that some time ago God chose me to take the good news to unbelievers. He wanted them to hear the good news and believe. God knows the human heart. [...] Now then, why are you trying to test God? You test him when you put a heavy load on the believers' shoulders [regarding circumcision]. Our people of long ago couldn't carry that load. We can't either." -Acts 15:1-2, 6-10
"Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly." -1 Tim 4:7
"Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I AM the LORD." -Leviticus: Ch. 19: 28
Quran:
http://www.quranicpath.com/misconceptions/circumcision.html
Jews:
https://www.cutthefilm.com/
A good blog for mother's-to-be to read before approaching the cut father:
http://brightonwoman.blogspot.com/2009/11/vulnerability-of-men.html
A good response to the parent that "wants what's best for their child:"
All parents want what they feel will be best for their child and that varies by culture, religion, ethnicity, etc which is more than okay!
I replied:
No, it's not okay.
It's not okay that I have to live the rest of my life with a permanent and unnecessary body modification that I did not ask for and do not want.
It's not okay that anyone else - parent or not - has more of a right to decide how much of my genitals I get to keep than I do.
It's not okay that I had so much skin removed from the circumcision that was performed on me without my consent that by the time I hit puberty and began "growing into" the skin I had left, there wasn't even enough skin left to accommodate the size of an erection.
It's not okay that anytime I would get an erection, it would completely max out the remaining skin (which was so tight it wouldn't even allow me to get fully erect) and caused my scrotum to be pulled halfway up the shaft of my penis.
It's not okay that this eventually resulted in me getting a twisted testicle - which was obviously very painful - and I had to have emergency surgery to repair it. I'm (relatively) lucky I didn't lose the testicle.
It's not okay that I've had to do years worth of stretching the remaining skin just to have enough slack skin to have comfortable erections.
It's not okay that I still have the scarring from the testicle surgery and from the circumcision itself.
It's not okay that my penis doesn't look and function like a natural, normal penis because someone else decided they wanted me to have an altered version.
It's not okay that my frenulum and ridged band are completely missing, which are supposed to be very sensitive sexually, but I'll never know because they were taken from me before I had the chance to experience them.
It's not okay that doctors continue to perform body modification surgery that is not medically indicated on patients who have not consented.
It's not okay that, in the U.S., only people of one sex are legally protected from having unnecessary genital cutting performed on them.
It's not okay that it didn't matter that my body belongs to me.
It's not okay.
I hope this post helps bring together a wealth of information into one place that I can refer people to. Some things I'm going to leave to the reader to research on their own.
First TMI: I was circumcised as an infant.
My parents simply chose to do what was done historically in their family and what seemed to be the norm at the time. I do not hold any grudges about it.
Second TMI: I chose to leave my boys intact.
Why didn't I want them to look like me? Honestly, it didn't even occur to me. I was willing to go with whatever my wife thought was best. I guess I'm simply not so vain. And, if they were to ever ask why we look different, I would simply explain.
Am I not worried about their prospects with finding a significant other? No, absolutely not. The majority of the developed world does not practice infant circumcision. I've read stories of women that prefer intact over circumcised. The stories I've seen of the other is only of women that are simply afraid of it because they've only known circumcised men.
Am I not concerned about diseases or infections? No. The more I've looked at the statistics, the more I realized that boys with intact penises have less of a chance of a disease or infection than a woman has of getting breast cancer, but I wouldn't cut out breast buds of baby girls. "No part of the body comes with a lifetime guarantee against disease. Breasts become cancerous, fingers become arthritic, earlobes develop malignant melanomas. If disease prevention is insufficient justification for amputating fingers, breasts or earlobes, then it is insufficient justification for amputating foreskins." Dr. Arif Bhimji. In fact, during the healing time after the surgery, the risk of infection is very high. Think about it: they can't put a band-aid over it; they just put the diaper on where excrement goes!
