kirbygirl87
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Disturbing reports surfaced today after the American Academy of Pediatrics endorsed "female genital cutting." According to Salon.com, "The American Academy of Pediatrics has suggested a new way to fight female genital mutilation in the United States: Allow doctors to give girls a "nick" down there. In a policy statement titled "Ritual Genital Cutting of Female Minors," the Academy suggests that allowing such a ritual could serve as a way to "build trust" with immigrant families and prevent parents from sending their girls overseas for far more extensive, and potentially life-threatening, procedures. It's a "possible compromise to avoid greater harm," the statement says."
Wow! So, you just mutilate the girls in the United States, so at least they will be safe from the infection and the greater risk later, instead of have them go overseas and get mutilated, all while risking infection, disease, and death. That sounds Sensible? Give me a break!
PZ Myers of Pharyngula mockingly wrote: "We'll just mutilate baby girls a little bit, to make the misogynist patriarchal assholes happy."
Shakesville's Melissa McEwan turned up the snark real loud: "Girls get only a little heinous physical and psychological trauma, and their guardians get to practice their violent misogyny, just in a slightly less violent way. Yay for compromise!
I have to take a deep breath before I get up and scream, you are condoning the pain and suffering of young girls because it will be better for them in the end? Wow, American Academy of Pediatrics, I thought you were better than that!
Dr. Lainie Friedman Ross, one of the statement's authors, compared it to an ear piercing. It wouldn't involve the removal of skin, instead it would be more like "a pin prick, a drop of blood." As she described it, the "nick" would be ritualistic and symbolic.
According to Salon.com, "Equality Now released a press release saying that the Academy's statement "essentially promotes female genital mutilation."
According to Salon.com, Much of the five-page statement takes care to emphasize the Academy's opposition to "all types of female genital cutting that pose risks of physical or psychological harm," as well as the need for education to eradicate the demand for such procedures."
"In an ideal world, there would be no female genital cutting," said Ross, but we clearly do not live in an ideal world. "If you just tell people 'no,' they go elsewhere," she explained, adding that a "nick" should be seen as an "option that's not ideal but is better than its alternatives.""
My thoughts...
Female genital cutting is an extreme and painful practice that many young girls in different countries have to endure. The idea that the American Academy of Pediatrics would even suggest the thought of endorsing it says a lot about how they truly feel about young girls and the importance of the female body. Not saying that Female Gential cutting wouldn't be safer, secure, or better if done in the US, but why must it be done at all, why would you entertain the fact of punishing a child like that. But, remember, as Salon.com states, The ritualistic "nick" the Academy is suggesting is truly not comparable to the widely accepted practice of male circumcision, which is far more extreme. "
What are your thoughts? Do you think the Academy has a point?
Honestly, there are no health benefits female gender mutilation, so I don't see why it's up for discussion. Oh wait, because there are misogynistic (CENSORED) in the world that would feel more comfortable if the women they oppress in every stage of life were unable to experience sexual pleasure, too.
Honestly, if it involved just the labia minora, ok, I would be able to tolerate it as cultural or religious but C'MON the only organ solely designed for pleasure?! This s beyond sick!
And for those interested. here is a link showing an illustration of the different variations of this "nick." The clitoris is always removed.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:FGC_Types.jpg
It's 2010 people. Wake the hell up.