"Clay said she did not know that tattooing a minor is illegal" Even if so she should know it is plain stupid! Her daughter asked her if she could get one. So if her asked if she could get a gun that would be o.k to?

@clarckjoebob, actually it is ok according to most state laws for minors to use weapons...they are just registered in their parent's names. When I was eleven I went hunting with my uncle in upstate NY with a 12 gauge...Funny how the Right to bear arms trumps free speech isn't it:) On the same issue of minor's rights and protections...why is this illegal, but circumcision not? Hmmm.

Really, Schmeckt - comparing tattooing to circumcision?

Be careful, your ignorance is showing. Because a whole lot of people who are a whole lot smarter than you believe that there are positive medical reasons for circumcision and that pros definitely outweigh the cons.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/27/health/aap-circumcision-recommendation/index.html

Because a child is not old enough to consent...same rule applies to sex.

Should we allow 11 year old to have sex with 20 year old men as long as their parents say it's okay?

onejulia: kids are not old enough to think about the consequences of their decisions. Their brains aren't even finished developing! That is why there are these laws in effect, so children do not make decisions like that which they will ultimately regret later. It's protecting kids from themselves mostly. Are you also mad that they can't drive cars, smoke, vote, or drink?

I have 2 granddaughter with small tatoos, one has only 4 dots on her ankle the other a small rose one her upper back. Oh my, what a shame. No really, the main reason was identifing marks just in case something bad happen, kidnapping or worst. We do live in an evil world where evil thing really happen, so sorry if I don't one tattoo is reason to take child or put a parent in jail. How about going after real child abusers?

Ryan, clearly giving a child a small tattoo is not the same as pimping them for sex with adults. Come on, common sense please.

Really GrilledCheese??? are you saying that Schmekt comment is illogical or improper. There are a lot of other Doctors that say circumcision is wrong too, but that's besides the point. What harm is there, really, in allowing a 11 years old to have a tattoo??? Can you explain that to me?

What about all those MILLLIONS, who allow their child to get a pierce or have been doing it for hundreds, if not thousands of years.

I think the biggest issue here, apart from it being illegal, is that the mother did it herself--and she is not licensed. Any moron with a credit card can buy the equipment online. The needles might not have been sterile, the ink might have been bad, the equipment could be faulty--any number of things could have led to a life-threatening, or at least disfiguring infection.

There are websites devoted to people who have tattoos like this. Poor girl.

And stop comparing tattoos to piercings--piercings aren't permanent. Unless they're stretched to larger proportions, you can let them grow closed.

I really don't think a small heart tattoo is a big deal. Parents pierce their kids ears when they are merely a few days old. Why is that okay? It's not like she gave her a full sleeve of tattoos or something vulgar, it was a small heart on her shoulder. People think a small tattoo is child abuse?? How about sticking up for the kids who are really abused and mistreated. It is worse to let your kids eat a Happy Meal than to get a tattoo. To me letting them eat that garbage is bad parenting.

Preceded -- so what? It's a big ugly world out there and lots of stuff can happen. We don't need licenses for everything, especially from the thought police telling us how to raise our kids.

Preceded - How do you know she's not licensed? The article doesn't specify. She has her own equipment, so there's a good chance she's a licensed tattoo artist. Besides, from what I understand, as long as you're not opening a commercial tattoo business, you don't need a license. It's perfectly legal for me to give a friend a tattoo as long as I'm not accepting money for it. There are thousands of people who do tattoos as a hobby, no license required.

"...Clay said she numbed her daughter's arm for the procedure".

Someone told me once that numbing the skin requires a license to administer topical anasthesia, which is why it's never done by tattoo parlors. If true I wonder if she broke that law too....

Shiftlock........one major difference is that if someone decides that they no longer want pierced ears, they can let them grow closed. Tattoo not so much. Actually I think anyone who gets a tattoo is an idiot just trying to advertise to the world that they have no self respect, but adults are allowed to be idiots as far as what they do to themselves, they do not have the right to deform children.

There are cultures that swear that there are benefits to female circumcision, too. People can and will justify anything done to mutilate another human being. Hell, why not automatically perform surgery on all babies and children to remove appendices, tonsils, labia, breast tissue, foreskins, and anything else that might become infected or cancerous one day.

Seriously Beth, your comparing a tattoo to a happy meal, a happy meal to being abused...are you a mother??? A tattoo is permanent and what if the 11 year old wanted to try a beer, to smoke a cigarette, to smoke a joint, to snort a line, to have sex...are all these things better than a happy meal???