Aren't circumcised boys easier to clean? No. They are still easier than girls (and, yes, I've changed girl diapers). In fact, the foreskin performs a function that helps keep the penis clean.
Doesn't it say in the Bible to circumcise? In the Old Testament, yes; however, the New Testament has several places where that rule is cancelled due to Christ's sacrifice (see references below). If you're Muslim, check out this: http://www.quranicpath.com/misconceptions/circumcision.html. If you're Jewish, check out the documentary put together by a Jewish man called "Cut: Slicing Through the Myths of Circumcision (2007)"
Am I not concerned that he'll be laughed at? In the USA, the rate of circumcision has dropped significantly. The chances of being laughed at for being intact are most likely less than being laughed at for being circumcised. Besides, remember the days when geeks and nerds were laughed at only to become the wealthy and successful adults due to their knowledge?
Third TMI:
I have/had 3 side-effects due to being circumcised:
- Meatal stenosis - had this somewhere between 8 and 11 years old.
- Amputated skin means the skin from the scrotum has to make up for it. This means that the hairy part from the scrotum slides further up the shaft.
- Amputated skin means the skin from the scrotum becomes tighter. This means that the scrotum squashes the testes into the body. This can make sex very uncomfortable.
Besides the downsides of circumcision, there are many benefits to foreskin: http://www.circumstitions.com/Functions.html
What about what the doctors say? The AMA does not find any medical reason for circumcision. Here's a good link too: https://www.doctorsopposingcircumcision.org/
I haven't heard many stories of men that chose to get their foreskins removed after puberty, but here's one good one:
https://www.yourwholebaby.org/without-his-foreskin
Also, in the American Circumcision documentary, there is a young man that was interviewed who allegedly ended up committing suicide. In the documentary he was extremely unhappy with the decision.
There's a link between erectile dysfunction and circumcision (probably why the USA is the biggest consumer of Viagra): http://www.thewholenetwork.org/twn-news/does-circumcision-cause-erectile-dysfunction
If you're still convinced that a boy should have his foreskin amputated as an infant, please look at one more thing: http://www.savingsons.org/2014/10/i-researched-circumcision-did-you-really.html
Technically, I believe it is actually illegal, but it hasn't been explicitly and clearly been given the green light to enforce. Here is a very thorough write up on the legality of the practice: https://scholarship.richmond.edu/jolpi/vol16/iss3/3/
I could go on. There's a ton more. But, honestly, if all this does not convince you, I doubt that anything will. Just keep in mind that someday your child will be grown and may very well ask you why and you may want to be prepared with a very good answer. I'm not sure that my parents answer will fly with anyone when the parent lived in the days of the information superhighway.
Documentaries:
Cut: Slicing Through the Myths of Circumcision (2007)
Elephant in the Hospital
American Circumcision
Informational websites:
https://www.yourwholebaby.org
Biblical references:
"For you created my inmost being. You knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful, I know this full well." -Psalm 139:13-14
"But in fact, God has arranged the parts of the body, every one of them, just as he wants them to be." -1 Cor 12:18
"Behold, I, Paul, tell you that if you be circumcised, Christ will be of no advantage to you." -Gal 5:2
"And I testify again to every male who receives circumcision, that hue is in debt to keep the whole Law. You who do so have been severed from Christ...you have fallen from grace." -Gal 5:3
"For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, it makes no difference to God whether we are circumcised or not circumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love." -Gal 5:6
"But if I still proclaim circumcision...then the stumbling block of the cross has been abolished." -Gal 5:11
"I wish that those who are pushing you to do so would mutilate themselves!" -Gal 5:12
"And even those who advocate circumcision don’t really keep the whole law. They only want you to be circumcised so they can brag about it and claim you as their disciples." -Gal 6:13
"For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision matters. Rather, what matters is being a new creation." -Gal 6:15
"For there are many who rebel against right teaching; they engage in useless talk and deceive people. This is especially true of those who insist on circumcision for salvation. They must be silenced. By their wrong teaching, they have already turned whole families away from the truth. Such teachers only want your money" – Titus 1:10-11
