“I Just Said Thank You And Left”: Man’s Nice Gesture Is Praised After Pizza Hut Driver Got A $20 Tip On A $938 Order Interview With Author
In the United States today, there’s an expectation to leave a generous tip regardless of the service. However, this usually baffles outsiders. Why do so many American workers heavily rely on tips instead of getting a steady, livable wage paid by the establishment? Call it a systematic practice or the backbone of the service culture, it’s still an unsolved mystery many of us cannot wrap our heads around.
But while businesses offload the burden of giving workers a fair paycheck to the customers, employees are often the ones who pay the price. And a recent post on the Anti Work subreddit is a perfect example of how big of a toll this approach has on them. Redditor ShaolinJohn, who works security at an office in Dallas, Texas, opened up about an encounter with a struggling Pizza Hut delivery driver he had a few nights ago.
You see, the worker couldn’t hold back her excitement about a giant $938 order she was about to deliver and the tip that would possibly follow. “It’s hard out there,” the mother-of-two told the user as she carried dozens of boxes onto the elevator. But when she came down, both her excitement and hopes of putting some extra cash in her pocket were gone. Read on for the story and the heated discussion that followed, and be sure to share your own takes on the tipping conundrum in the comments.
Recently, an excited Pizza Hut delivery driver was let down by a corporate party who gave her a $20 tip for a giant $938 order
Image credits: Mike Jones (not the actual photo)
After feeling her disappointment, the author of the story decided to lend a helping hand
Image credits: KoolShooters (not the actual photo)
Bored Panda reached out to ShaolinJohn who was kind enough to answer some of our questions about the incident. The user explained that he shared the story on the Anti Work subreddit because he knows it to be a place “for shining lights on the injustices of the current state of how workers are treated.”
“I was pretty shocked at how quickly it happened to blow up,” he told us. “I also didn’t realize how much of a hot button topic tipping is.” ShaolinJohn pointed out that the main reason this post resonated with many customers and employees is simply that “the service industry is enormous. Everyone is a customer to something related to the service industry.”
When asked about the tipping culture in the US, the user told us, “[It] is one of the biggest scams against low-wage workers in the country. It’s exploitative and is only kept in place by companies as a way to keep labor costs way down by having the customer be the primary source of a worker’s income.” But the problem is, ShaolinJohn noted, tipping isn’t mandatory. “The worker is reliant on the customer feeling generous at that moment. There is no feeling of security as you never know what the whims of a customer are going to be.”
While 15% to 20% is a typical tip for servers and bartenders (although now 25% might be the new 20%), there is quite a debate as to the appropriate amount of gratitude to a delivery driver. Brett Helling, founder of Ridester, stated that tipping the driver varies widely depending on the items you’re ordering, the platform you’re using, and what happens during the delivery.
But here’s the thing — most drivers’ wages are very much dependent on tips. “[Drivers] are often classified as self-employed, they’re responsible for all their own expenses, sometimes while just making or making under their local minimum hourly wage before gratuity,” Helling wrote. “Due to this, standard tipping etiquette calls for you to tip at least 15% — just as you would a traditional pizza delivery driver, a restaurant server, or even a Lyft or Uber driver.”
Later on, the user added some more information and clarified a few details in the post
ShaolinJohn revealed that he worked as a waiter for a few years before entering the workforce. “So, I understand the plight of the people in the service industry. This means I don’t have a problem leaving a good tip regardless of service. Fantastic service gets even more from me.” Unfortunately, the user pointed out that there will always be people who don’t believe in tipping “or don’t know that a waiter at a restaurant is only making $2.13 an hour and really needs the tips to get by.”
With inflation hitting a 40-year high and pinching their pockets, signs that Americans will become better tippers are slightly fading. According to a recent survey of 2,610 adults conducted by CreditCards.com, the number of people who always tip fell from 77% in 2019 to 73% in 2022. Moreover, 4% said they never tip. “Inflation is cutting into consumers’ purchasing power and a tight labor market has left many service industry businesses understaffed and struggling to provide top-notch customer experiences,” said senior industry analyst Ted Rossman. He added that the promise one-third of Americans made to be better tippers in 2021 has apparently worn off.
