Like I said before...unless there is a real medical reason for it, such as the foreskin is too tight and can not be retracted then fine
Something which typically does not require surgery, but people like to jump to hacking it off.
Exactly! These are all things you have to take into consideration when you're not cut. You can't just shower once a day and hope its going stay clean by itself.
Seems to work for women.
Lack of male circumcision has also been associated with sexually transmitted genital ulcer disease and chlamydia, infant urinary tract infections, penile cancer, and cervical cancer in female partners of uncircumcised men [1].
Quite convenient that in a country that is strongly pro-male genital mutilation they fail to properly lay out the real level of this supposed protection. How many have to be mutilated to prevent one case? And what's an acceptable number of infant deaths to prevent some disease they might get later by subjecting them to unnecessary surgery?
As for urinary tract infection, beyond a certain age it becomes a primarily female disease, so what part of their genitalia needs to be excised to prevent this? Surely cutting off parts they don't really need might also have other disease prevention benefits? Anyone who wants to suggest benefits for doing this to boys must be willing to explore potential benefits of doing it to girls.
To lessen the discomfort.
So you believe it's not done in the childs best interest? (excluding religious reasons)
It is only the pro-mutilation who claim it's less painful for a child. The modern world has developed some pretty cool stuff like anaesthetics and painkillers. When my doctor had to pull bits of the road out of my elbow he didn't give me a bottle of whisky and tell me to bite down on a stick, nor did he have to hack off my harm due to necrotic tissue. Instead he gave me painkillers and antibiotics, so I didn't feel a thing. I'm betting an adult wanting to hack off his hood can get some similar goodies to go with his surgery.
Furthermore it is impossible to know exactly how the penis will grow and there is no standard amount that can be removed. Hence those people who have been truly butchered as babies.
Parents do plenty of boneheaded things they think are in their child's best interests. Some even subject their child to this for incredibly dumb reasons - religion, tradition, women will prefer it or, perhaps the most ridiculous, so he can look like dad. I'm sure all those crazy people hacking up their daughters think it is in their child's best interest too. Explain to me why we vilify them?
How old is old enough for it to be your choice? You can't wait too long, otherwise the healing period is prolonged by sexual activity (wet dreams & the things teens get up to).
Well babies get erections too. They are also known to play with their penises. You're going to tell me a teenager who has opted to have the surgery is simply going to ignore their doctor's advice on healing?