Germans against Ritual Genital Mutilation

This is sure to ruffle a few feathers among religious types, but I think it's absolutely the right decision from the German courts:

German court rules circumcision is 'bodily harm'

There will doubtless be complaints from those parts of the muslim and jewish communities that have not yet joined the 21st century, and possibly even accusations of anti-semitism. I really hope, however, that the German authorities have the courage of their convictions.

Some -- well, most, I suppose -- boys do actually want to grow up into men, and to deny them the choice of whether to keep everything as Nature intended (you know, so they can actually enjoy a wank or a shag) is just barbaric.

And less with the bogus health and hygiene arguments. It might have made sense in the desert in Biblical times, but not in modern Europe. A foreskin is self-cleansing if you drink enough. And if you don't want to contribute to the spread of AIDS -- in fact, every time you ever have sex at all unless you plan to get pregnant -- you should be wearing a condom.