We were curious to hear ShaolinJohn’s take on what could be done to change this tipping practice to favor the workers and make them feel safer about their income. He told us, “Ideally, the whole system of tipping would be tossed out because companies would pay their workers a livable wage. Or maybe a step before that dramatic change would be for companies to add automatic gratuity onto the bills.”
When it comes to the delivery business, he explained that companies should stop pocketing the ‘delivery fee’ and actually give it to the driver. “I know that one causes a lot of delivery drivers to lose out on tips because people think the delivery fee is for the driver but it’s not,” the user said.
“Even though tipping culture is a scam, until a drastic and immediate change is able to happen, tip your service industry workers. And for those people that justify not tipping because ‘they should just go get a better job,’ stay home and cook for yourself or go pick up your own food instead of having it delivered. Some people have to take [low-paying] jobs due to circumstances we have no idea about. That doesn’t mean they don’t deserve to earn a living. Even if it is based on our tips,” ShaolinJohn concluded.
The story has caused quite the stir in the Anti Work community, here’s what people had to say
Same old BS tip culture. Hey America, it's time to learn something from some 3rd world countries. Just f*****g pay the employees the decent money they deserve so they don't rely on tips. Plus, this customer is not the a-hole just because they didn't tip $160!
We don't even let women have a say in what happens to their bodies. What makes you think we'll pay any employee a decent wage? The American dream has been reduced to being alive from one day to the next.
Henceforth it shall be called DSA. Depressive States of America. Hugs to all the women getting screwed over by their own country. Supposedly a country of religious freedom so why is religion controlling it?
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Huh? I guess you're referring to the practice of killing our babies? Why would you think that allowing each state to make their own rules and regulations around baby killing means the Bible thumpers are now running the country? Are you totally incapable of rational thought?
BP is left leaning so...
@ John Hackley calling it baby killing is a fringe religious stance, they aren't remotely a person when aborted. And your own religious text isn't remotely anti abortion, which was definitely a thing back then. It's from ONE line about the fine payed for injuring a pregnant woman, but they'll be executed if she dies.. specifically showing it doesn't consider the miscarriage a death. Catholics literally only became rabidly anti abortion a few decades ago and changed rhetoric. Even if you're a religious zealot who ignores science, facts, history and anything that challenges your limited worldview, don't go full flat earther with your blind nonsense. It's a basic liberty to allow women that right. The only people against it are coming from a religious stance..which the state has zero right enforcing and is a basic freedom granted by the constitution. If pork was banned, or hijabs were enforced youd throw a fit, or if they banned psychiatry for scientology, or any other cult besides yo
Is that the only thing y'all can come up with? "Oh they don't agree with me, they must be *The Left!*"
Good point. Is that the only thing y'all can come up with? "Oh what do you expect from a country that doesn't allow women to kill their babies, I mean having a say in what happens to their bodies. Yeah that's what I meant. And as Dave Chapelle says, "If you can kill this MFer, I can at least abandon him."
It should be a state to state basis. In a true democracy the government should not control your personal rights and should not be involved with social issues.
I don't even think it should be on a State to State basis. If you're not a woman then really you shouldn't have any type of say on the matter if you're in any type of government office. It's none of your damn business what I do with my body and unless your a*s is going to carry this child you need to keep moving. I shouldn't have to come up with some valid excuse while begging to have the right to make decisions over MY OWN BODY. (That rant wasn't aimed at you, Joe Dirt - I'm speaking in general)
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I agree, control your own body and pay your own way to do so. Don't expect someone to pay for it. With us thinking men can take a pill, have an operation and become a woman, if he feels like, we can no longer deny them to comment on this. F***d up but we can't have it both ways.
So just ignore the fact that even after the hormones and surgery they'll never be able to carry a pregnancy? Men should have a say in what happens to women's bodies because they can become sterile women who will never understand or experience pregnancy themselves?
Not a woman, but very much have the ability to carry children. Reducing it to "only women get an opinion" isn't helpful.
