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In reaction to a proposed measure to ban circumcision in minors under 18 years in the city of San Francisco this year, Mike Gatto gutted and amended [http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/11-12/bill/asm/ab_0751-0800/ab_768_bill_20110425_amended_asm_v97.html Assembly Bill 768], which was supposed to be a carbon emissions regulation law, and [http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/11-12/bill/asm/ab_0751-0800/ab_768_bill_20110707_amended_sen_v96.html re-wrote it] into one that "protects" circumcision under false claims,<ref name="prohibit">{{REFnews
| last=Griffin | first=Melissa | coauthors= | url=http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/2011/07/circumcision-ban-will-be-cut-short | title=San Francisco circumcision ban will be cut short | publisher= | work=The Examiner | quote=Assemblyman Mike Gatto, D-Los Angeles, changed Assembly Bill 768 from some boring carbon-credit law into one that says no local government <q>shall prohibit or restrict the practice of male circumcision.</q> | date=2011-07-26 | accessdate=2011-09-28
}}</ref> under the direction of Congressman [[Brad Sherman]], who is trying to pass the similar "[http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d112:h2400: Religious and Parental Rights Defense Act of 2011]" at the federal level.<ref>{{REFnews
| last=Lowenfeld | first=Jonah | coauthors= | url=http://www.jewishjournal.com/politics/article/circumcision_fight_moves_to_california_state_legislature_20110615/ | title=Circumcision fight moves to California State Legislature | publisher= | work=Jewish Journal | quote=It was a conversation with his former boss that convinced the 36-year-old Assemblyman to join the fray over circumcision at the state level... | date=2011-05-11 | accessdate=2011-09-28
}}</ref>
Mike Gatto is working with other Demograts to make it harder for Californians to pass their own laws at the ballot box,<ref>{{REFnews
| last=Mishak | first=Michael J. | coauthors= | url=http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-ballot-initiatives-20110827,0,2736561.story | title=Democrats propose measures to rein in California initiative process | publisher= | work=Los Angeles Times | quote=Democrats in the Legislature are trying to make it harder for Californians to pass their own laws at the ballot box... | date=2011-08-27 | accessdate=2011-09-28
}}</ref> claiming that the initiative process has been "hijacked by special interests."<ref>{{REFnews
| last=Mishak | first=Michael J. | coauthors= | url=http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-ballot-initiatives-20110827,0,2736561.story | title=Democrats propose measures to rein in California initiative process | publisher= | work=Los Angeles Times | quote=saying the state's century-old initiative process has been hijacked by the special interests... | date=2011-08-27 | accessdate=2011-09-28
}}</ref> This, after he guts and amends Assembly Bill 768, which was supposed to be a carbon emissions regulation law, and re-wrote it into one that "protects" circumcision under false claims,<ref name="prohibit"/> under the direction of Congressman [[Brad Sherman]], who is trying to pass the similar "[http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d112:h2400: Religious and Parental Rights Defense Act of 2011]" at the federal level. Apparently, "direct democracy" has "gone wild," and Gatto et al. intend to "moderate."<ref>{{REFnews
| last=Mishak | first=Michael J. | coauthors= | url=http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-ballot-initiatives-20110827,0,2736561.story | title=Democrats propose measures to rein in California initiative process | publisher= | work=Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles Times | quote=Democrats say their efforts have nothing to do with politics and everything to do with moderating "direct democracy" gone wild. | date=2011-08-27 | accessdate=2011-09-28
}}</ref> Truly it is the process of slamming measures through the Assembly and Senate which needs to be moderated in order to keep politicians with "special interests," such as Mike Gatto, from abusing the sytem. Aside from being [[Brad Sherman]]'s protege, Mike Gatto is also a [http://www.electiontrack.com/lookup.php?committee=1319224 beneficiary to the ADL].
In an interview with the Jewish Journal, Mike Gatto said ''"there are a lot of Christians, too, who believe that circumcision dates back to the origins of our faith."''<ref>{{REFnews
| last=Lowenfeld | first=Jonah | coauthors= | url=http://www.jewishjournal.com/politics/article/circumcision_fight_moves_to_california_state_legislature_20110615/ | title=Circumcision fight moves to California State Legislature | publisher= | work=Jewish Journal | quote=It was a conversation with his former boss that convinced the 36-year-old Assemblyman to join the fray over circumcision at the state level... | date=2011-05-11 | accessdate=2011-09-28
}}</ref> He seems oblivious, or willfully ignorant to the fact that one of the very dividing factors between Jews and Christians was in fact, circumcision. The Bible expressly forbids the ritual circumcision of gentiles.
Sherman said he did not consult the text of the Federal Prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation Act of 1995 in composing the bill he will put forth in Congress.<ref name="jewishjournalnews">{{REFnews
| last=Lowenfeld | first=Jonah | coauthors= | url=http://www.jewishjournal.com/politics/article/circumcision_fight_moves_to_california_state_legislature_20110615/ | title=Circumcision fight moves to California State Legislature | publisher=Tribe Media Corp. | workwebsite=JewishJournal.com | quote= | date=2011-06-15 | accessdate=2011-09-17
}}</ref> When asked about the similarities between male and female circumcision, and the 1996 ban on female circumcision, Sherman said:
Female circumcision (ritual nicking) is less harmful and invasive than male circumcision, yet has been illegal since 1996.<ref>{{REFnews
| last=Harris | first=Lynn | coauthors= | url=http://www.salon.com/life/feature/2010/06/02/fgm_genital_nick | title=Female genital mutilation in the U.S.: No compromise | publisher=The Associated Press | workwebsite=Salon Media Group, Inc | quote=Have you ever seen a male circumcision? Surely if we condone that then a simple nick of the prepuce is a tiny price to pay to prevent something more extreme | date=2010-16-02 | accessdate=2011-09-18
}}</ref> Apparently, Sherman doesn't think boys deserve the same kind of legal protection from harm that girls deserve.