Georgia parents defend giving kids tattoos

[The Straight Story]

Georgia parents defend giving kids tattoos

SUMMERVILLE, Ga., Jan. 3 (UPI) -- Two parents in Summerville, Ga., say they did nothing wrong by giving six of their children homemade tattoos.

Patty Jo Marsh and her husband, Jacob Bartels, admitted giving six of the seven children in their care tattoos using a tattoo machine and guitar strings as needles, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Saturday.

"I'm their mother," Marsh said. "Shouldn't I be able to decide if they get one?"

Under Georgia state law, children under the age of 18 cannot get tattoos and no tattoos can be given by anyone other than a licensed professional.

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2010/01/03/Georgia-parents-defend-giving-kids-tattoos/UPI-24061262542264/

[rucky]

1. But the kids said they would never get tired of the Ninja Turtles.

[Robb]

18. After this post

...I felt no reason to read further, because really, what could top it? :rofl:

[DJ13]

2. I would think that the pain it caused would come under abuse laws

But it IS Georgia, so who knows.

[Fumesucker]

21. It seems to me that ear piercing causes pain..

And yet almost no one complains about that..

Not to mention circumcision on newborn males..

And now I'll don my Nomex Underoos for the inevitable flame fest..

[WolverineDG]

36. Oh please

:eyes:

Sometimes I think some of you on DU won't be happy until all kids are put in state-run foster care.

dg

[joeybee12]

Guitar strings...

....do you think that's "safe" and "painless." These parents are nuts.

[Ghost in the Machine]

39. They don't hurt any more, or less, than a regular tattooing needle does

I had a couple tats done with a homemade gun... and the guitar string is nothing more than a stiff piece of wire... just like a needle.

[WolverineDG]

41. And ear piercings?

I know some girls who got their ears pierced at home. I guess you think they should have been tossed in CPS jail too. :eyes:

dg

[lunatica]

3. Facepalm

The stupid is bottomless

[walldude]

4. The Republican base is tattooing Palin 2012 on their kids

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[proud2BlibKansan]

5. I saw this on the news last night and was blown away

My 31 year old son thought it was okay. Sure wish I had forcefully tattooed him when he was younger:)

[madinmaryland]

23. I'm sure he would love the Barney the Dinosaur and Teletubby tat's you would

have given him!!

:rofl:

[proud2BlibKansan]

24. I plan on asking him about that

His brother was a HUGE Ninja Turtles fan. I'll bet he'd still love THAT tattoo - he's 26 now. LOL

[madinmaryland]

28. Don't forget the "I hate girls" tattoo, either!!

:D

[Edweird]

6. Ok, here's the big issue. Marsh is the step mom. The biological mother called the cops.

[LisaL]

7. Another big issue is whether they did it in sanitary manner,

or used the same needle for all the kids.

[walldude]

8. LOL.. sanitary? Needle? They used a guitar string.

Somehow I doubt sanitary is in their vocabulary.

[Nikki Stone1]

12. The big issue is that the woman who did the tattoos is the STEP mom and she had no right

That calls for a day in court.

[LisaL]

14. Really? And if she were the bio mom, she could have

tattooed them from head to toe?

[Maru Kitteh]

46. As a stepmom I once hated the stereotype, but I've witnessed some highly creative abuse by stepmoms

and I would put this is that category.

[Edweird]

20. No argument there. I think tatooing another woman's child is boneheaded.

I mean, holy shit, talk about creating conflict. Furthermore, if a parent decides that a tiny tattoo is appropriate for their child, then use a professional. Or professional equipment. Jailhouse tattoos? That's just fucked up.

[LisaL]

25. It would be illegal for a professional to do it in GA,

Because the children are minors under 18 years old.

[Edweird]

34. No doubt. It's also illegal for them to smoke, get piercings, possess pornography,

do drugs, skip school and drink alcohol. All of which plenty of underage kids do. I'm not condoning it, but it's also foolish to act as if it doesn't happen. I personally think it is better to be involved as a parent and at least mitigate it and provide guidance to some extent as opposed to ignoring it and hoping for the best. Now, if this was against the kids will, that's a whole other story.

[Nikki Stone1]

11. Ah, ok. Excellent point.

If I were the bio mom, I'd go after the stepmom.