"Watch out for those wicked men – dangerous dogs, I call them – who say you must be circumcised. Beware of the evil doers. Beware of the mutilation. For it isn’t the cutting of our bodies that makes us children of God; it is worshiping him with our spirits." – Phil 3:2-3
"But each of you should remain in the place in life that the Lord has given you. Stay as you were when God chose you. Was a man already circumcised [Old Covenant] when God chose him? Then he should not become uncircumcised. Was he uncircumcised [New Covenant] when God chose him? Then he should not be circumcised. Being circumcised means nothing. Being uncircumcised means nothing. Doing what God commands is what counts." -1 Cor. 7:17-19
"Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching, saying, 'Moses commanded you to be circumcised. If you aren't, you can't be saved.' But Paul and Barnabas didn't agree with this, argued strongly with them, and were appointed to go up to Jerusalem with other believers chosen to go with them. The apostles and elders met together to consider this question. [...] Peter got up and spoke to them, 'Brothers, you know that some time ago God chose me to take the good news to unbelievers. He wanted them to hear the good news and believe. God knows the human heart. [...] Now then, why are you trying to test God? You test him when you put a heavy load on the believers' shoulders [regarding circumcision]. Our people of long ago couldn't carry that load. We can't either." -Acts 15:1-2, 6-10
"Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly." -1 Tim 4:7
"Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I AM the LORD." -Leviticus: Ch. 19: 28
Quran:
http://www.quranicpath.com/misconceptions/circumcision.html
Jews:
https://www.cutthefilm.com/
A good blog for mother's-to-be to read before approaching the cut father:
http://brightonwoman.blogspot.com/2009/11/vulnerability-of-men.html
A good response to the parent that "wants what's best for their child:"
All parents want what they feel will be best for their child and that varies by culture, religion, ethnicity, etc which is more than okay!
I replied:
No, it's not okay.
It's not okay that I have to live the rest of my life with a permanent and unnecessary body modification that I did not ask for and do not want.
It's not okay that anyone else - parent or not - has more of a right to decide how much of my genitals I get to keep than I do.
It's not okay that I had so much skin removed from the circumcision that was performed on me without my consent that by the time I hit puberty and began "growing into" the skin I had left, there wasn't even enough skin left to accommodate the size of an erection.
It's not okay that anytime I would get an erection, it would completely max out the remaining skin (which was so tight it wouldn't even allow me to get fully erect) and caused my scrotum to be pulled halfway up the shaft of my penis.
It's not okay that this eventually resulted in me getting a twisted testicle - which was obviously very painful - and I had to have emergency surgery to repair it. I'm (relatively) lucky I didn't lose the testicle.
It's not okay that I've had to do years worth of stretching the remaining skin just to have enough slack skin to have comfortable erections.
It's not okay that I still have the scarring from the testicle surgery and from the circumcision itself.
It's not okay that my penis doesn't look and function like a natural, normal penis because someone else decided they wanted me to have an altered version.
It's not okay that my frenulum and ridged band are completely missing, which are supposed to be very sensitive sexually, but I'll never know because they were taken from me before I had the chance to experience them.
It's not okay that doctors continue to perform body modification surgery that is not medically indicated on patients who have not consented.
It's not okay that, in the U.S., only people of one sex are legally protected from having unnecessary genital cutting performed on them.
It's not okay that it didn't matter that my body belongs to me.
It's not okay.
Sunday, July 9, 2017
Lessons learned hauling and towing
I recently helped someone procure a trailer so they could haul their car and other stuff behind their motor-home. When it turned out to be a single-axle home-made trailer that wasn't wired-up for brakes and looked better designed for hauling things like ATVs and lawn mowers, it brought-up all my bad memories of hauling and trailering. Thus, I decided to get those experiences down on paper for others to learn from.
