Comments of Individual Endorsers of the Montagu Resolution

Below are the public comments made by endorsers of the Montagu Resolution. Feel free to browse through the list using the letters above and below the table of comments.

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Name—Country Comment
Abara, Sédami—France I was so ignorant of the question that my first son was circumcised, today as my husband asked me to search for a clinic for the second one and I could not find one that accepted to do it before the baby is 6 months, I started wondering why and searched the net. What a shock and a revelation, the truth has set me free but my husband will be hard to convince. This issue has never been raised in France, a law has been voted on female circumcision not male. France will be late in this matter once again.
Abraham, Derrick—United Kingdom I strongly believe that circumcision should not be taken as a choice or cosmetic option, but only administered as a last resort to cure or correct any malfunction or desease of the penis (where no other option is viable). It certainly should not be performed on an infant or child because of a parents wish or desire. Who would choose to have their finger cut off, unless as a last resort to save an arm or life? That is how circumcision, which is the amputation of the foreskin, should be viewed and practiced.
abrahamson, teresa—USA I oppose gential mutilation and hope the practice becomes illegal. This includes male circumcision.
Adamo, Christopher—USA The Universe has been around for a long, long time and functioning just fine without human intervention. The intelligence of the Universe is far greater than mine or anyone else's I've met. Better to leave well- enough alone, don't you think?
Adams, David—USA Its theft to take something from someone without that persons consent. They are stealing the right to their own body from a infant who doesn't even have the capacity to even hope of defending themselves from such a dispicable act. It is wrong.
Adams, Frances—USA We do not stand for female genital mutilation despite cultural differences, we should not be tolerant of male genital mutilation.
Adamson, Graeme—South Africa Male or female circumcision is child abuse, plain and simple.
Adkins, William—USA Yea! for Van Lewis, St. Teresa, Florida. Keep up the good work!
Adler, Felix—Germany His family emigrated from Germany to the USA when he was six. Founder of the Ethical Culture Society, New York (1876) The following statement attributed to Felix Adler in 1877 is taken from: Great Ages and Ideas of The Jewish People. (Schwarz, Leo W. (Ed) (1956).The Modern Library. Random House, p. 366). "The extent of Reform varied. Extreme reformers like the members of the Frankfort Reform Society in the 1840s and later Felix Adler in New York, rejected even circumcision. To Adler, at that time a professor of philosophy at Columbia University and soon thereafter founder of the Ethical Culture movement, this ritual appeared as 'simply barbarous in itself and utterly barbarous and contemptible in its origin.' Coming from a former rabbinical student and son of the leading Reform rabbi, Samuel Adler, this declaration called forth sharp condemnation even from Isaac Mayer Wise, one of the recognized leaders of the Reform movement, who dismissed Adler as an 'unknown little Professor of Semitic languages'. The issue was debated time and again in both Germany and America. Yet circumcision has remained the accepted form of admission to the Covenant of Abraham among the overwhelming majority of Reform Jews."
Adler, Peter—USA Female Genital Mutilation was criminalized in the United States because it violates a female's constitutional right to privacy, including the right to bodily and genital integrity. Males have the same constitutional rights as females. Moreover, they have another constitutional right to equal protection of the law. Other U.S. laws (e.g., prohibiting criminal assault) also make genital mutilation criminal. In addition, even if circumcision were justified legally and ethically and the benefits outweighed the harms, which they don't, there is no reason to circumcise boys at birth. Let them decide as adults. Finally, the AIDS debate is silly. Circumcision might protect slightly against AIDS, but only a fool would rely on it rather than using safe sexual practices such as monogamy, testing and condoms.
Ahrens, Melanie—USA Circumcizing non consenting infants is a human rights violation.
Akhtar—United Kingdom Infant and child circumcision for too long has been an acceptable and sanctioned practise in a variety of cultures. In our age, where we value human rights and increasingly the protection of nature and the natural aspects of our environment it is shameful, that we can't protect the young from this cruel practise. I sign this declaration from a sense of duty to future generations
Al-Naqib, Anthony—United Kingdom I was circumcised as a young child - an abuse which has tainted my life in countless was since. Without the protection of white coat and files, this act would otherwise have been called child abuse. There are very, very few medical reasons for such penile destruction, most seem to be for religious/cultural/family reasons, but consider: is that a good enough reason for your child to be physically and emotionally damaged beyond repair for the rest of his life?
