A Tale of the Head of the Cock

Child Abuse by Circumcision and the Liability of Parents, Physicians and Hospitals

God spake unto Abraham. Abraham then looketh upon the heavens and asketh: You want me to cut off my what?

Abraham was not the first to maim his tally-whacker; he was merely following an age-old tradition.

Ancient Egyptian records speak of circumcision as a blood sacrifice for sexual purification. Among the East African Wakikuyu, the foreskin is buried in the ground in front of the boy from whom it was cut. The African Bara father throws it into the river. The Turks bury it as they do fingernails and other parts of the body, because they fear it might be used in black magic. The Amaxosa Kafir boy carries it away after having it cut off and buries it in a secret sacred spot.

On the west coast of Africa, the foreskin is soaked in brandy and swallowed by the boy who lost it. The Arabs of Algiers wrap it in cloth and put it on an animal. The Hova of Madagascar wrap it in a banana leaf, then feed it to a calf. The Wolof dry it out, then carry it as an object of virility.

In Australia, the Urabunna touch the stomach of each elder brother with the foreskin, then place it on a fire stick and bury it. The Arunta bury it with the blood from the operation. The Kalkodoon string it on a twine of human hair and hang it around the mother's neck to keep the Devil away. The Yaroinga women drink the blood from the operation.

In some Australian tribes, the boy who is about to have the operation is placed on a platform of living bodies of the tribesmen; then a tooth is knocked out to begin the ceremony, and blood drips from his mouth upon the chests of those below him. One modern tribe shoots the foreskin with a gun.

In another modern tribe, the medicine man takes the baby from the mother when it is only a few days old, spread-eagles it with straps, grabs the penis in one hand and proceeds to cut without anesthetic. Amid the blood, the screams, the rise of the cortisone level and the knowledge that the infant's sleep pattern will be altered for days, the medicine man claims it feels no pain. What tribe is this? The North American.

And that bit of ritual savagery is done ostensibly as a hygienic measure. Humbug.

In fact, every excuse for this curious practice has been proved false. Circumcision promotes no reduction in the incidence of V.D. and no improvement in hygiene. There is no connection between uncircumcised males and cervical cancer in their female partners. Even when circumcision is performed by skilled operators, there are an estimated 227 infant deaths from it in the U.S. each year!

If women were circumcised in modern America, Gloria Steinem would march on Washington.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (among other American Medical Association groups) has recommended against routine circumcision. The father of modern Judaism in America, Isaac M. Wise, in 1869, suggested that circumcision be declared optional for adult converts to Judaism. Don't infants deserve the same protection?

To do the dirty deed, several felonies must be committed by the physician: (1) mayhem, for doing the cutting; (2) kidnapping, for taking the child away to do it; (3) false imprisonment, for holding the child in restraint; (4) sexual molestation; (5) assault with a deadly weapon--plus a variety of misdemeanours that are lesser included offenses. The parents are conspirators at worst and accomplices at best, guilty of a felony in either case. The hospitals provide the place of torture, making them guilty of a felony in many states.

Who cashes in on the operations? The doctors and the hospitals. Circumcision represents an annual income of approximately $50,000,000. Mayhem for money. Crime for profit. Damages for sure.

The case is presented today to the reader, tomorrow to the court. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, find the defendants guilty as charged.

Richard W. Morris
Attorney at Law (Arizona, California and U.S. Federal Courts), P.O. Box 2041, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British West Indies, Tel. (809) 949-3132

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