Tracking down the doctor who cut me

[tony12345]

I feel the need to confront the pediatrician who cut me at birth. Previous assumptions on my part made me think he had long since passed away (being cut in 1965), however I recently discovered that he was still around.

I drove to the pediatrician offices that I was last at as a child almost 40 years ago. They still looked the same to me, not much had changed. I still remember being taken there by my mother for various vaccinations and childhood ailments, and how for some reason I intuitively viewed that place as a source of pain.

I spoke to the receptionist, told her I was a former patient of the good doctor, and would like to speak to him. She told me he was wintering in Florida, and she would give him my message which contains my telephone number.

My goal would be to setup a face to face meeting with him. I want to get his views on circumcision, why he pressured my parents into cutting me while my father is not circumcised and never had any issues. I want to give him my "victim's statement,", how I would have never consented, how it has affected my life, and how he violated his Hippocratic oath.

I feel that by confronting this doctor, I can help with my closure on this issue, and let doctors get an idea of the harm they have caused. And I am expecting an apology.

I'm sure my visit will provoke discussion amongst the other pediatricians in the office. Only by raising awareness on this issue can we hope to reduce infant circumcisions.

I also want to make the good doctor aware that by performing an unnecessary surgery on a non-consenting individual, he may have thought there are no repercussions. But while he had his way with me as a one day old defenseless infant of 7 pounds, I now return as a 6' 220 pound man. I dare him to be as cavalier as he was in 1965.

Well I wait for his call.

[Joseph]

Best of luck, Tony

[peterpink]

Unless you are particularly quick thinking, as I suspect he will be, I suggest you write a victim impact statement (max of one sheet) outlining the physical, physiological and emotional effects. That makes your complaint more concrete and it is harder for him to dismiss a written statement. (I can supply summaries of what men have actually said about the effects so he cannot use the excuse that you are somehow the exception. Contact me.)

He will be absolutely astonished. Then he will probably go into denial and become defensive. Doctors do not like to admit they were wrong and want to avoid being shamed.

As well as your written statement, I suggest you print off the following to give him some homework reading to bring him up to date:

http://www.nocirc.org/touch-test/bju_6685.pdf

http://www.cirp.org/library/anatomy/taylor/

http://www.cirp.org/library/sex_function/bensley1/


I wish I could be there with you. You are doing something I would have liked to have done, but my mutilator died years ago before I became aware of the damage to me.

Please let us know how it works out.

Best wishes

[z726]

Just be calm about it. Remember that of his patients in the last 44 years you are just one of hundreds, so he probably won't remember. His attitude may have changed since... keep that in mind, in addition to the fact that he's a much older man now.

[Stretchalot]

My best wishes go with you, Tony. I genuinely hope you find the closure you're seeking. I also hope your direct and personal approach has a profound and long-lasting impact on him and that he does share the experience with his peers. I would suggest to rehearse your 'key messages' and do try to remain calm and non-confrontational. Please share how the meeting goes.

[finman]

Let's hope you have sufficient self control.

On one website a mother stated that, when she saw the bloody, mutilated mess the doctor had left her baby boys penis in (from a 'normal', 'successful' circumcision) if she had had a gun at that moment she would have shot the doctor.

[Yunus]

That is a very good thinking.If all males who regret their neonatal circumcision do like what you do,then the USA medical governments will notice and think that there are so many regret because of RIC and these medical governments probably won't continue RIC.
I feel so lucky because I wasn't born in USA.

Good luck,Mr.Tony.I will support you.

[Purist]

You're very brave to do this. I hope you accomplish what you wish to.

[tony12345]

Ok here is what happened.

After a few months of no response, I went back to the office and spoke to the people there. They said the Doctor hadn't been in, but they said they would forward my email address to him.

Not knowing whether he would respond, I took my investigation further. First, using Google and the online State Department of Health medical licensing information, I was able to get the proper spelling of his last name, first name, and middle initial. Then, using subscription based databases that private investigator's use, and which I have access to, I was able to get his home address and telephone number. Based on the records he is 86 years old.

So I called him. He remembered my family, we had a long and cordial conversation. He had received my messages from his old office. So he asked me why I was really calling, and I told him I wanted him to know how being circd has so negatively impacted my life. He said he was sorry to hear that, he had seen the protests in DC over circ, he said medical guidelines are constantly changing, what they thought was good one year, the next year it's a bad practice. But he also added that he was not the one who circ'd me, it was the Obstetricians who got the circ work, he never did. (My mothers recollection of events was wrong.)

He did say he would call his office and let them know I reached him, and what my call was about. ( I hope I am the cause of discussion amongst the other paediatricians on this issue.)

So after much well wishing, we said goodbye, and I restarted my search, now for the Obstetrician.

My birth certificate listed his name. After some googling and research of state medical licenses, I searched for him in the database (which has access to an unbelievable amount of information from drivers licenses to criminal records to credit reports.) On the hits list, the most likely address and telephone number came up. He lives in Florida, and is 89 years old. I called him.