The men should have to carry more responsibility for what they do to women. Women should also avoid sexual activity when they have not used means of prevention.
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You state that the men should have to carry more responsibility yet you think that only the women should have to be celibate - it's NOT her choice so why is it HER responsibility? Unlike far too many men she doesn't have the option of bailing if she gets pregnant, she used to have the ability to make a very difficult choice to go through a medical procedure which can have serious physical and emotional ramifications for some women plus having to deal with the stigma and demonization by fundamentalists that don't understand their own Bibles but even that right has been taken. And most men will never even consider a vasectomy despite the fact that unlike a hysterectomy it's reversible so why is the burden all on her? Why shouldn't men who won't be responsible in any way, during sex or after it, be celibate too?
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Problem is, it’s not your body. A basic science class would teach you this.
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Ok, then men should not have to support places that kill and then sell your dead baby parts, like Planned Parenthood, with our taxes. That's what you're saying right?
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No one cares about your dirty body. The concern is for the unborn baby who has every right to be where it is. You don’t get to play god and kill another innocent body. Don’t act like a ho and it won’t be a problem.
States are by extension a form of GOVERNMENT, Numbnuts....🤦🏾♀️
Feel free to apply for citizenship to your choice of better country. It's only about $120. Small price to get out of the terrible country here. I know you'll love it wherever you go and they will love you,your feelings, opinions,etc.,
Many people cannot even afford that. Plus extra costs for travel and intake. Why is this even a valid response to people saying that things need to improve?
FYI, there are many countries out there which are better, and you don't get to choose to live in them that easily. So many countries which actually ARE democracies, as opposed to claiming to be, and which have decent health care, education, housing, wage structures, infrastructure and respected police forces
Wrong! It costs $12,000 to give up one's American citizenship.
Not like citizenship matters, the US gov can execute you with no consequences..... just look up Anwar al-Awlaki.
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So? If folks are so unhappy, then they should seek better. The founders did. Let your feet do the walking. They can save up the $2500 (it is not $12K; stop with the false info)
Every country has different costs, so stop quoting prices
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I hear Iraq, Iran , especially Turkey and Syria are real good southern Africa maybe, let them please go
What kind of anti-American, authoritarian b******t do you believe in?? It should be the individual's choice, not the state's, asshat.
States rights doesn't make it a True democracy. I know this is old news to most but obviously not all. This country is not, never was, and the Constitution never claims it to be a democracy. It's a republic; that's regardless of state's rights or centralized power. And this is not a social issue to many people. It is a crime of murder. You may disagree with that, but it's only a social issue to those that want to do it. I agree, though, regarding things like marriage/divorce, and other such matters, that the government should stay out of it. And if it's not going to be illegal to kill babies, it should at least be a state by state choice.
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Perfectly said
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Being controlled by religion is religious freedom dummy.
Agree, but this point isn't to get fired up at the person ordering for not tipping because it seems like an easier target. If anything this should get you more fired up about working wages and the other things going backwards in this jacked up country from women's rights to healthcare. I'm just waiting for slavery to make a comeback.
Sounds like a bunch b.s. senseless drama. Slavery never went away, it's working for corporations at non livable wages.
@Joe Dirt - And don't forget the slavery work in the American prison system
Amen I made $2.25 a day working 6-9 hours a day in the chow hall
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That’s perfectly acceptable
Slavery is low information folks not understanding and the talking heads telling you how to think. We have choices in this country and anyone, yes ANYONE can CHOOSE to change their station in life by their CHOICES
Yes, choices matter, but what about people who are in no position to make choices? The US is a country which takes away choice, by having oppressive policing, terrible health system, ridiculous education costs, almost non-existent wage regulations, etc.
You do realize that prisons still use prisoners like slaves, right?
This is way off topic but let me say, prisoners live better than many people. They have full libraries, 3 squares, can go to school, cable TV, etc. Maybe you don't understand what slavery is; if you don't, please educate yourself before insulting us folks whose ancestors suffered through this.
