CIN CompuBulletin Circumcision Information Network Volume 2, Number 12, 4 April 1995 AN INTERVIEW WITH THE NURSES OF ST. VINCENT The New Times, February, 1995, Seattle, Washington, by Cat Saunders [Third of a five-part series. The first part was Saunders' own view of circumcision as a human rights issue. The second part was the beginning of the interview.] A group of nurses from St. Vincent' s Hospital in Santa Fe, New Mexico...have organized to stop circumcision. In this interview, I spoke with four of the nurses who were in Seattle recently. As you read their stories, open your heart. Let your feelings come, for only if we all feel the horror of circumcision can we stop it. Together we can stop it now... Cat: Betty, you spoke on the video about how people who are Jewish can shift their perspective and still honor their Judaism, but stop doing circumcision. Betty: All religions have traditions, but I always wonder why we can't keep what is beautiful and reject what is brutal. To me, it's just common sense. Besides, what kind of god are you worshipping anyway, if your god is demanding a blood mutilation sacrifice? I used to feel guilty as a Jew, because our son is not circumcised. I thought, "All these thousands of years of tradition ending here." But now I see! A Jewish man asked me. "I know you're against circumcision in the hospital. But how do you feel about Jewish circumcisions?" I said, "What?! You think I should only protect the goyish babies and just let the Jewish babies be mutilated? What kind of a Jew would I be?" Cat: Great answer. I don't think circumcision should be legal, but since it is. I think parents should be required to watch videos of circumcisions, including all the worst case scenarios--maiming, hemorrhage, death--before they are allowed to sign over their son's body to be cut. Betty: We're actually trying to get what we call "informed consent"--though we hope people won't consent--so parents have information beforehand. Mary-Rose: But we have to go further than that. Let's go all the way to elementary school and start educating young people about it. Cat: Yes, and some people are going the other direction--to the U.N.--to get circumcision included on the charter of human rights violations for the world. AN APPEAL TO AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL (Contributed by Ron Goldman.) Amnesty International has annual meetings to consider resolutions from the membership. I have been pursuing this since 1992. This year my resolution MALE GENITAL MUTILATION was blocked by the meeting moderator from being debated and voted on. However, I surprised the leadership by protesting before the whole membership a history of abuses connected with my resolutions. The cat is now out of the bag (or is that a lion?). Several people approached me after the meeting to express support and others spoke in public support. From my previous experience, it seems that the leadership considers male genital mutilation to be quite a dilemma and has decided to stonewall the issue. Amnesty has already acknowledged female genital mutilation as a human rights issue. I am quite hopeful about future prospects. They are in the process of reviewing the rules, and I am in contact with the person who will be writing the new guidelines. He is sympathetic to preventing these abuses. Once we tighten up the process, there will be a fair hearing on the issue. If you are interested in getting involved, please contact me at CRC, P. O. Box 232, Boston, MA 02133 (617) 523-0088. PLANNED ACTIONS (For details contact NOHARMM, PO Box 460795, San Francisco, CA 94146 (415) 826-9351, unless otherwise noted.) Sunday, 9 April: NOHARMM New York in conjunction with NOHARMM Philadelphia will stage an action at the annual convention of the American Academy of Pediatrics. We will protest the AAP's reliance on research that it concedes is "flawed and inconclusive" to support circumcision. For more information, call 212-340-8015, or E-mail BarryBe@AOL.com, or attend the orientation meeting in NYC on Wednesday, April 5th, 19:00 local time, at 131 West 72nd St., 2nd Floor. 8-12 April, Philadelphia, PA: American Academy of Pediatrics Annual Meeting. Leafletting and Vigil (9 April as noted above) opposing childhood genital mutilation. Contact Tom Morris, PO Box 53152, Philadelphia, PA 19105 or Al Fields (610) 489-6505. 6 May, Philadelphia, PA: Educational Seminar on Newborn Circumcision. Co-sponsored by Childbirth Education Foundation and NOHARMM/Philadelphia. Volunteers and donations needed. Jim Peron, CEF, (215) 357-2792 8-10 May, San Francisco, CA: American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Annual Meeting. Rally and leafletting to draw attention to inconsistency of ACOG's new stand against FGM while questioning their role in performing male genital mutilations. 30 May - 4 June, Vancouver, BC: Child Health 2000. Rally and leafletting to raise awareness among 4,000 expected international attendees about genital mutilation in North America. Volunteers and donations needed. James Loewen, NOHARMM/Vancouver, (604) 689-9697. 27-29 July, Northern CA: San Francisco Bay Area Film Premier, Nurses of St. Vincent - Saying No to Circumcision. Strategy Meeting-Reunion-Picnic of those who care. March to and Rally at Marin General Hospital to commemorate Tenth Anniversary of nurse Marilyn Milos' forced resignation. The week end kicks off a national awareness campaign.