I asked him if he was Doctor Schwartz, he said yes, I told him who I was, and that he delivered me 45 years ago. He remembered my mother. I also said he circ'd me. I said I would have never wanted that done to me. He responded that he had consent. I replied that my parents "consented" only because he said it had to be done. He said nothing. I told him how his actions negatively impacted my life, i would have never wanted that done to me, that I had seen circ videos and it is a brutal procedure. He had no response.

I asked him how could he inflict such torture on a newborn infant. He had no response other than "keep going, i'm listening."

Attempting to goad him, I asked him if inflicting pain on a helpless baby made him feel like more of a man? no response.

Well after that, he didn't have much to say, other than send his regards to my mother.

I told him should anyone ask his advice about whether they should circ their infant, you tell them about me.

I did thank him for listening to me and taking my call. I do realize I hit him from out of the blue, and may have not had time to give it much thought, especially for a very old man.

From an intactivist standpoint, I think few things are more effective than actually confronting the person who mutilated you. For a former patient/victim to come back from the past and take the effort to track his doctor down, that's got to send a message. (it had to be mind blowing to him that I even had his home telephone number, and knew where he lived.) It's never too late to try to reach out, I never expected these guys to still be alive, but I found them.

And from a therapeutic standpoint, I do feel better that I was actually able to confront the person who held the Gomco clamp and scalpel, and give him my "victims" statement.

[Joseph]

Kudos for finding and confronting your perpetrator, Tony.

This isn't just about "intactivism," it's personal.

You are to be commended.

I can only imagine how much it feels like a weight was lifted from your shoulders.

[admin]

I asked him how could he inflict such torture on a newborn infant. He had no response other than "keep going, i'm listening."

That's a pretty good outcome.

I think it points out one of the injustices of infant circumcision. If a guy is unhappy about his sexual apparatus, chances are the bastard who did it is long dead or so old and feeble he'd be incompetent to defend himself in court, and as in the OJ case, his assets may all be in retirement instruments which are shielded for some disgusting reason from civil seizure.

[peterpink]

Well done Tony. If more men did this change might speed up. Younger men need to become active in facing circumcisers because these doctors will probably still be active and it might cause them to have second thoughts.

You have not spoken only to your mutilator, but he will pass this on to his wife and possibly other colleagues or relations. His reaction of disbelief is predictable, since you have broken his illusion that forced circumcision is harmless. Doctors sometimes use the excuse 'medical fashions come and go in cycles'. If they use this excuse it should be pointed out that in western medicine non-therapeutic has only come once and is on the way out. I would have asked him if he was going to offer you any compensation for your suffering. He must have gained financially from mutilating babies. Any normal human would have at least offered an apology and shown some empathy.

While some people will be sympathetic to aged doctors being ignorant that they were sexually abusing babies, they are responsible for their actions and should have to compensate their victims. If a non-medical person had cut off a part of a non-consenting baby he would end up in prison.

[4Foreskin]

Tony 12345,
This is an outstanding effort to confront the doctors that did this to you. You are an inspiration. Thank you very much for sharing this with us.

I hope the younger men start to confront the doctors that violated their rights to make decisions about their bodies.

Absolutely great work,

[tony12345]

Thanks for your support guys.

I'm thinking I'll give him a followup call on my 46th birthday, or maybe I will mail him a book like Boyd's "Circumcision Exposed."

[madbr3991]

Tony 12345 congratulations you used restraint. i'm glad you got some relief


if i knew the phone number and address of the one that butchered me. i don't know if i could restrain my self. knowing that he profited off of sexual assaulting me. like i have said in some of my other posts. people that have circumcised other people. should lose there medical license and have there penis cut off or there vagina sealed shut

[tony12345]

well I don't know if I'd go that far, I can be more effective as an intactivist outside of a jail cell.:D

Anyway, I'd encourage anyone, especially the younger guys, not to be embarrassed to contact the doctor who circ'd them, and let them know how unhappy you are and how it has affected you. The younger you are, the easier it will be to find your doctor, as they are most likely still practicing.

You don't need to go into sexual issues or stuff like that, simply frame it as a human rights & ethics issue, and that you are unhappy your body was modified for cosmetic reasons without your consent. There isn't a doctor out there that can have a comeback for that. And it might give them pause when they are discussing circs with the next set of parents.

[madbr3991]

i mean that instead of jail time. i dont think i could harm anyone. it should be there punishment handed down from the judge. these doctors broke the law

[Aussiebloke]

these doctors broke the law

To what law are you referring? You do realise that the bill 'trying' to make circ illegal was rejected right. Or do you have a 'special' law book?