I meant "open slavery" just like lynchings, Klan rallies, and all the things that people forget were messed up "in the good ol' days." I don't think anyone on this thread is ready to talk about modern-day slavery and the overwhelming population of folks in there are based on a absolutely biased and inequitable justice system that favors and gives favoritism to anyone who's white.
I think a lot of folks will talk about it but this is about tipping. Everything ain't about race but when we can't have intelligent conversation about an issue, we make it about race. The most racist folks are the ones who use that as an excuse. No system is perfect and when you say it's OK for someone to steal from someone else and not be punished, will change when it's you or someone you know. We are pretty close to a lawless society, for those who make excuses for lack of consequences; I just don't want to live in your world of no consequences and want you all who fully want that to live in your own mess.
Slavery?? WTF! I bet you think slaves just appeared at the American white man's feet,huh. You want the ones who built slavery to pay. ..let's go there. Slave ships carrying slaves were of European origin and they sailed to many countries selling slaves. But,they didn't just Alacazam these slaves to existence!!! They bought them from their African Tribes whom practiced in selling their weak,lame,whatever tribes people they felt weren't what they wanted to these slaves ships!!! So,these people need to go back and ask repreations and sorry from their own people!! They got paid selling you. That's right,lets go to the source if your truly interested in your history. Or let me guess,you may even think 12 people on ship went and stole them against large,fearce,head hunting tribes. That makes sense,huh!! Your people sold you to Europeans,and America wasn't their only stop. So take complaints to the proper people, your own in the motherland. Because no American alive today owned slaves and pretty sure none of you now living were owned. Can't move forward if keep looking back. Do you even know your enslaved ancestors names or is this just your crutch to fall back on! If you truly care and are upset then go to the Real Starters of Slavery! The tribes who sold their own people! Americans wouldn't have had anyone to buy if they hadn't created the market-and remember, those ships didn't only come here
How interesting, I didn't know slaves were sold by their own people.
Most folks want to ignore this; most slaves were put into slavery by THEIR OWN people. Pick a country or any period in history and you will see some enslaved folks by their people or if their country was conquered. The spoils of war.
@Lee Sanyos And the Europeans simply exploited it and made it a market. Before Slavery was simply a spoils of war, meaning the losing faction became slaves. But none of it excuses the European exploitation or the fact that the US condoned slavery for more than 200 years and the fact that systemic racism was built into the government and institutions thanks to Jim Crow laws after the Civil War.
That's cuz only some of them were. The reason so many black people are ripped is because slave owners selectively bred generations of slaves to be strong sturdy workers in the fields - between that and the fact that no one looking to buy someone else to do their labor the idea that these people were the sick, weak, and expendable of the tribes is obvious nonsense - no one is going to spend good money on someone else's throwaways. This is some guy trying to make it seem like white people don't carry any responsibility for the injustices that still carry on today.
You are forgetting about tribes who were murdered for their people or those who were going about their business who were murdered or made slaves, sent to another country, restricted to ghettos their land confiscated like the USA, South Africa. , Canada, and all of central and south America. You whites live on stolen lands that were built by PoC.
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It never really left, they just changed the rules. Now you have to become an inmate at a penitentiary to lose your personal autonomy but countless people are wrongfully convicted every year. That and now only states and private corporations that run prisons for states can become slave owners, not private citizens technically.
Why not both?
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If you don't like it, then move to a country that is more to your liking. Never understand people who prefer to sit and whine vs changing their situation.
Moving to other countries is not easy, not even close, so that is a stupid thing to say.
My reply was meant for @Steve Smith. The one who put the simplest minded, ignorant comment.
We will change it, Steve, by changing the system here. If you think leaving is the only option, then go, we won't miss you
Well with that mentality, we'd never have had emancipation (though not true freedom yet), women's rights, gay marriage and we'd still be sending little kids to the mines. Perhaps that's what you want.
why dont you all go on strike? not only servers but also customers to support them?
We neither (one of European post communistic countries) but we still pay the employees and have no tipping culture.
How did you get from tipping to abortion?? 🤔😵💫🤷♀️
*Casually watches all heck burn down in the comments*
"All heck"??? What does that mean?
It's so sad how true this is.
