The opinions expressed herein are those of the author, and not necessarily those of The New Agenda.
Oh, what is a little nick? Well, it depends upon what is being nicked off.
In the context of female genital mutilation, a nick is something that does not go all the way. It leaves the genital area partially-removed and partially-intact. Nicks can be considered a stepping stone toward the elimination of mutilation in countries that already approve of completely ravaging the female sexual system.
Does this country need such a stepping stone? The answer is “no” because female genital mutilation is illegal in this country.
In countries that approve total mutilation, nicks are a positive step in the right direction because it goes from completely-disfigured to partially-disfigured. However, in a country that has banned mutilation, nicks are a horrific step in the wrong direction because then it goes from completely-intact or unblemished to partially-mutilated and scarred for life.
Can you imagine the horror when I learned that the American Academy of Pediatrics wants to approve of nicking off a girl’s sexual organs? Isn’t this the United States?
Dr. Lainie Friedman Ross is a member of the Academy’s bioethics committee. She and other committee members disapprove of mutilation, but they sought to provide a “statement on safety in a culturally sensitive context.”
“If we just told parents, ‘No, this is wrong,’ our concern is they may take their daughters back to their home countries, where the procedure may be more extensive cutting and may even be done without anesthesia, with unsterilized knives or even glass,” she said. “A just-say-no policy may end up alienating these families, who are going to then find an alternative that will do more harm than good.”
I wish Ross and her cohorts would understand why this is such a dangerous slippery-slope toward approving full-scale female genital mutilation. I hate any form of mutilation wherever it may occur. Some people do consider the clitoris to be of relative importance. Some people consider the snipping of the clitoris to be “a rite of passage meant to purify the genitals and bestow gender identity on a female child” Lukman Hakim is a high-ranking official for an organization that provides free FGM services in Indonesia. He comments about the effects of FGM:
“One, it will stabilize her libido,” he said through an interpreter. “Two, it will make a woman look more beautiful in the eyes of her husband. And three, it will balance her psychology.”
To use a line from Andrew Bostom, I refuse to believe in Clitoral Relativism. Neither does Michelle Malkin, a daughter of Filipino immigrants. She has repeatedly decried and linked to the horrors of female genital mutilation. I am deeply concerned that the American Academy of Pediatrics would conclude wrongly about Clitoral Relativism. As one unfortunate victim in Kurdish Iraq said:
“I just wish that I could be the way I was before the procedure…”
This is one of the most single atrocious positions I have heard expressed. Except, of course, for the last single most atrocious position I have ever heard of and, interestingly enough, they always involve the lives–and deaths–and every single horrid thing between the two done to women and children.
I propose the following: We nick the tip off every penis of every man who supports this position. Just the nip mind you, just the nip. Just a nick mind you, just a nick.
Oh, and I volunteer to do the nicking. And to any woman who supports this position, may you burn in hell after getting nicked.
The world just keeps getting worse and worse and worse and worse. And women seem to be more and more complicit.
Thank you for raising this issue. I have emailed several organizations and media outlets about this atrocity and got no repies. This is the very definition of hatred toward women; the underlyging belief that even our sexuality needs to be controlled because we are lesser creatures, not humans, creatures. Instead of trying to build trust among the immigrant community by condoning barbarism, why aren’t the pedicatrians trying to help them with the acculturation process? LIke hey newcomers,we don’t mutilate female children and believe in honor kiliings. Why is it that men have such a need to control women? If they really want a challenge, why don’t they try controlling themselves? Golda Meir (parapharsing here) said that since men are the ones who rape and murder, they are the ones that should be subjected to a curfew.
Perhaps this medical association needs to revise the meaning behind the Hippocratic oath? Or at least put an asterik next to it and say this does not apply to girls.
I want the names of pediatricians posted who would enable this savage and reprehensible version of neutering females. Apparently cultural sensitivity ranks higher than the right of females to own their own bodies. It is an egregious violation and any doctor who ascribes to it should have his/her license revoked, and then be thrown in jail.
I agree with Jenniferintexas, except I would prefer to see the “nick” done to these Drs (and the fathers of the children, by the way) by Lorena Bottit.
I wonder if this will be covered under Obamacare, you know like Viagra is.
Here is a link to a story about how states are rolling back women’s access to abortion services using the new Obamacare legislation. How will the ladies axillary of the Democrats (NOW) respond to this happening?
http://seattletimes.nwsource.c.....cation=rss
So you all are already losing from Obamacare, have any of you gained anything yet (besides higher bills)? I know I work for the Feds and even I have been unable to put my 23 year old privately insured son back on my policy. I pay a fortune for his policy and it doesn’t cover anything so I pay again when he gets strep throat or needs new glasses.
