Articles like this are a somber reminder to me that the anatomy I was meant to have was cut off shortly after birth without my consent. Regardless of what the contemporary justifications are, the cutting of which I speak has, throughout history, been justified as pleasure reduction so that men focus more on God or to mark one as a slave. I rue and lament the fact that I miss out on having tissue that is a result of about 100 million years of evolution for reasons entirely out of my control.
Edit: Yes, I have 'confronted' my parents about this and it was devastating to learn that they didn't think twice about what the procedure really entails and had no reason other than "that's what people do". For additional angst, my parents are staunchly against docking the ears of dogs for ethical reasons, asserting that the hygiene 'benefits' are insignificant and that it is wrong to do it because people think it looks better cosmetically.
Edit: Yes, I have 'confronted' my parents about this and it was devastating to learn that they didn't think twice about what the procedure really entails and had no reason other than "that's what people do". For additional angst, my parents are staunchly against docking the ears of dogs for ethical reasons, asserting that the hygiene 'benefits' are insignificant and that it is wrong to do it because people think it looks better cosmetically.