It may not have been the smartest thing to do but the mother's decision should trump the government. I don't see anything wrong with a small heart shaped tattoo, not much difference than getting her ears pierced or gaged if she choose to (can't understand why anyone does it, horrible thing to do to your ears but it's not my place to tell you what you can and can't do to your own body).

If the government can tell us when we can and cannot allow our children to be tattooed because of potential regret does that mean they can force us to get braces for the child?

It's a stupid thing to do, tattooing child, but it's none of the government's business. Don't they have better things do to? It's not like this woman will go to prison or even lose custody over this.

The case will set precedent - a tattoo is permanent - unlike ear rings - you can't just pull them out and let the ears close- if this mom can make this choice for her 11 year old - then why can't the mother next door tattoo a huge skull with flames across her daughter's back? 10 years from now more than half of all people who got a tattoo on a whim want to erase it - and erasing it is painful and expensive - at the end of the day we are talking about a sixth grader.....

When grown ups around an 11 year old start saying, "what's wrong with that..." the law has to step in - but ironically - the girl could go get pregnant in NC and any other state - and get an abortion during school hours without mommy's permission - but Bill Clinton's daughter couldn't get an aspirin in the eighth grade because neither of her parents were picking up their phones.

Look, adults do make all sorts of decisions for their children. And the wider community has a say in what is legally allowable. The wider community has decided for numberous reasons (health, permanance, poor parenting), that tatoos should be postponed until the child is an adult. Just as the wider community has decided the legal drinking age and just because you think it may be okay for a kid to get drunk, you do live in a community. If you don't like the rules of your community, you can try to change them or you can move to some third-world country where you don't have to live in a community.

steelermamma.....you are comparing a tattoo to "beer, to smoke a cigarette, to smoke a joint, to snort a line, to have sex." A little extreme don't you think and yes I am a mother and yes my kids have tattoos. I bet you aren't a mother and if you are, you probably don't let your 17 y/o cross the street alone or stay out after dark. Find another subject to complain about.

I see some people compare tattos to ear pierces, One big difference is an ear piece is not perminent where a tatto is.

Oh so you can cut the skin off your childs penis and thats okay but you can't tattoo them?

Ya gotta love those Red states. Child protection laws are such a nuisance eh?

What's the difference between this and piercing the ears of an infant like many do.

Both sick.

Good, she should have been arrested, you can cure ignorance but there is no cure for stupidity.

Since when is ear piercing not permanent? Once the piercign heals after the post have been inserted the holes are permanent in all but a very few people. Ear piercing is identical to tattooing.

Circumcision is the same. Medical science cannot presently state that there is any VALID medical benefit to male circumcision in the FIRST WORLD (all "studies" have been done in sub-Saharan Africa and NONE were control studies - i.e. a known negative male purposefully having contact with a known positive partner without the benefit of protection, to date none has had any real peer-review and all are statistically unsound. What is good in Africa, with their particular sexual practices and sexual superstitions, is not necessarily good for the USA. Until large scale, statistically sound studies have been done in the US and Canada, male circumcision is cosmetic and/or religious ONLY unless there is an INDIVIDUAL medical reason for doing the procedure).

If parents can consent to circumcision they should be able to consent to tattoos.

Oh, and a parent can consent to a minor getting married...even to a much older partner. So the example of an 11 yo having sex with a 20 yo might not be do able, but I believe that in Mississippi a parent can consent to their 12 yo daughter marrying a 20 yo...so yeah a parent could consent to sexual relations if they also consented to a marriage...

If your minor child wants a tattoo, help them apply a temporary or stick-on tattoo. Actually, that would be a good idea for most adults, too, because tattoos are ugly and worsen in appearance as you age.

Some of you people truly amaze (and scare!) me. You compare ear piercings to tattoos??? Piercings can close back up. You get a tattoo and you either have to live with it for life or go through a painful expensive procedure to get rid of it. A child who is 11 years old should NOT be able to supposedly make that type of decision that she'll have to live with when she gets older! Are you saying an 11 year old child ALWAYS wants what's best for them.......never does anything they regret? Man oh man... I pray to God that none of you who think what this woman did was ok. Marking a child's body...permanently SHOULD be a crime!!! And no Eslie you are COMPLETELY wrong. Piercings are NOT permanent. One of my daughters got her ears pierced twice. Both times she ended up taking out the earings after a year and they closed up. So ummm really research and use your common sense before posting your argument. I know for a FACT that you are wrong because my daughter experienced it. After a year of having pierced ears she no longer does.