Dr. Lainie Friedman Ross needs to be removed from the AAP .
http://experts.uchicago.edu/experts.php?id=516
Lainie Friedman Ross
Carolyn and Matthew Bucksbaum Professor of Clinical Medical Ethics; Section Chief of Community Health Sciences, Institute for Molecular Pediatric Sciences; Associate Director, MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics
Areas of Expertise:
* Medical Ethics: Ethical issues in genetic testing and screening
* Medical Ethics: Pediatric ethics
* Medical Ethics: Research ethics
* Medical Ethics: Transplantation ethics
Media Contact:
John Easton
(773) 702-6241
john.easton@uchospitals.edu
Why have we not heard about this in the media? WTF is going on in this country? I can’t believe this story isn’t leading the nightly news – and these vicious pigs at the American Academy of Pediatrics are going to get away with this.
I haven’t heard a thing about this from NOW – why haven’t they brought this to the fore? Oh, right. they probably helped the American academy of Pediatrics get the wording right.
I also think she is guilty of exposing pediatricians and pediatric health care workers to litigation and charges of abuse and malpractice . I fully support reporting any physician that would follow this practice to the police , and Child Protective Services ,and I just emailed her with a link to this page and expressed my views as well.
I am an RN with many many years of pediatric and adolescent care in my experience , including Certification in Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, and this recommendation by the AAP is unimaginable , unconscionable , and illegal .
I was stunned when I first read it and am stunned every time again.
Actually I can see the cultural need to substitute a new female coming of age ritual for genital mutilation but it needs to involve zero mutilation. It sounds like these people are superstitious and controlling so it shouldn’t be too hard to substitute in a whole new ritual on them and make it seem like the desired and best way in this age…an advancement. I think the people who practice this need to be given a different set of behaviors. For instance I know a very controlling person who suffers a strange cluster of vague symptoms to the point where she sometimes can’t leave the house, she was given a set of exercises and diet restrictions (which would make sense for anyone) and since she practices them to the extreme she feels in control and isn’t disabled by her vague symptoms any longer.
It seems these people have a vague but endless set of concerns regarding any female sexual evidence and are determined controllers so give them some “magic” that consumes a good deal of their energy as a substitute.
Here is a link to the letters of response to the AAP from health care professionals to this “policy ” They are well worth reading. None of them are in favor .
http://pediatrics.aappublicati.....125/5/1088
I hope everyone will call their congresspeople and encourage them to support the Girls Protection Act, which would illegalize taking girls out of the country for the purpose of female genital mutilation.
You can find your congressperson’s contact information here: https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml
Also, if you want to contact the American Academy of Pediatrics here is the information:
National Headquarters:
The American Academy of Pediatrics
141 Northwest Point Boulevard
Elk Grove Village, IL 60007-1098
USA
847/434-4000
847/434-8000 (Fax)
Washington, DC Office:
The American Academy of Pediatrics
Department of Federal Affairs
601 13th Street, NW
Suite 400 North
Washington, DC 20005 USA
202/347-8600
202/393-6137 (Fax)
Not sure which email address is the most appropriate, here is the page:
http://www.aap.org/visit/contact.htm
Swannie, thanks for the links. The letters provide some hope in the midst of absolute insanity.
Any doctor who does this should be charged and convicted of child abuse the parents should lose their children then be deported back to their own country. A mother should have her privates sown up and a man should have his cut off. This is so foul that we cannot allow this to happen here. NO WOMAN should be allowed to get away with this. I think both the doctors and parents should end up in prison where the Prisoners will show them what they think of this sort of abuse. LOL I am sure the men and women in Prison will show them what a nick feels like. I see a lot of these freaks being impaled by brooms. Justice served.
In the mean time someone needs to step forward with a new and better ritual for these people. What are the odds that you are going to stop this with legal threats and posturing? They are low, in my opinion you will force it underground, it will be done by hacks and when the little girls get ill from the mutilations and their families need to choose between taking them to the ER for treatment, which means having one or more family members arrested or letting the little girl suffer and perhaps die what choice do you think will be made? I do believe that any girls presenting with this mutilation should be removed from the home where it was permitted but then sent where? Many foster situations are abusive and they would be cast out from the only culture they know. I think a lot of this could be prevented by leaders in the community standing up and providing a substitute positive ritual. But no way should these cultural accepted abuses against women be tolerated in our country.
Anne–I love ya!
I suggest a new ritual in this country and the world for little girls. We give them knives and train them from day one to defend and protect themselves. Strike first and ask questions later. This lesson would serve them well from day one to their last day on this planet.
