(no subject)

Yanked from blackthornglade

I've also posted this to soc.feminism:

From time to time, the topic of Female Genital Mutilation has come up
in soc.feminism. I have on occasion been excoriated for suggesting
that, as abhorrent as we find the practise, the West's history of
interacting with Third World behooves us to adopt a certain humility
and caution in approaching the issue rather than proclaiming what
is Good and Bad and demanding broad bans without actually engaging
the women who are actually affected by what happens.

Today, in Georgia, we are presented with a more perfect example of why
I hold that position than I could have ever hoped to be handed on a
silver platter.

http://www.accessnorthga.com/news/ap_newfullstory.asp?ID=34411

In the name of countering Female Genital Mutilation, the Georgia House
of Representatives has unaminously voted to ban female genital
piercings, punsihable by 20 years in prison.

Even if she's an adult.
Even if she wants to get one.

Note that men are still free to get their respective penii pierced.

The sponsor of the amendment was flabberghasted to find out that some
women actually do want to get their genitals pierced, but doesn't
think that's any reason to allow women autonomy over their bodies.

"I, uh, I wouldn't approve of anyone doing it. I don't think that's
an appropriate thing to be doing."

It's left as an exercise to the reader what further restrictions could
be written into law if this bill becomes law and passes Constitutional
muster.

Things like this are what happen when we play Great White Civilizer Of
The Savages. It's a habit we must be diligent in breaking. It is not
possible to indulge in the habit without breaking more than we fix.
It's not something we can do just a little for a good cause and then
stop.