[Edweird]

22. According to the article, it was a small cross.

If done professionally and in a sanitary manner, I don't see a reason for a huge uproar about it. I wouldn't do it, but whatever. Now, if my ex's new partner tattooed MY kid? He's going to jail.

[LisaL]

26. The children are minors under 18, so it's illegal.

[Edweird]

33. I understand that.

I don't think it's a good idea. But, at the same time, I don't a small cross is that big of a deal. The big deal in this case, as far as I can tell, is the overstepping of parental boundaries.

[Don Caballero]

9. These people do not deserve children

Give them a deserving family.

[valerief]

10. Just gettin' 'em groomed for prison life early, I guess. nt

[Ghost in the Machine]

29. So, everyone with a tattoo goes to prison?

:shrug:

[valerief]

43. They do? Wow, I didn't know that. nt

[Ghost in the Machine]

44. That's exactly what you implied above, isn't it?

"Just gettin' 'em groomed for prison life early, I guess. nt"

What else did you mean by that? :shrug:

[valerief]

45. Nope. All people with tattoos? I never talked about all people with tattoos. nt

[Ghost in the Machine]

47. Just how, then, were they "Just gettin' 'em groomed for prison life early, I guess"?? n/t

[valerief]

49. Don't lots of people in prison have tattoos? nt

[Ghost in the Machine]

52. Yes.... and?

So do lots of people in the military, on police and fire departments.. and even those who wear suits and ties and work in offices... so what's your point?

[valerief]

55. I don't understand yours. If the kids have tattoos and prisoners have tattoos, the parents can be

prepping the kids for prison, right? What part don't you understand?

[Ghost in the Machine]

56. My point is that you broadbrushed people with tattoos, can't you see that?

"I don't understand yours. If the kids have tattoos and prisoners movie stars have tattoos, the parents can be prepping the kids for prison stardom, right? What part don't you understand?"


"I don't understand yours. If the kids have tattoos and prisoners soldiers have tattoos, the parents can be prepping the kids for prison the military, right? What part don't you understand?"


"I don't understand yours. If the kids have tattoos and prisoners cops have tattoos, the parents can be prepping the kids for prison a career in law enforcement, right? What part don't you understand?"


"I don't understand yours. If the kids have tattoos and prisoners fire fighters have tattoos, the parents can be prepping the kids for prison fire fighting, right? What part don't you understand?"


"I don't understand yours. If the kids have tattoos and prisoners tattoo artists have tattoos, the parents can be prepping the kids for prison a career as a tattoo artist, right? What part don't you understand?"


There, I fixed them all for you, ok? Do you now understand about the broad brush you used? Do I need to go tell my 72 year old father that he better go to prison sometime before he dies, since he has 8 tattoos and has never been to prison? I've got 5 and I've never been to prison... should I go out and commit a felony so I can go, too??

[valerief]

57. Oh, I'm sorry. I guess tattoos or prison are special for you. nt

[Name removed]

58. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Rebubula]

53. Well...

...that was a rather stupid post.

However, the tattoos that the kids have look JUST like Prison Ink. So....even in your silly statement, you may be on the right track.

[sharesunited]

13. What about collagen?

[davsand]

15. I got criticized for taking my 12 year old to a piercing salon to have her ears done.

Literally, I had a "mall mom" give me crap for taking my daughter into a piercing artist to have her ears pierced last April. Her big beef was "They do TATTOOS there!" It was her opinion that Claire's in the mall was a MUCH more wholesome choice.

I took the opportunity to talk to my kid about tats and I explained to her that they are forever. (You gotta realize I don't even do permanent hair color, so I'm kinda queasy about the idea of permanent ink...) I can't get my head around making a kid for life like that.



Laura

[Dappleganger]

16. Same here, but you see the guy we go to is as sterile as a doctor's office.

He has more certifications which are updated yearly than anyone in North FL, too. He always has an apprentice and there's a waiting line to work with him because he's so good at what he does. I cannot imagine having a child (or a baby!) shot with an ear gun which are so unsterile it's disgusting! He's the only one I'll use as well for any of our piercings.

BTW, they have a tattoo parlor there as well but they are just as OCD about cleanliness and professionalism as this guy.