And I wrote a letter to Mr. Easton regarding Dr. Ross and I hope that everyone who reads here does the same. Dr. Ross should be stripped of the right to practice medicine after getting nicked. And, once again, I volunteer to do the nicking!
What has SOS Clinton said about this. Let me quess, NOTHING!?!? What about V.P. Joe Biden, author of the violence against women act. These are people I used to support and highly respect for their dedication and ACTION on making America a safe place for womena nd girls. But have they submitted to Obama’s idea that human rights is not a priority. Has all the Suadi money that can so easily be accepted as campaign contributions, since Obama’s campaign made accepting campaign donations via pre-paid untraceable credit cards over the internet, distracted Hillary and good ole Joe from their dedication to human rights.
Once again I will be supporting conservative women from now on. Liberal women are welcoming a barbaric culture into America life. Liberal men have no objections to th dumbing down of human rights in America. Hell I think they find this kind of misogyny cool.
I hope everyone will call their congresspeople and encourage them to support the Girls Protection Act, which would illegalize taking girls out of the country for the purpose of female genital mutilation.
You can find your congressperson’s contact information here: https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml
Also, if you want to contact the American Academy of Pediatrics here is the information:
National Headquarters:
The American Academy of Pediatrics
141 Northwest Point Boulevard
Elk Grove Village, IL 60007-1098
USA
847/434-4000
847/434-8000 (Fax)
Washington, DC Office:
The American Academy of Pediatrics
Department of Federal Affairs
601 13th Street, NW
Suite 400 North
Washington, DC 20005 USA
202/347-8600
202/393-6137 (Fax)
Not sure which email address is the most appropriate, here is the page:
http://www.aap.org/visit/contact.htm
This is a horrible thing, but it doesn’t surprise me if it becomes the norm in our country, just as the male partial mutilation, circumcision, has become the norm, like the far eastern countries. I came from Sweden many years ago, and was horrified to find out that the US do that to little boys. I’m glad to see that it is less common today. Thank you all for fighting for our little girls to keep them safe from the surgeons knife. Please educate yourselves about circumcision too.
This is shameful!
Why fight the Taliban and spend billions when the Taliban are already making policy decisions to advance their patriarchal agenda here?
What is Hillary Clinton’s opinion I’d like to know! This brave woman who defied a whole Chinese dictatorship in ’95 to shout out women’s human rights cannot possibly take this too kindly. But of course, her international stature would not probably permit her to take a proactive stand. I miss her impact in North American politics, though! When she visited Ottawa, she let a Taliban-like Bushian clone (first in Canada!) have a piece of her mind on his neanderthal gag on therapeutic abortions as part of maternal health and welfare! Every single paper in town and all over the country applauded her “Canadian” stand…
Isn’t the Paediatrics Society saying that teaching “Prostitution Skills 101″ in college similar to allowing a bit of a nick in the name of pacifying these backward societies’ neanderthal agenda? After all, our girls would just have a “bit of exposure” in prostitution so they could be more self-supportive in their studies, right?
Shameful!
I just read the above commenter’s suggestion that
a) anyone accused of advocating or promoting or taking part in this conspiracy on a girl should be charged with CHILD ABUSE; and
b) deported to their home country where they could practice this on their future victim-children;
c) place the young girl away from her ‘parents’ in a foster home.
The majority of women can only reach orgasm by clitoral stimulation. Somewhere back in the Dark Ages, it seems certain religious sects decided men should be the only beings allowed to experience orgasm, hence the practice of mutilating a woman’s genitals, making it impossible for their women to orgasm. For many years in the U.S., routine male circumsion was practiced mainly for religious or (unfounded) hygenic reasons. Male circumsion involves cutting off the foreskin of the penis and exposes the tip. If the advocates of this “nick” prcedure are talking about female circumsion, (which removes the clitoral hood), they should try it on themselves first to see how they like it. It is almost the same as male circumsion, except instead of just the tip of a penis being exposed to rub on clothing and becoming desensitized, the entire clitoris is exposed and is very uncomfortable. Be that as it may, this “nick” procedure seems to be the exact opposite of the intention of this religion, which is the removal of the entire clitoris, not just the hood. Since female genital mutilation or female circumsion has NEVER been practiced in the U.S., for any medical professional to in any way advocate, for any reason, anything done to an immigrant female’s genitals is malpractice. There is no reason on earth to cut, in any way, either a male or female child’s genitals. Anyone thinking they are helping by “nicking” (mutilating) little girls has lost their way as an American. Let them go back to their own country (and stay there) if they want to mutilate their own daughters. It is NOT done here, and should NEVER be done here, ever! The time has come to end this insane tolerance of “everyone”, and it is going too far to advocate that American healthcare professionals mutilate the genitals of any female.