I have witnessed a horrific event and need to talk about it

[Radiant Bridge]

A few hours ago I was shopping at a mall and stopped at a Piercing Pagoda stand to get a new chain for my medical alert locket. I had gotten my first chain at a Piercing Pagoda in another mall, and was hoping that this particular stand carried the same kind. The identical chain wasn't available, and while I was trying out very similar ones I noticed a woman sitting in the customer's chair with a baby on her lap. I knew what that meant and was filled with a disgusted fright. I immediately moved in front of the jewelry stand on the counter so that the worst part would not be in my view. A minute later the woman carried the crying baby out of the booth and I caught a glimpse of the earrings in her tiny ears. It was heartbreaking. The mother was very proud of herself and smiling at everyone including me. When we made eye contact, I almost said, "Don't smile at me. You just tortured your baby." She left too quickly for me to do so. To top it off, all of the other customers at the stand seemed to think that the whole scene was cute. I said with strength that the action was sick and that people like the baby's parents ought to be sterilized before they have children. I wanted the awful customers to know that I was nothing like they were. That was the end of Piercing Pagoda for me. I wasn't about to give them any more business. I had wanted to tell the woman who pierced the baby's ears that I didn't know how she lived with herself, but she was busy so I just left. I can't believe that this is even legal. Forcing children to pierce their organs is child abuse, and no parent should be allowed to get away with it. I'm a calm, collected, logical person. It takes the worst types of events to make me this upset. My mom was initially a bit annoyed with me for refusing to get what I needed when it was in front of me, but understood when I told her how traumatized I had been by what I had seen. She also said that while she had been slightly embarrassed when I loudly voiced my morals, she was proud that I had the courage to do so. I thank all of you who are taking the time to read this. The horrible incident was one of the sickest, most disturbing things that I had witnessed in my life, and I just had to discuss it with more people.

[Clinozoisite]

There are many cultures around the world where infant ear piercing is part of their religion. Many groups in India pierce their infant's ears when they are only five days old, so as to ward of evil spirits and bad luck. They do it to protect their children, not because they enjoy inflicting pain on kids.

Without knowing anything about the mother in question and her cultural background, I wouldn't be too quick to make judgment calls about her or her choice to pierce her kid's ears.

Although I am not a religious person, I do like some phrases from the Christian bible. One of which is from Luke 6:37; "Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven."

[Tom-sprite]

My opinion is that parents should not pierce the ears of their babies. They should give their children the chance to decide later when they are older whether they want to have such jewelry or not. It s only my personal opinion.

[jazzycreations]

Piercing your ears doesn't hurt that bad. I have a professional ear piercing gun & have pierced my own ears. I used numbing cream & pierced my daughters ears. She didn't even cry, the noise just startled her.
I also did my nieces ears & she was fine too.
I ended up taking my daughters earrings out cuz she's really allergic to metals like me, but it's not that big of a deal, it just burns for a minute & with the numbing cream you don't even feel it, it's just a loud click. then it's over.
They were both about 6 months old. If they get older & dont want them then they can take them out & it will close.

My son was circumcised & the doc didn't numb him at all. Now that's horrifying to see, not ear piercing.

I'm sure the mother wasn't intending to inflict pain & about 5 minutes later her baby probably forgot about it all. Seriously though, I wouldn't go to the point of saying it was the most horrific thing to experience. I've seen much worse than that. Like child abuse.

[Rainbowbrite84]

I'm sorry, not to sound rude or anything like that, but I don't think piercing a baby's ears is child abuse. No where near it. For anyone that has had their ears pierced with a piercing gun knows that it is pretty much pain free. The popping sound of the gun is startling but that's it.

My mom had my ears pierced when I was 2 months old. And now that I'm 27 years old I have 6 piercings in each ear. I had my daughter's ears pierced when she was 9 months old and she was perfectly fine throughout the whole thing.

Honestly, a baby will kick and scream when getting its immunizations and the baby will be in discomfort afterwards, but does anyone consider it child abuse? Is getting your son circumcised child abuse?

If you disagree with baby ear piercings that's totally cool, and that's your prerogative. But don't try to make it sound like those of us that have chosen to pierce our children's ears are some kind of child abusers. And that we are some kind of monsters that put our kids through excruciating pain that is going to leaved them permanently scarred for a lifetime.

Baby ear piercing is not a big deal, plain and simple.

[Leonardo Mystic]

When I first clicked on this, I thought all kinds of things. I really believed a child was in grave danger. After reading it, my response is "That's it????" and feeling a little disgusted. I think you completely overreacted here.

Piercing a baby's ears is not child abuse. It's not even abuse in the general sense. Granted, I really rather not pierce my child's ears, when I eventually have any, until they were of age to make that choice.

I've had mine pierced three times, but only because I developed severe and painful infection from an allergic reaction the first two times and had to let them close up. The third one that stuck was at 12 years old. I was seven when I first asked to have them done though.

[Radiant Bridge]

Thank you, Tom-sprite. I'm glad that someone agrees with me. Clinozoisite, driving holes in to the bodies of babies is a cruel, freakish way of trying to protect them from evil, so I don't view this as an excuse. Jazzycreations, I know that there are things far worse. I didn't say that the incident was the most horrific one in the world. I simply said that it was horrific. Rainbowbrite84, immunizations are for the prevention of deadly diseases. These have nothing to do with forcing your child to be stabbed without necessity, and it's quite ridiculous to compare the two. Piercing children without their permission is abuse, and I will always stand to that regardless of the opposing statements I may receive.

[TheWendybird]

I hate to say it but..I don't think this is the first over the top post by this particular poster. That being said I'm not going to go pointing things out or continue the discussion any further...simply saying I pretty much expected this.. though....i did expect it to be a little worse. If piercing babies ears is so bad because they cry then I guess vaccinations are abuse too.

[TheWendybird]

As for piercing without permission....people can choose to not vaccinate children as well. It happens. You say it's a necessity..that is your opinion..I believe that too. Not everyone does though. Ear piercings will grow over if the child no longer wants them when they are older. It's not like it's a freaking tattoo.

[silverorangetears]

Piercing children without their permission is abuse, and I will always stand to that regardless of the opposing statements I may receive.

People have already made a dozen good points, but i wanted to jump in too. It's awesome that you have a belief system, and you choose to follow it, but it's YOUR beliefs, you have to remember that it's your opinion, not a fact, and stating it as a fact is going to ruffle feathers.
There are many, many reasons to get an infants ears pierced, from fashion to identity (i read an article recently, where a mother's child had been stolen, and was recovered because she could identify what kind of tiny earrings the infant had in, and the kidnapper hadn't thought to change them HOW SCARY ><)
http://www.babyzone.com/baby_toddler_p ... ing-debate Lengthy article about the pros and cons from babyzone, it's a "hot topic"
the important thing, though, is that you sensationalized the topic to make everyone who opposed you look evil, which forces us to argue our point.

P.s. i'm pro piercings in general, my 4 year old niece had hers done when she was very young, and LOVES that she's a big girl that's "always had the shiney", but if i have children, we'll probably wait, because i enjoy decorating myself with jewelry, and i want my kids to understand that it's a choice