Florida mother Heather Hironimus is behind bars for refusing to follow a governmental court order which would force her 4-year-old son to be circumcised.
The 31-year-old mother and her son's father, Dennis Nebus, have been fiercely fighting about the matter since she was pregnant. They share custody of the child, and in an agreement filed in court, the two concurred to circumcise the small boy.
However, after the boy had gotten older and the operation still hadn't occurred, he began to express fear of the upcoming ordeal. Hironimus' maternal instinct kicked in and she changed her mind. Though the courts and judges have sided with the father, surgeons continue to refuse to partake in the operation without the mother's consent.
The mother, desperate to protect her son, fled with him and went into hiding. In a final gambit she brought a federal suit on both Nebus and the original judge who threatened to imprison her. She claims that the boy's civil rights are being infringed upon.
According to WMUR, Hironimus argues that her son did not have a medical need for the operation. The boy also expressed severe concern and fear of the procedure, which could easily have negative psychological effects. Despite her child's fears, the mother remains in jail.
Though there has been no ruling, well-wishers and activists alike are joining together to support the jailed mom. Many are confused as to why a mother is being jailed for trying to protect her son from another adult.
Do you think the father has any right to force the mother to have her little boy circumcised? At this point, the boy is old enough to fear the operation; do you think they should just give it a few years and let him make his own decision?
Let us know what you would do if you were in her position!
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