November 12, 2010 12:49 PM
- Text
Circumcision Ban May End Up on S.F. Ballot
The city that will soon outlaw toys in McDonald's Happy Meals could have a measure banning circumcision on next November's ballot, reports CBS San Francisco.
"It's genital mutilation," said Lloyd Schofield, the author of a San Francisco ballot measure that would make it a "misdemeanor to circumcise, excise, cut or mutilate the…genitals" of a person under 18.
Baby boys in San Francisco may be relieved but not everybody agrees with a proposed ban.
"I just had him circumcised 3 weeks ago," said Heather Wisnicky of Sacramento, mother of Tyler, a 6-week-old baby boy. "It's a health issue. It's cleaner," she said.
Scientists with the Centers for Disease Control are still studying whether circumcisions are healthier, and have promised recommendations to the public. Meanwhile, according to the New York Times, a CDC researcher reported a sharp drop in the number of American parents choosing circumcision in hospitals - from 56 percent in 2006 to less than 33 percent last year.
"Most medical groups have not come out with strong opinions regarding pro or con circumcisions," said CBS 5 medical reporter Dr. Kim Mulvihill. "Most are saying leave it up to the families, let them decide what's right for their son."
"Ah, that's a little much," said Earl Phillips of San Francisco about the proposed ban. "That goes a little bit too far."
"You shouldn't be performing cosmetic surgery for other people," said Schofield, who points out that female circumcision is banned, but was covered by Blue Cross insurance in the United States into the 1970s.
"It's your choice, it's your child…government can't rule us on everything we do," said Wisnicky, the Sacramento mother.
"Tattooing a child is banned as a felony and circumcision is more harmful than a tattoo," said Schofield, who believes religious traditions should change.
"People can practice whatever religion they want, but your religious practice ends with someone else's body," said Schofield. "It's a man's body and…his body doesn't belong to his culture, his government, his religion or even his parents. It's his decision."
The measure is not on the ballot yet. Schofield needs to collect more than 7,100 signatures
Copyright 2010 CBS. All rights reserved.
"It's genital mutilation," said Lloyd Schofield, the author of a San Francisco ballot measure that would make it a "misdemeanor to circumcise, excise, cut or mutilate the…genitals" of a person under 18.
Baby boys in San Francisco may be relieved but not everybody agrees with a proposed ban.
"I just had him circumcised 3 weeks ago," said Heather Wisnicky of Sacramento, mother of Tyler, a 6-week-old baby boy. "It's a health issue. It's cleaner," she said.
Scientists with the Centers for Disease Control are still studying whether circumcisions are healthier, and have promised recommendations to the public. Meanwhile, according to the New York Times, a CDC researcher reported a sharp drop in the number of American parents choosing circumcision in hospitals - from 56 percent in 2006 to less than 33 percent last year.
"Most medical groups have not come out with strong opinions regarding pro or con circumcisions," said CBS 5 medical reporter Dr. Kim Mulvihill. "Most are saying leave it up to the families, let them decide what's right for their son."
"Ah, that's a little much," said Earl Phillips of San Francisco about the proposed ban. "That goes a little bit too far."
"You shouldn't be performing cosmetic surgery for other people," said Schofield, who points out that female circumcision is banned, but was covered by Blue Cross insurance in the United States into the 1970s.
"It's your choice, it's your child…government can't rule us on everything we do," said Wisnicky, the Sacramento mother.
"Tattooing a child is banned as a felony and circumcision is more harmful than a tattoo," said Schofield, who believes religious traditions should change.
"People can practice whatever religion they want, but your religious practice ends with someone else's body," said Schofield. "It's a man's body and…his body doesn't belong to his culture, his government, his religion or even his parents. It's his decision."
The measure is not on the ballot yet. Schofield needs to collect more than 7,100 signatures
Popular Now in Health
- Prescription sleeping pills tied to increased risk for death, cancer
- Mom passes stage IV cancer to baby: Report
- More Americans seek dental care at emergency rooms
- Study warns of toxic dangers from metal hip implants
- FDA adds diabetes, memory loss warnings to statins
- Kids get too much sugar in their diets, CDC says
- Skin cancer self-exam: What to look for (PHOTOS)
- Doctor accused of $375 million Medicare scheme
- Things You Didn't Know About Your Penis
- Autism detected later in minority children: Study
- 72-year-old Nepalese man is world's shortest
- PICTURES: 15 Shocking Sexual Fetishes
- Candy-Flavored Meth Targets New Users
- Judge blocks FDA's graphic tobacco warning labels
- Christina Hendricks: Too Big for Hollywood?
- Duct Tape Therapy
- Medical tattoos replacing bracelets for some
Latest CBS News Headlines
on Facebook
on CBS News
- Royals: Queen, Kate, Camilla step out together
- Romanian opposition leader doesn't want gold mine
- Shoe sale boosts February revenue at Nordstrom
- Church of England apologizes for child abuse cases
on Facebook
- Faces of addiction
- Space exploration: Inspiring the next generation
- Police: Woman set fire to 3,500-yr.-old cypress tree while trying to use drugs
on CBS News
