circumcisionThe great circumcision debate always rages. If you do choose to cut, you're a barbarian who is taking something away from your baby boy. If you don't, you're subjecting your son to increased incidents of disease. On both sides of the aisle, people are passionate, sometimes angry, sometimes flat-out crazy. But one thing both sides can agree on is to never, ever, ever try to circumcise your baby yourself. Especially not with a box cutter. Especially not when you watched a YouTube video in order to learn how to make the cut.

Which is exactly why Oregon mom Keemonta Peterson got probation after attempting to circumcise her 3-month-old son in her own home. 

Needless to say, Peterson was neither a doctor nor a mohel. She was, however, inspired by the Old Testament and decided her son needed a circumcision right then and there. And for some reason, she thought he was too old to have a doctor do it. This is where her logic gets seriously faulty.

What's confusing is that she wasn't offered a circumcision in the hospital when she gave birth. Peterson also has three other children (who are in state custody right now), but no mention if they are boys or girls, circ'd or intact. While the judge did say he believed she was a mother who loved her kids, and this was a bad moment, apparently someone feels like the children are in some kind of danger since she's only allowed supervised visits.

This is the point where I remind you she took a box cutter to her son's penis. It seems like under any other circumstances, she'd be in jail right now. Of course, she did call 911 right after when the bleeding didn't stop, and the baby will be okay after having a doctor perform a circumcision in the hospital.

I feel for this woman, I do. It seems she was swayed by some kind of religious fervor and realized her mistake. But I still can't help but worry about the safety of all of her children in the future.

What do you think should have happened to this mom?

 

Image via harry525/Flickr