Santa Monica, CA – Backer of Circumcision Ban Pulling Out

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    Santa Monica, CA – In response to the rising backlash against a proposed initiative that would have made circumcision for minors a criminal act, the main proponent of the measure announced her intention to withdraw the measure Monday.

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    Jena Troutman said that it was never her intention to get into the “religious aspect” of the circumcision debate. Jewish groups feel the initiative is an attack on their religion, which calls for infants to be circumcised.

    “You’ve got to do what’s right for the city that you’re in and I think that I could do something much better that’s more representative of what we want locally to inform parents that the procedure is not recommended by the National Academy of Pediatrics,” Troutman said.

    Troutman submitted the original petition, entitled the Santa Monica MGM Bill Ballot Initiative, on May 19. She would have had 180 days after publishing information about the bill to collect over 6,000 signatures.

    Had she done that, the measure — which would have made circumcising a child under the age of 18 a misdemeanor offense punishable by a $1,000 fine or a year in jail — would have gone on the November 2012 ballot.

    However, the hue and cry raised within the religious community, and what she felt was a misrepresentation of her goals by news media, caused Troutman to seek another way of furthering her real agenda.

    “It’s about educating parents that they have options,” Troutman said. “That’s the goal.”

    “I’m not a politician, just a mom who cares,” Troutman said.

    Rabbi Neil Comess-Daniels, of Beth Shir Shalom in Santa Monica, called the decision “wonderful news.”

    “I’m stunned, but pleasantly so, because it sought to make circumcision criminal in Santa Monica, which was pretty horrible,” Comess-Daniels said.

    “It’s not an easy thing to take a public stance and retract it,” Comess-Daniels said. “I give her credit for that, and I hope it’s the last we see of this.”

    Mayor Richard Bloom, who announced the news on his Facebook page shortly after Troutman called him to tell him of her decision, said that when the initiative is formally off the table, it will be time to fight the San Francisco version.


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    13 Comments
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    georgewashingtonbridge
    georgewashingtonbridge
    12 years ago

    Smart move on Troutman’s part. I guess she had no clue Whom she was up against.

    md2205
    md2205
    12 years ago

    It is a good sign that so many people made such a fuss about this agenda.

    couldbe
    couldbe
    12 years ago

    Amazing news. Let’s thank hashem and keep on praying.

    Babishka
    Member
    Babishka
    12 years ago

    That nazi comic book showed their true colors.

    Anon Ibid Opcit
    Anon Ibid Opcit
    12 years ago

    Good for her. Now she understands how her proposed ballot would have affected people and has decided to pull it. I hope she finds a different way to try and accomplish the good parts of this.

    Circumcision is important to Jews and Muslims. We (and they) should be allowed to perform it as a religious requirement. In the absence of medical conditions which require it there’s no reason for people outside those religions to routinely circumcise their sons. Something that raised consciousness about the issue without interfering with religious observance would be a good thing.

    Some people close to the initiative have said they stopped supporting it when nasty things like the Foreskin Man comic came out. They didn’t want their cause associated with bigotry.

    shredready
    shredready
    12 years ago

    this lady is not like foreskin guy since she did say a few weeks ago she would for for a religious exemption.

    maybe her motive was simply what she believes and not motivated by hate that seems to be behind forskin guy

    Josh38
    Josh38
    12 years ago

    Let’s give her a hand for deciding to pull out. That must have been a hard thing for her to do as it’s much easier to just shove these things down people’s throats. Usually on these issues everyone acts stiff and no one bends. But she obviously knew when was the right time to release and not just focus on the nuts.