She used her own equipment to tattoo her daughter? If she's got the equipment then she darn well better know the laws regarding it. It's like a landlord not knowing if their house is legal to rent out or not. Ignorance of the law is never an excuse.

@PrecededbyNone, actually you can buy this stuff at the mall. I kid you not. I walked past a glass kiosk (similar to the ones who sell jewelry) and they had everything, even the ink.

Preceded & MM-584706 - My ear was pierced 26 years ago (as a teenager in the 80's) and I haven't worn an earring in 20 years, but I still have a visible hole in my ear and can stick an earring through it. I tried with one of my wife's earrings last year just for the heck of it. I've heard of pierced ears "growing closed" but it doesn't always happen. Not that different from a small tattoo in an inconspicuous location, which can be removed by lasers if one really wants to, but who would remove the small heart given to you by your own mother?

Typical hypocrisy. They get themselves all worked up over a tiny tattoo but giving this girl access to birth control and/or providing abortion services without the parent's permission is just fine with them. Are we one screwed up society or what?

@Schmeckt Lecker

I will never register my firearms.

I always liked to see girls with tatoos when I was in high school. It separated the easy ones from the "good" ones. High school boys don't want the "good" ones until it's time to get married. Thanks Mom . . . .

Ya know what? A small heart-shaped tattoo on her shoulder...that her own Mom did? That the young girl ASKED for? I have no problem with that. I think if something were ever to happen to this mother, if she died at an early age, this young daughter would cherish this tattoo forever!

I would bet money that the same of you on here decrying the tattoo of a minor child, had your own tiny tots and toddlers in the EAR PIERCING chair at the mall or local WalMart!

That has ALWAYS infuriated me! What choice did THAT child have?

If tatttoos are illegal for minors, SO should ear piercing of toddlers and infants. They did NOT have a choice, or ask for it to be done!

Cheers!

Excellent words MRI_Virginia!!

There are cultures that swear that there are benefits to female circumcision, too.

CULTURES. Are you seriously comparing cultures to doctors now? If you don't believe what numerous professionals have determined after many, many studies, then fine, don't have a circumcision. But do not come on here and compare backwards a$$ cultures to medical knowledge.

It makes you look foolish.

Pirate America. Man, I can't go anywhere without seeing some damn pirate walking around like his or her stupid tattoos displayed for all of us to see and go: "Wow, great tattoo! What did you go through to inspire something so beautiful!" or "Man, Greg used to be a computer geek but now he has that tattoo on his neck and arms. He is scary!" /s/. What tools.

I've never in my life seen a tattoo on a woman that made her more beautiful than she was before getting the tattoo.

"believe that there are positive medical reasons for circumcision and that pros definitely outweigh the cons"

Not even the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) states this in their 2012 revised statement. They merely recommend that health insurance covers the cost for those parents that want to cut an infant's penis without immediate medical justification. As it stands, the AAP still does not recommend routine infant penis-cutting AKA circumcision. Why would a parent order an optional child surgery that no medical association recommends?

There's no stopping some parents from ordering genital cosmetic surgery, which is performed without any pain relief other than a sugared-pacifier unless parents explicitly ask for analgesia because doing so adds risk of death.

We don't need licenses for everything, especially from the thought police telling us how to raise our kids.

Uh, when it comes to something that causes permanent scarring and can lead to horrendous infections, I think you need a license. When it comes to something that will be a permanent work of art on one's body, I would HOPE that you would support licensing so that you know when you're going to a professional vs. going to some back-alley operation that might give you AIDS, and then would be untraceable if anything should happen.

I really don't think you can compare this to ear piercing. If my parents had allowed me to get a tattoo I thought I wanted when I was 11, I'd probably have a giant cartoon cat and I'd regret it for the rest of my life. Tastes change. At least if you're 18, you have no one to blame but yourself. PIERCINGS GROW CLOSED. I KNOW THIS BECAUSE I HAVE ONE that grew closed--no scar. I know some people who have scars (likely because the piercings were done improperly in the first place, which is why I also support licensing for piercers), but if you're comparing a tiny piercing hole scar to a mutilated, hideous tattoo, you must be either very stupid or sarcastic. That being said, I do not support parents who decide to pierce their child's ears when they're babies.

