Circumcision Ban Busted

In June, maybe some of you remember, a question was posed by Los Gatos Patch Moms Council member Chigiy Binell, “" Basically, Binell seemed to asking readers if an unsuspecting newborn should be subjected to the debatable “supposed cruelty” of circumcision?

There was a heated debate on this site, in which I had a small role. Binell's timely question received 230 comments. During this argument, I pointed out that the ban would never go anywhere because it was a First Amendment issue.

Not only would the ban inhibit our free speech, but would also infringe on our right to religious freedom. As of July 27, 2011, the ban is no longer on the November ballot thanks to a San Francisco Superior Court lawsuit filed by opponents to this proposal that would have criminalized male circumcision. Apparently there was an even simpler reason for it to be removed.

According to CNN Health, Superior Court Judge Loretta Giorgi wrote that male circumcision is "a widely practiced medical procedure" and that medical services are left to the regulation of the state, not individual cities.

Now, I hadn't considered that particular angle, but I can see her point. The state licenses doctors and regulates the medical industry so I probably should have seen this coming. But I got wrapped up in defending the personal choice and religious motivations and sort of blinded myself to the government regulation of medical services.

While I find this to be a reaffirmation of our great nation and the Democratic infrastructure that supports it, it appears that the losers are now crying foul and saying its not fair that the Superior Court struck down the measure from the ballot.

CNN Health reports, "To remove an initiative before it comes on ballot is an extraordinarily irregular thing to do," said Lloyd Schofield, who is part of a Bay Area advocacy group that says the surgery violates human rights and likens it to "male genital mutilation. "To go to this length to have it struck from the ballot is undemocratic," he said. "It's very, very unfortunate."

I wonder if Schofield even understands what it means to live in a Democracy. Several groups, including the Jewish Community Relations Council, the Anti-Defamation League, the American Civil Liberties Union and San Francisco's Medical Society all opposed this ban and even the San Francisco City Attorney's Office was concerned that the ban wouldn't meet the constitutional muster, according to CNN Health.

I can understand if the proponents of the measure are upset because their anti-circumcision campaign has failed, but really, calling the process that handed their defeat undemocratic, because the outcome didn't go their way, is childish.

Learn to accept defeat gracefully. I equate their attempt to getting this passed the equal to my attempts to start an independent space agency in the U.S. While on the surface it seems to be a good idea, lying in wait for me are endless governmental roadblocks and countless civic groups who will do everything in their power to stop me, even though I or them may believe our cause is just.

This is a day for rejoicing. The government is no longer trying to regulate what happens in my pants. Finally, there may be room for dessert!