But at the same time, I can say openly that I think that curvier women look nicer than boney women, but that doesn't make either right or wrong. Sex positivity aside, I was just stating my opinion on aesthetics. There are people out there who think that large, fake breasts look nicer, but they have the right to feel that way.

Similarly, there are people who find tattoos to be sexy, but is that something to be ashamed of? It's not like they're saying that everyone should be tattooed to fit their own personal attraction, and they're not saying that they won't be with someone because they don't have a tattoo, they're just saying that they like how they look.

Wow, there are all kinds of controversial subjects on the forums today! And Kindred, thanks for sharing your opinion about it. You shouldn't waste your time being jealous of what other people have or don't have, though, but you have good reasoning for not getting it done to your sons.

As long as everyone is mature and states their opinions (and counter-opinions) in an adult, mature way I think that debates are wonderful ways to think more critically about your own points of view. So far this has all been pretty respectful and thought-provoking, which is what conversations are supposed to be.

We're not deciding anything on here, we're just having a talk. I think that the main issue is if it violates the human rights of the child (when abortionists usually consider their fetus to be a part of THEM until it's cut off and out of them.) I really like this because I have hypocritical, nonsensical views on this subject and so does my partner, so I was hoping that talking about this on the forum would help me get a clearer idea of why I feel the way that I do.

I personally think that once a fetus has brain activity it should for all purposes be considered 'alive.' Masses of tissue do not have brain activity, in my book. I would never have an abortion because I consider it killing a living being, but that's how I think it should be handled in reality. The reason that I think it should be handled that way is that it gives the mother time to speak with her doctor about complications and terminate the pregnancy early so she doesn't drive down to Mexico, but at the same time it has the same definition of 'life' as 'death.' (brain activity.)

I PERSONALLY consider it life at conception because it has a different genetic make up from the mother. All cells in your body (usually) have the same genetic code, but the fetus only has half of your genetic code. Using this logic, I do not consider it to be part of their body, but another body that is connected.

As far as whose right it is? I hate myself for leaning towards circumcision, if that makes any sense. It's hard at this point to differentiate between my actual thoughts and what the media has raised me to think.

Do you have the name of that documentary you watched? It sounds really interesting, especially about how the penis is an internal organ that we reveal. That's a really cool way of thinking about it.

The uncircumcised penis is actually MORE appealing to the eye when not seen through the lens of popular media. My partner is uncut and he is just as clean as my circumcised partner. Also there is NO special cleaning required for an uncut penis even for a boy child. it's actually easier to clean a boy's uncut penis than it is to clean a girl's vagina.
Also my uncut partner has never had ANY problem with premature ejaculation and in area of the world where circumcision is elective there are not reports of an increase in this statistic.
Yes, it might be easier to get STDs if your penis is not rubbed to almost complete insensitivity by friction...but using a condom takes away this advantage and keeps the field even.

I have the perspective of being able to see first hand the drawbacks of circumcision and the only real advantage that I and my partners see is its easier to pee standing if your are circumcised...it's not impossible but it can be easier.

My partner was adamant about having his son left as nature intended him to be. My husband had bought into the whole "teenage boys might laugh at him" argument. So I said well then we will start our girls on plastic surgery, diets and extreme exercise because female teenagers might laugh at them for being fat, "ugly", any host of other things that teenagers poke at each other about. I never base my life decisions on whether a locker room will erupt in a High School. FFS I home school my kids to avoid the shit that goes on in a High School. Neither my partners nor my children regret this choice.

As a result my girls have never had their genitals mutilated and neither has my son. One real benefit is I don't have to change my potty training habits for my son since his Dad prefers to sit and pee. All kidding aside I honestly think an uncircumcised penis is uncomfortably bare and looks just plain wrong. Erect there is no difference between my guy (beyond the length and girth!) so i really have to laugh at the argument that it is "visually" more appealing.

Having slept with an uncut man without a condom I can say that I never have lubrication problems or lose sensitivity. I can let him move slowly and savor the experience rather than having to rely on friction to allow him to retain an erection. The experience is just so vastly different.

Honestly? Who stands around and compares genitals with their parents? I never based my sense of worth based on whether my breasts or vagina looked like my Mother's. From what I can gather, most men have never stood and actually thought about whether their penis looks like their Dad's.

I would answer that your son is going to look like you with his clothes on, genetics willing, and since it's not quite moral for you to actually go around looking at your son's nude genitals...or showing them off, so to speak, who's going to EVER notice whether he is circumcised except his doctor and future lovers. Since the doctor's only concern is a healthy body he or she isn't going to stand you side by side and compare. Any future lovers won't be looking either!

No one is ever going to look at the genitals of a father and son and say, "OH YES those two are father and son", ergo it's a ridiculous argument. I have no tonsils and my daughter and son do...they can swell and cause problems and you can live quite well without them. Should I have an elective surgery to remove said tonsils so the doctor can look into their throats more easily? To prevent future POSSIBLE infection? I mean I had a cousin die from a ruptured tonsil in a totally bizarre and freak accident...so there is a CHANCE that it could happen. This would be the slippery slope we are already at the bottom of and climbing out of.

We allow ZERO alteration of female infants beyond life saving procedures but argue and invent statistics (proper safer sex conventions prove the statistic to be specious) to prove we must alter male infants. Don't men deserve to be celebrated just as nature intended them to be...just like women?