Lastly, I know this woman was not a licensed professional because if she was, SHE WOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT IT IS ILLEGAL TO DO THIS TO HER OWN CHILD. Honestly, with that many tattoos, she should have known anyway--the tattoo shops have signs everywhere.

Furthermore... if this site doesn't change your mind, nothing will. If we let 11 year olds decide on an image that will be permanently branded on them (or else only removed through a painful and expensive series of laser treatments), there will be an entire generation of women steeped in remorse for their regretful decision to have a horny, repressed, pretty-boy vampire from Twilight slapped on their bodies. I'm all for personal choice, but I'm also for laws that protect naive children from the stupidity of their blundering parents.

As Jeff Foxworthy probably would say: "If you give your 11 year old a home made tatoo, you MIGHT be a redneck" and an idiot.

Now the little girl will never be able to be buried in a Jewish cemetery, even if she wanted to be.

My 87 year old mother is cranky and hard to get along with but I kiss the ground that she walks on.she worked and was a great Mom.I look at women like this walking tattoo and am thankful that my mother was the Mom and didn't try to be our friend.

It may not have been the smartest thing to do but the mother's decision should trump the government.

Given the sad fact that there are drug-riddled and addle-brained mothers who would probably give an eleven year old breast implants if they thought they could get away with it (and if they had the money), I have to say there must be a an authority that will look after the welfare of those members of our population who cannot defend themselves from the stupid and sometimes dangerous decisions of their parents. Should a parent be able to give highly visible gang tattoos to a small child, despite the fact the emblems will endanger the child's safety in a few years? Should a child be denied a minor operation or a blood transfusion simply because their parents think it violates their cult's insane religious doctrine, even if it means certain death for a child? Should unnecessary cosmetic surgery be given to a small child or infant that serves to satisfy the vanity of the parents but may risk later complications for a boy or girl? These aren't hypothetical questions: they represent very real situations that have occurred in which government agencies have gotten involved, and rightly so.

The fact is, many so-called adults are incapable of making rational decisions for a child's welfare and it is society, under the authority of local, state, and federal governments, that all too often must to step in and protect children from their parents. It is, when necessary, the right thing to do.

Wouldn't it be better for people to get the tatoos that wash off? At least that way if you make a mistake, it's not permanent.

As a former Tattoo Artist, her saying she didn't know tattooing a minor was illegal is a bold face lie. Its pretty common knowledge with anyone that has spent anytime in a tattoo shop, which apparently she has, unless all the tattoos she has were illegally done in someone's house.

myspellcheckerisbroken

Wouldn't it be better for people to get the tatoos that wash off? At least that way if you make a mistake, it's not permanent.

Spellchecker that may be a brilliant idea. That way people can change their "art work" on their bodies like they do in their houses. I can see it now your dating a girl named Andrea so you have her name tattooed on your arm she breaks up with you no problem you just wash it off. It would especially help all those that got some tattoos when they were younger and now their bodies are starting to sag. True story saw a lady with an eagle tattooed across her breast with it's wings soaring high................it hit me when she gets older and those wings sag it is going to look more like a vulture than an eagle........got to think ahead.

@ Gtouch

I almost puked at the thought of that vulture lady, but yeah, I agree that some of these these people are going to regret their tatoo choice when their bodies start to sag.

One of the qualities women have that men find attractive is a sense of being mysterious.

When a woman exhibits her inner life on her skin, it negates that aspect.

Each to his/her own, but I find tattoos on women generally make them look trashy and unattractive.

The woman in the picture is a perfect example, she's ugly azamofoyo

I think its pretty stupid to tattoo a child too. But if you examine her mom you'll see she is quite tottooed herself. The girl probably really admires her mother and thought it would be too cool for her get a tattoo. Although I have no tattoo's myself in this case I think I would not get involved. Because I feel she and her mom have a good relationship and thats whats cool about this story. I'll just bet she got a lot of attention over the tattoo as well... And i'll bet she seen her mother getting attention over her tattoos as well and thought hey I want that attention too....

I think moms have a right to be cool or what ever it takes to have a good relationship with kids and especially there daughters.... It would be horrific if she is placed into a foster home over this dumb act and get abused. And I think a series of questions to make sure that the girl isn't abused and let the case go....

@shiftlock -- I figured she's not licensed because if she were, she'd have known that tattooing minors is illegal. The law is in place to prevent minors from making decisions that have consequences beyond what they are capable of understanding. Since mother-of-the-year here believes her ex-in-laws turned her in, it is unlikely the tattoo was done with the child's father's knowledge, either.