Dumbass comment made by A MAN
US supreme judges are yet to define what a woman is?
Only 1, I don't think she got the job though. I could be wrong about that
My body my choice! Except for the vaccine right?
Yep. Because that is a public health issue.
But individuals can choose to protect themselves by practicing social distancing
The only social distancing which could protect as well as the vaccine would be total isolation, and there are not many people who live alone are grow all their own food!
What a silly thing to say. It's not even the same. Vaccines stop life-threatening infectious diseases, you don't have a right to spread them.
No one was ever forced to get the vaccine. There have always been options. Wear a mask and test. Find another job.
DING DING DING !!
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Funny the hypocrites of the democrat party want abortion rights but they don't want you to have a choice in regards to a b.s. vaccine, one proven to not even be effective in the first place. Typical hypocrisy from the commie left.
You mean the vaccine that can have an effect on whether you spread a disease to multiple other people vs an abortion that has zero effect on the population around you? Ah yes so hypocritical.
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Zero effect on the people "around" you, but fully effective on the person INSIDE you. My body my choice? It's not YOUR body. A baby is not a parasite you can just get rid of...
Until it's a pregnancy outside the womb where it literally becomes a parasite that will kill you .. read something jesus
Jesus has nothing to do with your false ideology.
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Umm, my mother n law got the vaccine when it *first* came out & last year.... after Christmas she was sick & then all of us got sick. My body, *my* choice!!
Do you understand why?? That happen?? Because people refused to vaccinate and the disease evolution over and over it continues to this day to have space to grow and chance this the continue spread of COVID.. ummmm let's read instead of ummmm spreading dumb a*s bs lies about why COVID continue to spread ... Didn't anyone take high school science!
All the anti-vaxxers are probably homeschooled (no hate to other homeschoolers). Their high-school science was probably just that.
Most people who were hospitalized didn’t get the vaccine. But some had it. Most people hospitalized were not wearing masks. But some were. 100% of people who even got infected weren’t practicing social distancing. Vaccination and masking to social distancing is just like a contraceptive to abstinence. The former is mostly effective but the latter is 100% effective, while the former encourages more risky behavior
It is impossible to practice social distancing 100%, unless you live alone, never leave your property, grow all your own food and are completely self-sufficient!
There was a massive upside though, although not enough to save the country. Although antivaxxers come from all kinds of backgrounds the refusal to wear masks, socially distance, believe in science or doctors, or practice the slightest bit of responsibility was almost entirely a 'red' stance with the greatest impacts in red states. Any loss of life is tragic but if I had to choose a hundred thousand Americans who wouldn't see their next birthdays the best possible outcome for America is for those hundred thousand to be Republicans.
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Ummm, did dr fauci tell you this? Because he's also full of sh*t, just as you are. And I'm pretty sure the "vaccine" that was supposed to PREVENT everyone from getting covid did not do that whatsoever. And people who got their 15 shots still got sick with covid including 'the big guy'. So spare me your bullsh*t, and instead of blaming people who were clearly smarter than you by skipping this/these shots, (since they clearly didn't really work as advertised), blame the sorry a*s pharmaceutical companies that promised you the world, made billions upon billions in profits, but didn't really deliver as promised. P. S. Don't forget to double mask before going to bed
So I’m just going to say this cause why not. Since COVID happened I have worn a mask, distanced, got a vaccine and gone to public school. I HAVE NEVER GOTTEN COVID. If you don’t respect opinion, respect facts.
You didn’t get it because you socially distanced. The very thing most people forgot about as soon as everyone started wearing masks
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Not lying. Just stating facts. Also; might want to change your username . You are anything, but a "doctor". 🙄
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One last thing. You make NO sense. I read & reread your comment & still don't know where you coming from. I was just stating that the vaccine doesn't protect you. If you get sick (even after vaccination) the to people AROUND you can, get sick.
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No one gives a damn about your body and what you do with it. But if you act like a ho and spread your legs carelessly and find yourself pregnant, it’s no longer just YOUR body and you have no right to kill that innocent human life who has **every right** to be where it is. If you can’t deal with the heat, stay out of the kitchen.
