Santa Monica Proposal to Ban Circumcision Will be Dropped

The primary individual behind a Santa Monica ballot measure that would ban circumcision has officially dropped the "Prohibition of Genital Cutting of Male Minors" proposal due to the perception that it is an attack on religious freedom. The woman, Jena Troutman, originally submitted the initiative to the Santa Monica City Clerk on May 19. Yesterday, she told The Jewish Journal that she would withdraw the proposed ban:

“It shouldn’t have been about religion in the first place,” Troutman told the Jewish Journal. “Ninety-five percent of people aren’t doing it for religious reasons, and with everyone from the New York Times to Glenn Beck focusing on the religious issue, it’s closing Americans down to the conversation.”

...In the interview, Troutman also distanced herself from MGMbill.org, a San Diego-based organization led by Matthew Hess, the author of the "Foreskin Man" cartoon, which has been roundly criticized in recent days as anti-Semitic.

Over the weekend, The Blaze covered this controversial cartoon.

This measure shouldn't be confused with a similar one that is scheduled to appear on the San Francisco ballot this November. This particular ban would criminalize the circumcision of a boy before the age of 18 (offenders would be slapped with a misdemeanor, with the potential of a year in jail and a 1,000 fine). If this regulation becomes law, circumcisions will only be allowed for medical reasons.

Glenn Beck has recently discussed this important subject on his FOX News show. Here's a clip: