The number of boys being circumcised is dropping. According to a 2009 study, only 32.5 percent of boys born in hospitals were circumcised—down from 56 percent in 2006. With this in mind, Lloyd Schofield is working to ban circumcision on men under 18 in San Francisco. He’s halfway to the 7,138 signatures he needs by April 26 for the measure to appear on the ballot in November.
Schofield spoke to Regina Bresler at Heeb magazine:
We come at this from the point of view of the child, whether Muslim, Jewish, or Christian, the child is certainly not experiencing any spiritual uplifting. If you’re doing it in the hospital there are no religious implications. If someone feels this is something they want to do for spiritual reasons, or otherwise, they should be able to choose for themselves. Their body, their decision. The basis of Judaism is the ability to talk about everything, yet this topic is avoided.
Learn more about the countrywide anti-circumcision movement here.
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