[davsand]

27. Exactly! I watched everything come out of an autoclave.

Those plastic "guns" they use at the mall cannot be fully sterilized, PERIOD. There is "blowback" of both blood and tissue that just simply rides from person to person. I'm not EVEN gonna get started about the scarring differences, either...

Compare training: Claire's gives something like a 20 minute video. Piercing Artists apprentice for a minimum of one year.

I just can't say enough about the differences between professional salons and tattoo parlors and the crap that goes on in the mall and in the "home" tattoo places.



Laura

[Dappleganger]

35. The guy we go to has 19 years experience.

Yep, I'll take that over video training any day of the week!

[That Is Quite Enough]

38. Lulz, going to a 'legit' body modding parlor is probably safer than Claire's

Better standards, cleaner, and the people who work there are definitely better at their profession. That mall mom is uninformed, but then again we already knew that.

[tammywammy]

51. And no piercing guns either

Piercings done the right way.

[Somawas]

17. Let it never again be said that the law does not concern itself with trifles.

What a bunch of little shit.

[Maru Kitteh]

48. Oh sure. Possibly HIV infected stepmom gives kids unsanitary tatoos after doing herself with same

crude instrument she used on herself. Just a trifle. Nothing to see here.

How fucking stupid.

[Berry Cool]

19. Well, you know, parents have the right to run the risk of giving their own kids MRSA

I'm sure they spit on their tools to make sure they were clean.

[LisaL]

31. The kids were tested for blood born diseases after this.

[chatnoir]

30. The person who reported them commented at the link

Sounds like those poor children are being mistreated and/or abused in other ways as well:

jgrammes says:
I am the actual person who reported this crime. The story, like all media, is a bit mixed up, so I'd like to correct a few things.

1) Not all the children asked or "begged" for these tattoos. They were manipulated into receiveng them because the other kids had them. All these children are from mixed families. Patty Marsh has four with Jacob Bartels, and Jacob Bartels has 2 from another woman, who is actually my cousins wife, plus a 17 year old. None of Patty Marsh's kids are Jacob's, they all have different father's.

2) The father's name is not Jacob Edwards, it's Jacob Bartels. Edwards is his middle name.

3) We discovered the tattoos on Christmas Day when the 3 of the children were at my home. The immediate concern was not the tattoo, it was the fact the all the kids stated she DID NOT change the needle, and that it was rumored the Patty Marsh had HIV, and had used the gun on herself, before tattooing the children. We had the children taken immediately to the hospital for testing, no results yet.

4) The oldest son, who is not even either of the parents' biological parents, also stated that Patty Marsh had sexual intercourse with him when he was 16. He won't come forward to authorities because he was threatened by Jacob Bartels.

5) The county department of children services is still allowing these kids to remain in that household, even after it's been reported that they chain locked the fridge to keep the kids out, and that these parents are obviously alocoholics considering the amount of alcohol bottles laying around, in reach of the kids. We are attempting to assist the biological mother of 2 of those kids to regain custody, since the county is doing nothing to keep them out of harms way.

Anyone who believes it is okay to inflict pain and permanent markings on a child does not deserve to see the light of day. We are doing all we can to make sure justice is served. But we too are limited on funds, and are hoping an attorney will help pro-bono.

http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/dpp/news/Couple-Arrested-for-Tattoing-Children-010110

[LisaL]

32. Testing the kids for blood borne diseases sounds like a good idea,

after these kids were tattooed at home.

[chatnoir]

37. This crew reminds me of those winners in PA

who named their kid Adolf Hitler.

[Hekate]

40. So Stepmom never changed the needle and is rumored to be HIV positive...

... and had used the "gun" on herself prior to the kids. And some of the kids were reluctant but pressured into going along.

Okay. This goes way beyond a little cross tattoo. x(

Hekate

[uppityperson]

42. I was reported to CPS by my kid's dad over a temporary tattoo

He left a hysterical message on my machine, "I'm charging you for the time I have to take off work to get this professionally removed, reporting you to CPS, etc etc etc". Like I could tattoo sure a small fine tat on a 3 yr old.

This case sounds also like a parent/step-parent thing. Good luck to those kids.

[Dorian Gray]

50. They're idiots....

and their poor children are probably destined to be idiots, too. So sad.

[ZombieHorde]

54. Kids are not property. nt