"Baby Boy" Steals Circumstraint
To prepare newborns for circumcision, nurses strap them to a board designed to elevate the infant"s hips, perfectly presenting the male genitalia. This unique product--the brand name is "Circumstraint" - is manufactured by the Olympic Medical Co. in Seattle, Washington. Their product literature boasts: "In less than 30 seconds a nurse can immobilize the struggling infant securely in the correct position with Circumstraint. Soft, wide Velcro straps encircle the infant's elbows and knees, depriving him of leverage. He's held securely without danger of escape."
Recently, a college student prepared to make a public demonstration against circumcision and the Circumstraint. Adopting the name "Baby Boy" from the way he was identified on the consent form signed by his parents twenty years before, he set out for New York Hospital, Cornell University with the intention of stopping a circumcision and chaining himself to the circumcision room door.
After arriving, he found the floor where the Nursery was located, went to the nurses desk and told them it would mean a lot to see where he was born. No one was willing to give him a tour of the area. He asked them what birth was like at that hospital. "Didn't your parents tell you?" they asked. He said he wanted some images to associate with his birth. One nurse described how they assist in births. When he asked what the difference was between the care given to boys and girls, a nurse caught on and asked, "Do you mean circumcision?" She also explained that parental consent was required. He asked a nurse dressed in blue where the circumcision room was and proceeded, against their wishes, to look around. He saw an Olympic Circumstraint and asked about it but they wouldn't admit what it was or how it was used.
By this time, the nurses were getting nervous and had called for Security. When he realized what was happening, he said he would be back and beat a hasty retreat zig-zagging through the building until he was outside. On a second try, he asked for the Bio-Ethics Department but this got him only as far as Security Headquarters where he was warned not to trespass again or they would call the 19th precinct police.
Day Three. Baby Boy telephoned to reach the Bio-Ethics Department but to no avail. Going to New York Hospital again he went to talk to a doctor in Pediatric Urology but was referred on to Patient Services where he was given the name of the President of the Hospital and advised to write a letter. Gathering his courage, he again visited the Nursery, looked around, and through a window in the wall spotted a Circumstraint. He told two women who were watching babies through the window that he was going to take the circumcision board and that circumcision was torture. One of the visitors agreed that it was extremely painful because a clamp was put on the penis. She was of the opinion that Jews did the operation in a few seconds. His rejoinder was that it was still a violation of the babies rights even if it is done quickly. He knocked on the window where a nurse was holding a baby girl with a clamp on her umbilical cord. When a young nurse opened the door, he said, "I'm taking that" pointing to the circ board and proceeded to pick it up. "Why are you taking it?" she asked, and he replied, "Because it is a form of torture." Baby Boy disappeared into the first elevator, ran through some hallways to the main entrance, held it in the air gleefully yelling "I got it!" and ran for blocks before stopping. Baby Boy confided that he was going to take it to his University, show it to his friends, and burn it. He had completed his mission at the hospital just two days from the anniversary of his circumcision. When told that this might be the first act of sabotage against the circumcision industry, his response was, "Fine, I did steal something from them but they stole something from me 20 years ago."
(We are grateful to Richard DeSabra, Rich Angell and The Guardian Angell where this story was first published.)
Editor's Note: For more information about the psychological importance of circumcision, see Circumcision InformationResource Pages.