Aldeeb, Sami—Switzerland I am against male and female circumcision...there is no valid justification of the distinction made between male and female circumcision. There is no alternative but to condemn the attitude of international and non-governmental organizations which dissociate one type of circumcision from the other, giving legitimacy to male circumcision in the process. Could you also mention my book on male and female circumcision? in English: see http://www.lpj.org/Nonviolence/Sami/lastbook.htm and in French: see http://www.lpj.org/Nonviolence/Sami/articles/livre.htm
Aldort, Naomi—USA No human being should have anything done to their body without their consent unless for the purpose of saving their lives.
Aldous, John—Australia Genital Integrity is NATURAL. Any form of mutilation(cutting) is barbaric and unneccesary. The person doing this to anyone else should be incarcerated.
Aldrich, Larry—USA Every male or female should have complete control over his or her body. No male should find out years later that he was circumcised because it looks better that way or it's easier to keep clean or you don't want to look different from the other boys in the locker room, etc. Nobody should make this decision for him.
Aldridge, Tyler—USA I think that this is a terrible cruel thing to do and I can't believe it is legal. HOW IS IT NOT CHILD ABUSE. The sad thing is we live in a country where the hospitals run everything of course they are going to battle to keep it they make money off it that is all they care about. I am 22 I am not circumcised I have never had a UTI or any othere infection it's all bull. I have more filling in the foreskin than anywhere else on my penis and I will be danged if I will ever think it is all right to remove it off a baby. What kind of a parent would do that to there child they do not deserve to have them!!!!!!!!!!!!! I mean as a parent it is our job to protect our children not indanger there lives!
Alemayehu, Saba—Canada In the Gospel of Thomas the Vegan Lord Christ Jesus said,"If circumcision of the flesh was a must for human beings, they would have been born already circumcised from their mother's womb." The meant by the above quotation that infants genital cuting is not Biblical nor normal but brutal and evil. All true Christian Scientists, who are also Christian vegans defend the right of infants, small children and Animals and the earth not to be brutalize by cruelity, the love of sin and meaness of carnals. Ms. S Love
Alexander, Sieglinde—USA Circumcision on children is not only a mutilation of the body, it is also a degradation of a human’s autonomy, and can only be regarded as physical and psychological abuse. The trauma created by circumcision leaves the circumcised with the imprint of been mangled for life.
Altobino—France Le site "Altobino" en langue française, qui lutte contre la circoncision masculine, existe depuis 3 ans. Il se joint avec plaisir à cette déclaration universelle sur la circoncision, l'excision et l'incision.
Altorfer, Alex I am a heterosexual, married, circumcised male. I have had nothing but problems with my sex life because of this so-called "necessary operation" I endured. My penis now has very little sensation due to keratinization of my glans and nerve damage I suffered as a direct result of my circumcision... Every time I see the damage that was done to me, I have feelings of hatred towards the doctor who performed this "operation" and the medical professionals who continue to circumcise male infants who have no choice or have not consented to this form of mutilation. I have, however, started non-surgical foreskin restoration in the hope that I will feel whole, and improve the sensitivity in my penis.
Amann, Jenifer—USA A child's body should remain intact.It is not a parent's decision. We do not own our children. They are not ours to mutilate.Love them, educate them and raise them the best that you can!!!
Amber, Dorit—USA Circumcision is unnecessary cruelty and has traumatic effects.
Andersen, Christina Please stop this horrible practice.
Anderson—USA Boys and girls both deserve to have intact, unmutilated bodies.
Anderson, Howard—USA It is a barbaric and grotesque procedure which causes much damage. I feel virtually nothing during sex until until the moment of ejaculation. It has guaranteed that I will never experience sex as it was supposed to feel. Parents who have this performed should be brought up on child abuse and doctors should lose their license to practice. As for religious affirmation, whose affirmation? The parents? Certainly not the victim's. Consenting to circumcision (or elective other than for medical reasons after all other possible remedy) should only be allowed by the person after the age of 18 or 21. I truly feel it is mutilation and caused irreversible damage. Mike Anderson PS: Why do they circ children? Because they can!