Not necessarily her defense. Just shoddy reporting presenting her quote that way.

Her response was probably to the question "Did your daughter want it done?"

A better defense would be that they are Maori, and it's part of their religion.

An insanity plea might be useful in determining the motivations of the mother, but it still isn't excusable.

that's bullshlt anyway. if she's heavily tattooed, how many times has she walked past the sign in the shop that says- no minors, must be 18? I've been tattooed in NC- every shop everywhere has that sign, everyone knows it's illegal.

Not only that doyourown, but she used her own tools. If she's a tattooist, she knew.

She wasn't tattooing other people's children & she did one tattoo on her daughter. Really people get grip. Not everyone believes the government should invade our homes & famlies because tof he neighbors know best attitudes.

America has the RIGHT to supersede any and all laws
regardless of culture, custom, heritage, whatever, as it deems fit by a small
minded court system. My heritage allowed me to grow my hair long, but in 1951, I
had to have it cut to attend school. It's a game... but a bastard to know all
the rules.

DKJ-4. totally agree..My daughter gave herself her first tattoo, a small heart on her ankle when she was 11. I think as long as the mom didn't pin the daughter down and force her to get this, and she isn't being abused, what they do in their own home is their business. There are girls at my daughter's school with piercings all over the face, not just ears..why is that ok? Probably because somebody thinks it is disgusting so they have to make an issue out of it. Just not a big deal.

The mother has her own tattoo equipment, she knew it was illegal. She may have thought she could get away with it since it was her daughter, but I'll bet you that if some other child had asked for ink she would have said no.

I have two pieces myself and they were both done at the same shop in OBX (NC) and I KNOW that the signs regarding no ink for anybody under the age of 18 are everywhere.

Biker trash mom should have given the child a temporary tat. When it washes away she could apply another one. Everyone is happy.

IF the kid wanted it, and understands, let the mother go.

How about if the kid answered yes to having sex, do you feel the same and that laws should not govern what 11 year kids do and have done to them?

Does your logic also hold for underage drinking? Driving a car? My daughter got a tattoo at age 16, without my consent. She wanted it and she understood it was permanent. And, much to my parental delight, she regretted it two years later.

And, regardless of what a child wants, it is the parent's obligation - both moral and legal - to do what is right. Even if this mom is pro-tattoo, she should have told the child no. I highly doubt the defense of, "I didn't know it was illegal". Even if she didn't know it was illegal to tattoo her child, she should have known it was illegal to tattoo without a license.

Kids have a "spur of the moment" mentality. At any point in time if they see something they want (toys, food, rides, etc.) they will ask for it. Kids don't fully understand actions that have permanent consequences until they are older. This is why there are many rules and laws in place stating that people need to be at least 18 before they can do things. They should know by that age whether it's worth doing or not. Obviously there are too many people who lack common sense, but for an 11 year old child, they don't understand the consequences of asking for something that is permanent. It is the parent's responsibility to explain to the child why they can't get a tattoo and that if they still want one at the age of 18, they will allow it at that time. I have friends whose kids have asked for tattoos and they made the promise that once they are the correct age, they will take them or give them money to get a tattoo.

It's funny, when my daughter was 16 years old she talked to me about getting piercings and gauging her ears which, after a lengthy explanation of what that is, I told her she couldn't do. I made it perfectly clear that until she was 18 years old that decision was mine, not hers. She never got it done and now she is in her 20's and has no desire to have it done. "Beacuse she asked me to" isn't going to fly. She probably numbed her with a shot of whiskey and a couple bong hits.

Parents are still at the top of the home hierarchy. No matter how much you want to be your kids "friend" the responsibility comes first. Your child will have plenty of friends in life so be the parent you are supposed to be. There will be plenty of time for an adult relationship later.

All of you young women and men that make the statement "I'm not raising my kid the way my parents did" ask yourself this one simple question, how did you turn out? If you are screwed up then you shouldn't have kids in the first place. All the rest that turned out just fine should ask their parents for the manual. They did it right by using disipline and guiding you toward adulthood. Being coddled and then not moving out when you are grown just makes you look pathetic, both the kid and the parents.

Browns Backer- I couldn't have said it better myself! Your last paragraph made me want to stand up, cheer, and applaud you! If you've grown up and managed to become a law-abiding, respectful, and productive member of society, you should be calling your parents and thanking them/asking them how they did it!! Thank you for recognizing that! My kids are still tiny (an infant, kindergartener, and a 1st grader) and I call my mom (and mother in law--I did marry her son, after all) for advice on almost a daily basis.

