Maybe it’s because having crooked teeth was a defect but having a foreskin isn’t?
Choosing to have artificially straightened teeth (which in my case involved removing two) and choosing to remove a flap of skin from a foreskin are both aesthetic choices, where they are not mandated by religion (and I don’t know of any religion that requires straightened teeth).
Ones made by the parents without the child’s consent.
After all, teeth can still function if they are not perfectly straight; and a penis can still function if it is not circumsized.
The main difference, to my mind, is that the one is a relatively minor procedure that no-one is old enough to remember; the other, an agonizing and protracted series of procedures which I at least remember very well.
If the alleged reason for the brouhaha is that “a medically unnecessary procedure, invasive to a child, is carried out without that child’s consent”, I don’t see how purely cosmetic orthodontia doesn’t qualify for far more outrage than circumcision.
I just don’t see how that changes the fact that these two things are different because crooked teeth are a defect and foreskins aren’t.
Course, this is not the forum for debate, so, now that I’ve said that, I’ll shut up.
Interesting; I’ll give it some thought.
Debating is like making friends. The more you try to do it, the less successful it is. When you take people away from their pulpit (or stage a debate without those who think they can debate but actually can’t and ruin it for all the rest), you get an interesting debate.
Oh, life! What ironies dost thou contain!
Keep it going. I had both circumcision as an infant (I guess I cried - I have no idea if I was under a general anesthetic (it was the late, er, 50s, so I doubt it - but I don’t remember a thing about it, and don’t believe I suffered any trauma as as result) and orthodontic treatment as a 12 year old, including having four teeth removed and bloody metal rings around all my teeth.
But I can’t say that I blame my parents for either. Actually, grateful for reducing the crowding in my mouth, and…okay, no more jokes about my sexual prowess.
WhyNot, since I don’t want to give the impression that I’m blase about my kid’s well-being, we did check the gaps between the slats and the overall sturdiness of the cot. In fact, she didn’t move into the cot until she was several months old, being in a portable thingy before that. (I think.)
Note to Mods: please don’t move this to GD! Let’s keep it pointless.
Sorry - couldn’t resist.
Hm. The more recent circumcision nut was a Canadian.
I think it’s a Canadian thing. The whole lot of them are crazy. Just look at GingerOfThe North. Totally off her nut!
My nut is from Petaluma.