I/we got very lucky as no one ever got hurt; but it could have been disastrous! So, please learn from my lessons and be safe!
Flat-tow 54 Chevy pick-up truck
When I was in my junior year of high school, my father and I put in lots of hours rebuilding an old 1954 Chevrolet pick-up truck. We had gotten it painted just before we made a move from Washington state to Mississippi. Because the pick-up was so low-geared, we decided to flat-tow it behind a new Dodge RAM Charger. I think the lesson learned in this case was to have electronic brakes wired-up to the vehicle being towed. We seemed OK until a front tire blew on the Chevy. These two vehicles were very similar in weight, so the Dodge didn't have the ability to stop quickly. Since the tire was on the front of the Chevy, the steering automatically turned on it, pushing the back of the Dodge and forcing us into the median of the freeway. My father was able to keep the two vehicles aligned until we reached the top of the median where the Dodge lost traction and we ended up jack-knifed. Both vehicles were damaged. That was a very hard pill to swallow after putting in all that work on that pick-up.Boat trailer with extra load in the boat
When we moved back to Washington from Mississippi, we had a boat to tow behind the rental truck. We added some weight by putting some things in the boat. Seems that the trailer was not designed for more weight than the boat alone because one of the two welded parts completely broke. Luckily, I was driving behind with a car and was able to get my father to pull over before the other side broke too.Tall vending machines in back of a small pickup
I had this little yellow Isuzu P'up. There were these vending machines that needed to be hauled from Vancouver, WA to Seattle. I didn't think it would be a problem at all. Vending machines aren't very heavy. What I failed to consider is that the vending machines were very tall and stood well above the cab of the pickup. When I reached 60mph, I felt the steering wheel go loose. I believe the air resistance caused the front of the pickup to lift off the ground. I simply had to keep the speed lower and made it to the destination safely. Sure happy I didn't have to deal with any wind!Single axle car trailer with heavy nosed vehicle
I purchased a 1985 Toyota 4x4 pickup that had a V-8 and automatic transmission. It's a fairly short vehicle, so I thought a single-axle was plenty large to haul it home with behind my F-150 (a half-ton pickup). It was large enough to place the Toyota on the trailer, but, after I hit 45 mph, the trailer started wagging. What I didn't consider was the nose weight caused by the Toyota being a 4x4 with a heavy engine and transmission. This caused the F-150's front end to be too light. I did not understand that you're supposed to keep the tongue weight of a bumper-pull trailer below 1500 lbs. I made it to my destination safely, just very slowly.Tow Dolly with pin for allowing turns
I was hauling an Acura behind a large motor-home with a tow dolly. This was one of the kinds that have a pin that keeps the part the car sits on from rotating when there is not a car. I forgot to remove the pin from the dolly, didn't leave the key in the car turned so the steering could move freely on the car, didn't leave the front-wheel drive car in gear so it wouldn't freely roll off the dolly and didn't have a strap attached to a hook on the car. I started up a slight incline in a park and suddenly felt this sudden jerk. The wheels had worked their way out from under the tire straps and rolled backward into a tree.Tow Dolly with vehicle towed backwards when steering wheel does not lock
You would think by now that I would have learned all the lessons of towing and hauling, but I still had one to learn. Remember that 1985 Toyota 4x4? I decided to tow it backward on a tow dolly. Probably would have been fine, but the steering wheel on that Toyota would not lock (even without the keys in the ignition). I was all good going up the mountain, but when I started going down a fairly steep hill and let off the gas, that Toyota took that tow dolly and pushed it all the way around to the side of my F-150 so the Toyota's bumper could kiss the side of the F-150! It wasn't enough to cause an accident as the F-150 kept it's place on the road, but I certainly stopped hauling that Toyota pickup that way!Large RV making a sharp turn
This time I knew the right thing to do, but the driver wasn't listening when I warned him! I was in this large motor-home when the driver decided he need to turn around. He backed up the motor-home next to an off-road vehicle with very large tires. I could see in his rear-view mirror that the back bumper was only a few inches away from one of those tires and I knew he was going to make a very sharp turn. I yelled "watch your rear swing!" Ya, he didn't know what I was talking about and there went the rear bumper! Luckily, we had a bunch of body shop guys included in our party and they got that bumper back on in better shape than it was prior to the incident. You see, many don't realize that the longer the length of the vehicle behind the rear wheel, the more you have "wag." This means you don't want to get very close to anything; particularly when you're going to make a sharp turn. If you are going to do so, you may want to move very slowly and look in your rear-view mirror as you're doing so. You may notice the back of the vehicle get closer to what you were sitting next to than the front was.Thus, lessons learned:
- Best to use a tandem-axle trailer with brakes when hauling vehicles.