I personally don't have tats and find them unattractive. But I'm surprising even myself by thinking this little heart on the 11 year old's shoulder is no big deal.

My daughter was in her teens when we went together to get some multiple ear piercings. A fun bonding event. My husband was furious at both of us. We soon tired of them. Not permanent like a tat, I know.

Considering her mom is covered in them, the child will be getting more tats in just a few short years.

I don't know, we all have to live with regret at one time or another. Maybe this is a good lesson learned. Kids do stupid things and so do parents. If my 9 year old wanted a tattoo, and it were legal, I'd say no. My then 16 year old son wanted one and had a friend who was willing to do it, I said no when he was 18 he could tattoo his whole body but until he was 18 he couldn't. He's almost 20 and still has no tattoos.

I have three myself but only got them after years of trying to figure out what I wanted permanently etched on my body. I have no regrets but I was in my 40s.

I still don't think it's any of the government's business though.

maggieadela

I personally don't have tats and find them unattractive. But I'm surprising even myself by thinking this little heart on the 11 year old's shoulder is no big deal.

You need to stop and think how the little girl is going to feel in a few years. She may end up regretting that she has asked her mother to do it because it was a phase she was going through. When you compare the thinking of an 11 year old wanting something to an 18 year old wanting something, the 18 year old will have a much better understanding of what is being placed on them and the consequences of that decision than an 11 year old. An 11 year old does not have the mental capability to fully understand what is required in having a tattoo and weigh the thought that if she doesn't want it later, she would have to go through laser removal which is quite expensive compared to the price of getting a tattoo done. The girl needs to be able to make her decisions when she is old enough to understand what she is asking for, not at the age of 11 when she will start going through puberty and having to go through the difficult time of adjusting to the changes that will be happening to her.

I'm far from being against tattoos. I have one that I got at the age of 28 and currently planning my second. I always found them interesting since the age of 15. But I was responsible about it and waited because I didn't know if it was just a phase, not to mention that I wanted to be sure that what I got meant something important to me. I do fully support the idea of children waiting until they are 18 before they do get tattoos. At that point they are considered an adult and can do whatever they want to themselves with the understanding that their actions do have consequences they will have to live with.

This is absolutely the place where you DO want the government. A tattoo is a permanent transfiguration of a persons body. There are certain professions which require NO tattoos, as do some religions. This mother made a decision which has taken those things away from this child. They can never be gotten back. Because there are stupid parents out there, sometimes the law has to step in and say NO, in order to protect children.

If the girl had asked for a big tramp stamp on her lower back I wonder if Mom would have done that? Small heart on her shoulder that she requested doesn't seem like abuse. I know kids who got tattoos when they were underage and hid them from their folks because Mom and Dad would disapprove. At least this child and mother can communicate with each other. She'd probably still want it at 18. And being "of age" when one gets a tattoo doesn't guarantee they won't regret it later, they just can't blame it on somebody else.

Now don't go sounding all reasonable, Animal. This woman must be judged by all of us who don't know her on this one thing that she's done. I've never seen a tattoo that I thought enhanced a persons appearance and some get them for other reasons. To each his own. People are saying 11 is too young to know if she wants a tattoo and that may be true, but a lot of the same people would wnat the 11 year old tried as an adult if she shot and killed her mother. In my rambling way I'm agreeing with you. Fine the Mom for tattooing a minor and be done with it. Mom pays and the stste gets some revenue, It's not like she's running around the South tattooing other peoples kids. At least I hope not.

I agree. Here's the tagline for NBC News: "NBC News reporters bring you compelling stories from across the nation." I think someone needs to explain what 'compelling' is.

It shows how our nation has become one where the State controls all lives & families. Freedom shall one day be a lost word. Welcome to the United Police States of America.

It is newsworthy for just this reason. You read it, and then spent even more time interacting with the site to post a comment asking why it was newsworthy.

She has her own tools. If she's a tattooist, she should know what the laws are in her area.

I agree with you. It's not completely illegal everywhere. I got my first tattoo at 17, my Mom actually bought it for me as a birthday present. However, I realize 17 is a lot different than 11, but still, some places it IS legal with parental consent, I still don't think many places would tattoo an 11 y/o even with parental consent, I'm just saying...

The laws were written to keep teens from being able to walk into a tattoo parlor and get inked without parental consent. This is a case of the law overreaching and a waste of taxpayer dollars.

