California: Circumcision on Ballot.

CIRCUMCISION; INITIATION rites; ELECTIONS; PRACTICAL politics

A group seeking to ban the circumcision of male children in San Francisco has succeeded in getting the measure on the November ballot. City elections officials confirmed Wednesday that the initiative had received enough signatures to appear on the ballot, getting more than 7,700 valid signatures from city residents. Initiatives must receive at least 7,168 signatures to qualify. If the measure passes, circumcision would be prohibited among males under the age of 18. The practice would become a misdemeanor offense punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 or up to one year in jail. There would be no religious exemptions. The initiative appears to be the first of its kind in the country to actually make it to this stage, though a larger national debate over the health benefits of circumcision has been going on for many years. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

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