[z726]

As in Australia, there is no specific law in any US state regarding male circumcision. The question of its legality hasn't been formally raised over here to my knowledge, but last year it was discussed way down under in Tasmania. I don't know if anything ever became of it, but here's a link to a paper released by the University of Tasmania's Law Reform Institute:
http://www.law.utas.edu.au/reform/malecircumcision.htm

The news did reach this site, but didn't provoke much discussion… probably because most of us aren't from Australia:
http://www.foreskin-restoration.net/forum/showthread.php?t=2331
http://www.foreskin-restoration.net/forum/showthread.php?t=2769

I've only heard of one case in the US in which a hospital was sued for battery in a non-botched circumcision. It was settled out of court, and therefore probably didn't set any legal precedent.

[Joseph]

Actually, if laws mean anything, circumcision should already be illegal in the US.

There is a sexist ban on FGM, and the 14th ammendment is supposed to guarantee equal protection for both boys and girls under the law.

The practice of infant genital mutilation in this country violates numerous laws and international treaties, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the UN Convention Against Torture, not to mention the prime dictum of medicine: "first, do no harm."

Furthermore, proxy consent of the parents is not legally applicable to an irreversible procedure for which there was no medical indication.

Doctors are taking advantage of parents that are naive to legal reality. One of these days it's going to come back to bite them in the ass in the way of law suits and they won't have a pot to piss in.

[admin]

circumcision should already be illegal in the US.

There is a sexist ban on FGM, and the 14th ammendment is supposed to guarantee equal protection for both boys and girls under the law.

I agree, except that the remedy our legal system offers would just strike down the law. The Supreme Court can't generally extend laws beyond what Congress passed and the President signed. If there was a general clause listing protection against non-therapeutic mutilation, and then a specific clause denying one group that protection, the extra clause could maybe be struck down.

The practice of infant genital mutilation in this country violates numerous laws and international treaties, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the UN Convention Against Torture, not to mention the prime dictum of medicine: "first, do no harm."

Furthermore, proxy consent of the parents is not legally applicable to an irreversible procedure for which there was no medical indication.

Doctors are taking advantage of parents that are naive to legal reality. One of these days it's going to come back to bite them in the ass in the way of law suits and they won't have a pot to piss in.

I agree incompetent and malicious "medical" treatment is already an illegal assault and probably fraud.

[madbr3991]

To what law are you referring? You do realise that the bill 'trying' to make circ illegal was rejected right. Or do you have a 'special' law book?

the law im talking about is basic human right of total body intactness. this law states that no one. can be forced against his/her will to have there bodies altered without medical cause. or what about all the laws about sexual assault.

circumcision is sexual assault disguised as a medical procedure or religious act. in order for circumcision to be stopped several steps are needed one of which. is proven that circumcision is a form of sexual assault.

[Dasher]

Hospitals can be successfully sued for circumcision, such as that Catholic hospital on Long Island a couple of years ago.

Catholic hospitals should know better, and in an earlier era, did. Circumcision has no place in Christianity. Except for hypocrites of course.

In order to sue a hospital (or doctor), all you have to do is state a cause of action. A cause of action for a civil suit can be an allegation that the defendant violated a criminal statue (such as the battery statute, etc.), and that the plaintiff suffered as a result. The hospital is sued because it is liable for what happened inside it. That's all you have to do to get through the courthouse door. And if you plead your complaint properly, it will be impossible to get it dismissed on a Motion to Dismiss by the defendants. A circumcision case would be simple and a breeze to plead compared to complex cases.

A flurry of circumcision cases against doctors and hospitals in a bunch of states could probably slow the brutal practice down. The hospitals would be anxious to settle out of court to stop negative publicity. That is what I believe happened in the Long Island case.

Any kid who was circumcised and turns 18 is a likely candidate for being the plaintiff in a circumcision case in Circuit Court/Superior Court. So, go for it guys! Ask your local law firm to take the case on a contingency fee basis. Or you might ask them to take the case pro bono, since you're still in high school.

[Terato]

Anyway, I'd encourage anyone, especially the younger guys, not to be embarrassed to contact the doctor who circ'd them, and let them know how unhappy you are and how it has affected you. The younger you are, the easier it will be to find your doctor, as they are most likely still practicing.

You don't need to go into sexual issues or stuff like that, simply frame it as a human rights & ethics issue, and that you are unhappy your body was modified for cosmetic reasons without your consent. There isn't a doctor out there that can have a comeback for that. And it might give them pause when they are discussing circs with the next set of parents.

All of this is really good advice.

Though I'm not the one who was mutilated and not the one who has to directly live with it, I'd just love to speak to the guy who cut my boyfriend.... sometimes I think I'd be so angry I could hardly speak coherently... other times I would just like to gently ask "why did you do this to the person I love? why did you cause him such pain for NO benefit?" and to try to make my position on it plain without being hateful.

I guess I want to forgive and hope that the doctor who cut my bf can see what he did as being wrong. Perhaps he already does. I hope so. Quite a few anti-circ doctors are in fact ones who used to circumcise.

I had some pretty invasive procedures performed on me when I was an infant that have left some bad scars and, I'm sure, altered my perception of pain forever... but they were done to save my life. What happened to my boyfriend had nothing to do with his health and everything with the doctor pushing it on his uninformed mother.