What she should know and does know are two different things. Nobody knows what the answer is to that one so emphatically stating she should is a bit ridiculous.

Whether or not she is a "licensed tattoo artist", if they exist in her area, she is an adult who is supposed to know the law.

Just as you would not travel at 50mph down an urban street which did not have a posted speed limit, you are expected to know not to do that and to know what the law is, you are even expected to know that you must have a drivers license to drive.

That was next week...

sgbear....I could not hit like enough for your comment.

Hyprocrisy, not just the government but the many people getting upset over a small flower tattoo on eleven year old & yet fines it accepting to let 12-15 olds run the streets get pregnant & be given the morning after pill or an abortion instead of parent standing up & taking responsiblity by not letting their children run amok doing what ever they feel like doing.

I live in a small town where there are several young ones under 15 going on their second child & one has already had 2 abortions. Another had 3 children by the age of 15 first baby at the age 12. & her younger sister followed the lead & had her first at 13. These girls mother see nothing wrong with this. Children services don't bother knocking at their door. It is hard to imagine the numbers in the large cities & yet children service gets all out of sort over a little tattoo.

All those underage girls have sex/being raped means that it is all illegal too. Those mothers should be investigated and jailed if they allow it.

DKJ-4: the article said that it is likely the woman's ex (boyfriend/husband) probably filed a complaint. Once a complaint is filed, there has to be an investigation made. It may be stupid, but it is just one round in what is likely a nasty custody battle to be coming up soon.

Good point. Let's do away with any laws as long as the parent and child consent. That includes filthy parents who use their children for prostitution.

And whats a little permanent scar that will never be able to leave her body,

and, under some religions, will condemn her to hell fire and damnation for all eternity.

Bill - absolutely right! and down the line she can at least get the tattoo removed, not so with the piercings the parents give to an infant or the circumcision...can't put that back or fill that hole! Get over it people.

I wrote this in response to a comment on the second page, but you get into a very different area where you have religion and health issues being brought up for circumcision. Circumcision is usually discussed with one's religious representative or doctor to find out the pros and cons of having something done. Some parents choose to have their kids circumcised due to a possible health reason at the time it is being considered.

From wikipedia:

Circumcision may be indicated for both therapeutic and prophylactic reasons. It is a treatment option for phimosis, posthitis and other such conditions. A Cochrane meta-analysis of studies done on sexually active men in Africa found that circumcision reduces the infection rate of HIV among heterosexual men by 38%–66% over a period of 24 months, and studies have concluded it is cost-effective in sub-Saharan Africa. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends considering it as part of a comprehensive HIV program in areas with high endemic rates of HIV. Circumcision reduces the incidence of HSV-2 infections by 28%, and is associated with reduced HPV prevalence and a reduced risk of both urinary tract infections (UTIs) and penile cancer.

Based on the medical side, parents make the decision if it's beneficial, health wise, not because they are just doing it because it's a fad like ear piercing. Some parents do make the decision because it's a personal preference, not one that is being influenced by medical information, and in those cases it should be left up for the child at an older age to decide if that is something that they want. Circumcision is a real grey area though when it comes to parents deciding if it's worth doing it or not to their child. Again, it is mainly based on being educated on the medical side of having it done and one's religious beliefs.

Oh yeah, because quoting characters on a fictional TV show makes you look SO smart.

"The rest of the family firmly kaboshed the idea" ???? Glad I'm not part of that family...Run daughter-in-law!! run!! They will be telling you what to do for the rest of your life! and telling you how to raise your daughter. As much as I don't agree with doing that when they are infants..it is still nobody's business but that family, not the grandparents, in-laws....

"The rest of the family kaboshed the idea" Your daughter-in-law must have been a child herself.

Beth,

I also am glad that you aren't part of my family.

This is not only HER daughter. It is also my son's daughter.

Whether someone wants permanent holes in their ears is decision that should be left up to the piercee, not their mother. If my granddaughter wants her ears pierced it will be a different story.

I agree it should be the childs choice to have their ears pierced (which is the rule in my home. She has to ask and know what goes into the process and care. No decision without understanding the decision and the responsibility that goes w/ a decision). Though it is not permanent the holes can and will close.

It is not the right of a child to say they want a tattoo and then get it. And as a parent / reasonable adult one should know that you can't just walk into a tattoo shop @ any age and get a tattoo. So what would make this woman think it would be ok to tattoo her own duaghter? If the girl really wanted a tattoo her "MOTHER" should have explained that she will need to wait until she is of age and then make that decision.

