This just in. The latest lunacy from the city on the bay: a ballot measure to ban circumcisions in San Francisco.
To put this into context, this comes from the same city whose board of supervisors is considering a law banning fast food restaurants from including toys in their kids meals. It is felt that the toys are a come-on to purchase unhealthy food for children.
Both proposals are troubling because they derogate personal liberty and exemplify fears of a nanny state. Whatever happened to San Franciscos perception of being a live-and-let-live city?
Also troubling is the audacity of the lawmakers and proposal makers to interfere with a millennia-old religious practice (circumcision) and free enterprise (marketing fast food).
If either of these measures become law, we can image the following scenarios:
Illegal, backstreet bris shops;
Black market Happy Meals;
Families of eight-day old Jewish baby boys traveling outside the city limits to make a bris. Is five miles off the coast in the Pacific Ocean far enough or, will it be necessary to reach international waters? Will next door Berkeley be flooded with brises?
Rabbi Cohen the mohel sharing a jail cell with Ronald McDonald. Hmm . . . wonder if Ronald has been circumsized . . . ?
The anti-circumcision proposal needs 7,168 valid signatures by April, 2011, to make it on the ballot. Were hopeful that the people of San Francisco wont fall for this.
As for the fast food toy ban, a mere majority vote by the board of supervisors is needed. We cant wait to see the kindergartners revolt!
San Francisco as always, on the cutting edge.
Copyright © 2010 by the Intermountain Jewish News