- If the nose of the trailer is going to be heavy, use a torsion bar setup that distributes the weight evenly across the tow vehicle.
- Redundancy! Have a backup plan in case one strap or chain fails.
- Consider aerodynamics.
- Be aware of the movement of the entire vehicle, not just the front.
I/we got very lucky as no one ever got hurt; but it could have been disastrous! So, please learn from my lessons and be safe!
Saturday, March 25, 2017
Living in an RV vs an apartment or house
I have gone through 4 RVs personally and went cross country with my parents as a teenager in another RV. I have also worked an RV campground for over 1.5 years now where the majority of the 58 spaces are used by people that live in them. I have come to find that while the rent of an RV space makes RV living look more affordable, after accounting for all the costs of RV living, it typically is not more affordable. In fact, you can easily spend much more.
When you have to replace a toilet for $700 instead of the $88-300 of one for a house, or $2000 for a small refrigerator vs. $300-1000 for many large ones for a house, you may start seeing my point.
With a house, you are likely to perform roof maintenance once every 15-20 years, maybe longer depending on the roof. Most RVs these days have rubber roofs that expand and contract with temperature changes and movement down the road. This means you have to get up there and re-seal the joints at least once a year. I've seen too many people not take care of their roof, end up with a leak and end up with a ruined RV that they can't get any money back out of. What most fail to consider is that it's too late to fix a leak once it happens. Once the water gets in the roof and walls, it's trapped and will continue to eat away at the wood framing and wood paneling. Mold will grow and make you sick. Once all that happens, you may as well throw the whole thing away.
RVs also have batteries and power converters. These batteries need to be replaced at least once every 5 years. They're usually lead-acid automotive batteries that don't do well with being drained completely - their life gets much shorter every time you allow this to happen. Those batteries can easily cost $200-400. I've seen plenty of power converters die too and they can cost $300.
The walls and insulation in these things are typically much less than a house. Thus, the cost to keep it heated in the winter is likely more. I've seen people go through 14 gallons of propane a week. At the current price, that's $36/week. The windows are only single-pane and collect tons of moisture, unless you don't breathe. That moisture becomes a problem if you don't keep after it.
I like this blog about the subject: http://lifereengineeredblog.com/2013/my-month-living-in-an-rv-a-shockingly-spendy-lifestyle-alternative/
Here's a paragraph from rvnetwork.com that I think sums it up pretty well:
In 1998 we bought a gos powered motorhome that had an MSRP of $81,000 and we actually paid $66K for it. We took delivery in May of 1998 and moved into it fulltime in April of 2000 and we lived in it all of the time until Jan. of 2011. when we shifted to part time, but then took one more trip of 5 months with the same motorhome. In early 2012 we sold that motorhome and the NADA listing for average retail was $13,780 but the marked tor a privately sold coach of 14 years age is not that great and we actually received $10K in return. That means that we basically paid $4K/year for the RV, plus all of our maintenance and other expenses. In looking at our actual expenses we probably paid out very close to $5.5K or just a little bit more per year, including things such as replacement of our couch & refrigerator, upholstery for the chairs, and what chassis repairs that we had. Of course, that was with our RV on the road for about 5K to 7K miles per year on the average.