This girl is 11 yrs old barely out of elementary school and hopefully still has a bedtime. It is not ok that her MOTHER gave her a tattoo. And to say that just because she is the girls mother it should have been between them and no one else is ridiculous and more severe abuser could say the same.

That type of attitude is why the sense of community is gone and kids run wild and beat the SH#T out of homeless people or randoms sitting on a park benchs and then post it on facebook like it is some kind of comedy show. Wake up people and start having some damn pride in how you live.

I find it odd that so many people who just adore Hillary Clinton and her "It Takes A Village" attitude don't think extended family should be involved with kids.

It's like we (society) have no boundries anymore. We live in this anything goes world anymore. One of these days, we are going to self destruct!! Don't worry, be happy!!

Laura: ear piercings are not permanent, if you fail to put earnings in, the piercing closes.

Tattoos, unfortunately, are permanent. They use needles which permanently scar the skin. While recent developments in lasers can remove most (if not all) of the ink, the scars are permanent.

By the way: do you decide if the baby is bottle fed or nursed ?

My ears have been pierced for 42 years. There are times that I go months or years without wearing earrings. The holes have never closed. Therefore, your theory is flawed.

I find it interesting that some of you appear to believe that family should be kept at arms length. People bellyache that family is not involved with children and then bellyache again when grandparents are involved and help parents see the error of some ideas. Then when a parent makes a huge mistake, such as this mother; it's blamed on how the parent was raised - the grandparents.

I think you are missing the point. This isn't about government. We should be asking ourselves if it's the right of the parent to deface the child? Also, your "it's none of my business" attitude that has gotten society in it's downward spiral. We have to start caring and recognizing when things are wrong and standing up and fighting together to keep some kind of normalcy. Think about the evolution of same sex marriage. We allowed something that is unnatural gain a foothold to where a large part of society glamorizes this unnatural sinful lifestyle. Wake up people and start caring about what goes on around you!!!!!!!

mt. as long as it doesn't threaten the child's life it OK?
SM, you have a right to interfere with consenting adults?

I don't know which one of you is sillier.

Wayne - what is wrong with a child having a mohawk haircut?? that isn't child abuse. haircuts are self expression for kids and adults of all ages. My grandson gets a mohawk every summer when school is out and he puts a funky color on it! OMG lock me up for allowing my daughter to let him do that! it is just hair.. now if she decided to shave his head and tattoo 6's on him I would call the police myself, but it is just a hair cut.

Mohawk hair cuts, really, hair grows back. What get me is the mothers who encourage their children to use chemicles such as dyes & bleach or paint their faces like street walkers so young ladies can feel good about themselves, & you complain about hair cuts. Personally I don't care for the mohawk style, don't care for purple hair with white black streaks either. Got love the child finding themselves.

I agree, but hair grows out so the mohawk is truly harmless.

Wait a minute Beth, your saying "allowing my daughter to let him do that...." and in a previous post you said "They will be telling you what to do for the rest of your life! and telling you how to raise your daughter...." which way is it, tell them, or not them them Granny????

HAHAHA..still not your kid, none of your business...and yes I am a granny!!

Some very good points Wayne!!

Beth,

I have to side with Wayne here. I think you are missing the point.

Nasty attitude Granny when your called out on something...go eat a happy meal B*%&#!!!!

Beth,

You do indeed speak out of both sides of your mouth!

Yea, ya know us trailer trash people we are so ignorant we need ya all to wipe out buts.

Honestly I am tired of the so call trailer trash attitude, I may be poor but at least I own my home & property, paid in full, nor morgage, no begging, no welfare and no putting my neighbors down because they has lest the I do. Oh, rich people are such good parents either. Easy to raise kids when you send off to private boarding schools or hire nannies.

chill DK.....was just tryin to make a point. don't get your undies in a bunch.

.....now git out there and change the tires on the house!!!

DKJ-4: Most of the serial killers and cannibals came from affluent parents. Most war criminals who commit mass murder are also well off monetarily.No need to name anyone in particular because there are so many.History is full of people thinking others are inferior to them. I understand your points, but you shouldn't bantor with Jokers in the deck. It will not effect their rhetoric or how they view others. I got a tatoo at 15 with Indian ink and a sewing needle. However I am against children getting them. My children got them when they were adults. It is very hard to stop young adults from doing anything. People talk the talk, but I don't believe they could stop teenagers without violence.