May 19, 2011 | 10:27 am

San Francisco’s war on circumcision

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

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I suspect that little boys prefer Christmas to circumcision, so at least there’s that. But a San Francisco group bent on banning circumcision has gotten one step closer, gaining enough signatures to qualify their ballot measure for the November election.

The AP reports:

If the measure passes, circumcision would be prohibited among males under the age of 18. The practice would become a misdemeanor offense punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 or up to one year in jail. There would be no religious exemptions.

The initiative appears to be the first of its kind in the country to actually make it to this stage, though a larger national debate over the health benefits of circumcision has been going on for many years. Banning circumcision would almost certainly prompt a flurry of legal challenges alleging violations of the First Amendment’s guarantee of the freedom to exercise one’s religious beliefs.

Supporters of the ban say male circumcision is a form of genital mutilation that is unnecessary, extremely painful and even dangerous. They say parents should not be able to force the decision on their young child.

“Parents are really guardians, and guardians have to do what’s in the best interest of the child. It’s his body. It’s his choice,” said Lloyd Schofield, the measure’s lead proponent and a longtime San Francisco resident, who said the cutting away of the foreskin from the penis is a more invasive medical procedure than many new parents or childless individuals realize.

Except that most males would tell you they would much rather be circumcised when they’re too young to remember it. There is a reason that Simeon and Levi tricked the men of Shechem into being circumcised so that they would be easier to slay.

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