If you are seriously thinking the only reason for abortions are women who spread their legs then stop talking. It takes two people to make a baby and I’m so tired of people with your mentality blaming it all on the woman. She didn’t impregnate herself. Also, people who get abortions don’t just use them as birth control. You guys believe only one thing about abortions and the people who get them and the reason behind them and you refuse to see anything from a different point of view.
So true! Men shouldn't even be giving an opinion on this issue. But I guess people like Darth Digital are okay with men who rape, but want to penalise the victim. Not to mention they don't care what sort of life situation they are wishing these poor potential kids into.
Exactly, cuz Republicans are only pro-life until the moment of birth, after that death is your duty as an American. Cuz the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are only a minor consideration that take a backseat to the 2nd amendment and are only 'rights' if you can afford them - which they will not assist you with in any way. Can't afford to live cuz you can't buy food or afford your necessary medication then that's just too bad. Don't know if you'll survive the day in elementary school cuz some teacher told some kid something he didn't want to hear and he might show up with an AR-13, that's the price you pay to live in a 'pro-life' society.
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We certainly let them have a say in what happens to the bodies they're carrying. We as American women have rights WE SHOULDN'T EVEN HAVE. Also this is a straw man argument. It's got zip to do with tipping.
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Don't exaggerate, posting hysterical claims helps no one. And BTW, where was your "say in what happens to their bodies" mantra when folks were objecting to getting the vaccine!? A little hypocritical of you don't you think? "Oh, but that was different, that affected other people". But killing an unborn baby doesn't!? So much hypocrisy. Funny thing, I'm for Women having Safe Access to abortions. But you lose me at Partial-Term abortions... that's just sick.
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Let me kill my baby ! This has nothing to do with the story.
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You do know that you can apply for citizenship to one of the 3rd world countries he mentioned,don't you? I bet you'll love the ways their since ours are terrible here! I'm positive your feelings and views will be welcomed and fulfilled. I want to see you get your wish so much,I will personally pay your citizenship fees and 1 way flight there
24 comments on this topic with lots of racial comments. I hope someone from our government is watching you. Seems like one of those wackos from the news as of late.
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Get out of the USA
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We dont let women murder humans unless they have a good reason* there I fixed it for u.
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What happens to their bodies, like the right to kill their own children as often as they wish at taxpayers expense because of their right not to use contraceptives during recreational sex? I can see how this ties in brilliantly with people not tipping sometimes at your job. Mind blown, world view changed. I'm being sarcastic
How about r@pe/incest victims, minors, and when the body is at risk, like Savita Halappanavar's? Life starts at birth, that's what birth is by definition: the start of life.
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Since when do woman not have a say in regards to what they can or cannot do with their bodies?
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Isn't Genital mutilation of boys still prevalent in America, you don't even let boys and men have a say in what happens to their bodies.
Pretty sure that this is up to the parents and the trend now is away from circumcision. The sense of it is that we shouldn't do that to men without their consent which I wholeheartedly endorse. Women should also be allowed this kind of autonomy.
Yes, we'll go ahead and ask a 6hr old baby if he wants a circumcision.
The point is that they can't consent to a procedure that can cause significant harm if done incorrectly and provides absolutely no benefit in countries with developed sanitary infrastructure.
Have you actually heard a newborn baby boy cry from having a circumcision? I have, and it was the most awful scream I've ever heard produced from a humans mouth. That baby was my son and if I'm fortunate to have another one, it won't happen again. He was just born and my wife and myself made a decision that brought pain on to him. Now take that pain, and multiply infinitely, I believe you have almost every woman burdened with the choice, their choice mind you, about aborting a child.
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G Kionik, I agree the liberal left demonizes men in many ways like for instance "toxic masculinity" which is very sexist. See people do not really see how often woman are also very sexist towards men if not more often than the other way around.
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Facts, but libs don't believe men have rights. They are just there to be punching bags for the left.
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Someone call grunt a waaaaaambulance. Women choose to 1. Have sex, 2. Not have sex. Killing an unborn child for convenience is just not acceptable to most people...GET OVER IT.