Anderson, Scot—USA It is difficult to know how much or little I was harmed by my mutilation since I have no basis for comparison. I have resented it for 30 of my 50 years and it has caused emotional pain and a sense of violation and mistrust. I have suffered from a lack of sensitivity, for which, of course, the medical community has no solutions (though they claim it is not from being circumcised). I believe most men have never examined this issue and so the true depth of the injury is not known. I strongly believe we should first do no harm and these resolutions are a step in that direction. Scot
Antonelli, Charles—USA I was circumcised neonataly. It was done badly and I went through pains to "restore" my foreskin for five years. Once restored, I got re-circumcised in the manner I personally wanted. Nothing will ever give me back all the pain, embarassment and humuiliation I suffered due to the physical assault that was done upon my person when I could not defend myself. I think this practice, for whatever purpose, when practiced upon babies and children is horrid and should be illegal. If someone CHOOSES to be circumcised, that's great! If they choose not to be, that's great too! The point is that it's the person who owns their body's CHOICE to choose!! Anything other than EXTREME health reasons, including relegious beliefs should not be allowed to forcefully amputate a working part of the body!!! If they CHOOSE to be faithful, they should be able to when they are an adult! I'm now happy and "repaired" from the original damage done to me, but I'm also almost 40 years old.... More than half my adult (sexually active) life is over. PLEASE STOP ROUTINE INFANT CIRCUMCISION! IT RUINED MY SEX LIFE FOR YEARS, I HATE TO THINK OF ANYONE ELSE HAVING TO COPE WITH WHAT I HAD TO!!!
Apodaca, Manuel—USA Circumcission was for the un wealthy and fighting cultures because at times there was no water to bath. The Kings and there subjects had wealth so water and nessities were always obtainable. In America a wealthy I believe there is no need for such medical proceedures as cutting the fore skin.
Aponte, Lucy—USA Normal infants are born with all their natural parts intact. It is as Nature and God meant it to be. If it were abnormal, we would not be born with those parts. The male foreskin is as necessary to the penis as eyelids are to the eyes. The mucous membrane that connects the foreskin to the glans maintains the necessary moisture for health and sensitivity. An intact penis does not cause pain to the woman during intercourse. The circumcised penis is dry, with the rim exposed, causing pain to the woman when the male pulls out against the pubic bone. The intact male foreskin covers over the rim, protecting the pubic bone from injury. Women intimate with circimcised males suffer repeated incidents of yeast infections. If circumcision prevented, or reduced Aids, or HIV, there would not be such an epidemic as exists throughout the world, amongst cultures that practice ritual and other circumcisions. I, personally have known of circumcised males who died of Aids and intact males, exposed to Aids, who are unaffected by the disease. Circumcision is a money-making business for unscrupulous doctors and hospitals, who rely on the procedure to get wealthy. The medical profession is now attempting to perpetuate a new myth about the "necessity" for circumcision to prevent Aids, in order to bring back the unneccessary practice of circumcision. The loss of this practice to the medical profession can seriously impact the finances to doctors and hospitals. They rely on the millions made by this barbaric and torturous act of innocent babies, who cannot protect themselves from the life-altering abuse perpetrated for the sake of money. The Hippocratic Oath states "first cause no harm." Practice what you learned.
Archer, Glen—USA And we Americans brag about how civilized we are. "Custom will reconcile people to any atrocity" -George Bernard Shaw
Armstrong, Kenneth—USA His body, his decision. Her body, her decision
Arnold, Gregory—USA I don't think anyone should have to go through mutilation of their genitals without their consent.
Arnold, Gregory—USA I think it is inhumane to mutilate ANY babies genitals. After all they can't give consent, and what if their answer would be no.
Ash, Craig—USA The comments that I have read so far cover my arguments against male circumcision and other forms of genital mutilation, and I respect greatly the seminal (pun originally not intended) work by the well- known authors cited here and in many other sites. I did not find here, however, the name or mention of the publications of David Gollaher, a medical staticician who was interviewed by Terry Gross on the program "Fresh Air" a few years ago on National Public Radio. His work seems definitive for people of our persuasion. I add personally that my father argued persuasively against circumcision for me, and I view his championship of the foreskin as one of the greatest blessings he bestowed on me. I grew up in schools where circumcision was the norm, but never was ridiculed for my status. In college, my circumcised close friends kiddded me, but there was no malice in their jests--only amazement.
Ashford, Sherry—USA I think that we as parents should not circumcise our sons without giving him the right to his own body. We today would not circumcise our daughters upon birth, would we? No. Of course not. It's immoral. The world is painful enough. Why should we start the hurt this early and without consent from the human being we are mutilating?
Avery, Bobbie—USA Circumcision is a crime against innocent victims. It should not be paid for with ANY taxpayer funds! Getting information to parents is so important many just go along with it without even understanding the procedure. Again with so many things doing with women, babies it's all about money!
Ayre, Henry—USA This is a resolutiion and bill whose time has come!

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