Jan 19
permanent markings
Posted by madameblogalot at 7:26 pm in Uncategorized

Permanent. It’s there forever. (Unless you change your mind, spend a lot of money and go through some amount of pain, so I hear.) Otherwise, you will be forever marked. If you have a tattoo placed on your body.

The movement in body art has shifted dramatically over the last five to ten years. Many mainstream people are having “works of art” forever immortalized on their very flesh. It is something that is not only for those just coming of age, many middle aged folks are deciding to permanently ink their bodies as well. But when it comes to allowing a child to have his body tattooed, there are certain limits that are in place.

It seems that the laws vary from state to state, most stating you must be 18, while some states do allow minors to receive a tattoo with parental consent. So when I heard today about the 10 year old who recently received a tattoo, I was pretty taken aback. When I found out why he wanted the tattoo, I could at least understand-to a point- why he wanted it. He wanted it to honor his brother who has died. While I don’t agree with this form of honoring the dead, I do know it has become a fairly normal response among some groups of people. When everywhere kids look they see people with such body art-store clerks, waiters, athletes, their parents, even Barbie-why would they not see this as a normal and acceptable way of responding to their grief, or as everyday/mainstream/normal.

Should a child ever be allowed to have such a permanent reminder on their flesh? Though I know what I would say in response to that, I also think I have an idea of what some close to me would say….So while I think ten is way too young to make such a permanent decision, I am not sure I can actually say it’s “wrong”.

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  1. Shelly wrote:
    February 3rd, 2012 at 9:07 pm

    Interesting thoughts. I am not a tattoo person myself, and have never quite understood the appeal of them. (Then again, I’m pretty low-key in all forms of accessorizing my person.)

    My uncle and aunt had their wedding rings tattooed on. I do have to admit, I can see the appeal in that. If nothing else, it’s a wedding band that doesn’t come off on business trips (though I know it meant much more to each of them than that, and was certainly not done with such cynical motives on their parts).

    For the 10-year-old, I understand the desire. I don’t know that I could agree with it myself. Every loss leaves a scar, very real, and very visible to those who know us. I am not one for making all of those scars visible to everyone who comes along. Somehow, it seems to give the scar a bit too much power over the individual. Or something like that.

    But at least I do understand the impulse that drives it here. It just might be something I would want to think through pretty carefully before doing it.

  2. madameblogalot wrote:
    February 9th, 2012 at 6:57 pm

    I don’t like them either, though I have seen the teens in this area use tattoos to honor loved ones who’ve passed on-among other things. it is interesting thoughts. I think the only one I would ever consider for myself would be the wedding ring one. as for others, I know they might be more accepting of them. I know many people who finish an ironman race get the “Mdot” tattooed on. My husband has been asked by his team mates if he is getting one. he said I don’t really like them so one of his team mates told him that was all he needed to NOT get one! (whew!)

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