The only problem with this paragraph is that it is not considering the costs of the RV parks.
Here's some financial analysis of my own:
Cost of a spot at an RV park: $475
Cost of an RV: $300 whether you buy a new one or an old one that needs more maintenance, this is likely low. I've purchased one brand new RV and 3 used ones, and in every case I ended up spending more than this per month.
This is $775/mo. and hasn't considered the extra heating costs, extra costs for commuting due to being further out of town, etc. Unless you have a desire and the finances to travel the country with an RV like an RV was designed for, an apartment, condo or house may be the way to go.
I've seen too many people come into the RV park and seen them struggle to pay for the costs of their RV when something went bad in it. I write this hoping to save others the same pain.
When you have to replace a toilet for $700 instead of the $88-300 of one for a house, or $2000 for a small refrigerator vs. $300-1000 for many large ones for a house, you may start seeing my point.
With a house, you are likely to perform roof maintenance once every 15-20 years, maybe longer depending on the roof. Most RVs these days have rubber roofs that expand and contract with temperature changes and movement down the road. This means you have to get up there and re-seal the joints at least once a year. I've seen too many people not take care of their roof, end up with a leak and end up with a ruined RV that they can't get any money back out of. What most fail to consider is that it's too late to fix a leak once it happens. Once the water gets in the roof and walls, it's trapped and will continue to eat away at the wood framing and wood paneling. Mold will grow and make you sick. Once all that happens, you may as well throw the whole thing away.
RVs also have batteries and power converters. These batteries need to be replaced at least once every 5 years. They're usually lead-acid automotive batteries that don't do well with being drained completely - their life gets much shorter every time you allow this to happen. Those batteries can easily cost $200-400. I've seen plenty of power converters die too and they can cost $300.
The walls and insulation in these things are typically much less than a house. Thus, the cost to keep it heated in the winter is likely more. I've seen people go through 14 gallons of propane a week. At the current price, that's $36/week. The windows are only single-pane and collect tons of moisture, unless you don't breathe. That moisture becomes a problem if you don't keep after it.
I like this blog about the subject: http://lifereengineeredblog.com/2013/my-month-living-in-an-rv-a-shockingly-spendy-lifestyle-alternative/
Here's a paragraph from rvnetwork.com that I think sums it up pretty well:
In 1998 we bought a gos powered motorhome that had an MSRP of $81,000 and we actually paid $66K for it. We took delivery in May of 1998 and moved into it fulltime in April of 2000 and we lived in it all of the time until Jan. of 2011. when we shifted to part time, but then took one more trip of 5 months with the same motorhome. In early 2012 we sold that motorhome and the NADA listing for average retail was $13,780 but the marked tor a privately sold coach of 14 years age is not that great and we actually received $10K in return. That means that we basically paid $4K/year for the RV, plus all of our maintenance and other expenses. In looking at our actual expenses we probably paid out very close to $5.5K or just a little bit more per year, including things such as replacement of our couch & refrigerator, upholstery for the chairs, and what chassis repairs that we had. Of course, that was with our RV on the road for about 5K to 7K miles per year on the average.
The only problem with this paragraph is that it is not considering the costs of the RV parks.
Here's some financial analysis of my own:
Cost of a spot at an RV park: $475
Cost of an RV: $300 whether you buy a new one or an old one that needs more maintenance, this is likely low. I've purchased one brand new RV and 3 used ones, and in every case I ended up spending more than this per month.
This is $775/mo. and hasn't considered the extra heating costs, extra costs for commuting due to being further out of town, etc. Unless you have a desire and the finances to travel the country with an RV like an RV was designed for, an apartment, condo or house may be the way to go.
I've seen too many people come into the RV park and seen them struggle to pay for the costs of their RV when something went bad in it. I write this hoping to save others the same pain.
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