Birdsong’s daughter Krystal was a very good writer. After her death in September 2008, we found her journals where she posted writings of her thoughts, songs she wrote, musings, and drafts of articles she wrote for the Barry University newspaper. Here is part of one the articles she wrote for the newspaper in October 2005.
The Circumcision Debate
Many students here at Barry are of the age when thoughts of the future begin to creep in. Beginning potential careers, buying new cars/houses, starting a family, and possibly having children begin to figure into these plans.
For those of you considering having children, have you decided whether or not to get your future sons circumcised? the issue might have never popped into your mind, but this is a huge question that has sparked much debate within families as well as the world of social science today.
in the 1960’s the rate of male circumcision in the U.S. was about 95%. Today it is around 60% What has sparked this dramatic decrease? paradigm shifts in cultural beliefs provide a good start for our answer.
Some anthropologists have dated the origins of circumcision back between 12,000 and 50,000 years ago in African hunting tribes. there are records indicating that the Egyptians began circumcising about 5500 years ago and the Jews have been performing the surgery routinely for about 3000 years
Up until 100 years ago, circumcisions were performed mainly for religious or cultural reasons. Around the mid-19th century, during the Victorian era, the practice of non-religious circumcisions became routine for practically all middle and upper class families. Cleanliness was a big issue during this era, and for some reason people thought 9and still think) that little boys would have a hard time cleaning themselves….
[KRYSTAL GIVES US MORE HISTORY AND CONCLUDES:]
…Circumcision specifically, harbors the dangers of possible hemorrhaging, bruising, infection, excessive scarring leading to sexual dysfunction, surgical error, or even psychological trauma. Are those dangers worth the negligible benefits of one one of the most widely practiced and controversial surgeries in America? Only you can decide, future parents of America.
