Unlicensed, underage tattoos

[KBCraig]

Gee, if only he'd given the girls abortions instead of tattoos, he'd be in the clear! 

Yes, the state in which clinics don't even have to notify the parents of underage girls before performing abortions, no one under 18 can legally get a tattoo even with parental consent!

And tattooing is yet another profession that requires a license. Didn't a young NH lady die last year after her new navel piercing got infected? One that she got at a licensed shop?


http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Alleged+tattooer+of+young+girls+is+arrested&articleId=e1d9000d-0008-4791-bb6a-31d6a5f65a80

Alleged tattooer of young girls is arrested

By MIKE KALIL
New Hampshire Union Leader Correspondent

Derry – A local man is accused of tattooing two minors – ages 12 and 16 – and practicing body art without a license, police said today.

Police arrested Glen Vincent, 38, of 3 Laraway Court, Apt. 3A, yesterday on warrant charging him with three counts of tattooing minors and three counts of tattooing without a license, police said.

Authorities launched their investigation on Jan. 7, after a West Running Brook Middle School nurse noticed a tattoo on a 12-year-old female student.

The 12-year-old had a heart tattooed on the small of her back, Derry Police Lt. John Muise said. During the investigation, police also learned that a 16-year-old girl had been tattooed on her lower back and her abdomen, he said.

Muise said the girls did not suffer from any health problems because of the tattoos. He said the girls had been acquaintances of Vincent.

State law restricts tattooists from giving body art to anyone under the age of 18, even if they have parental permission. Anyone who practices body art also must first obtain a license. The charges Vincent faces are misdemeanors.

Vincent was also arrested on an unrelated criminal mischief charge, police said. He's free on $2,000 personal recognizance bail and is scheduled to appear in Derry District Court on March 25 for his arraignment.

[J’raxis 270145]

They actually keep trying to change the abortion law here, to require parental notification of abortions. (There are three of these bills up this year: HB1495, HB1517, and SB302.) This actually gets support among a lot of (conservative) pro-liberty activists and legislators here, usually because it's seen as increasing parental rights against the State. I see it as decreasing individual rights in favor of the parents'.

As for the tattooing... yet another small example of irrational laws pushed to "protect the children," probably borne out of a moral panic at some point. I don't know the history of this one specifically, but it reminds me of the panics against comic books, rock-and-roll music, and so on.

Speaking of which, considering the full-blown panic underway in Derry right now, this guy is probably lucky "the authorities" didn't try to turn touching a 12-year-old girl into some sort of sex-crime charge.

[Caleb]

are you kidding me? Not even with parental consent?  The tattoo artist wants to give the tatto, the person wants to receive it, the parental units are okay with it, but ... it still can't be done in NH? Home of the free, eh? 

[J’raxis 270145]

are you kidding me? Not even with parental consent?  The tattoo artist wants to give the tatto, the person wants to receive it, the parental units are okay with it, but ...

What's so unusual about that? Take a look at most of the laws covering "minors" and they work this way.

"It's for their own good!"

it still can't be done in NH? Home of the free, eh? 

It's been said before, and bears repeating: This is the freest State in the U.S., but by no means free yet.

[Raineyrocks]

My 18 year old called a tattoo place now that she is 18 and they told her she has to bring a valid id showing her age and it must be a picture id.  So even a birth certificate with a school id or mail anything even me being there with my license showing them I'm her mother will not be good enough.

[Beth221]

someone needs to tell those girls "SAY NO TO TRAMP STAMPS!"


hehe

[Raineyrocks]

someone needs to tell those girls "SAY NO TO TRAMP STAMPS!"


hehe

Ha, I like that, Tramp Stamps!   My 23 year old just got a tribal tattoo on her way lower back and said it hurt like crazy, is the pain worth it?  I say hell no, there are always Henna tattoos even though they are not permanent.

[ReverendRyan]

and practicing body art without a license,

That include interpretive dance? 

[J’raxis 270145]

My 18 year old called a tattoo place now that she is 18 and they told her she has to bring a valid id showing her age and it must be a picture id.  So even a birth certificate with a school id or mail anything even me being there with my license showing them I'm her mother will not be good enough.

Liability. This is how the State gets its hands into everything: They make us not only follow the law, but also responsible for enforcing the law. That a valid photo ID is the only ID accepted also helps propagate the perception that one must get a government-issued ID card / drivers license, and thus gets everyone into their system.

[lildog]

Not even with parental consent?  The tattoo artist wants to give the tatto, the person wants to receive it, the parental units are okay with it, but ... it still can't be done in NH? Home of the free, eh? 

I thought about this and here's another side to think about... the parents are basically taking away that child's freedom.

We consider 18 to be the age of majority saying that's the age most are considered mature enough to make their own choices in life.  Prior to that they just don't know any better.

A parent make the choice of putting a tattoo on a child is forcing THEIR will on the child with something that will effect them the rest of their lives.

In another thread either her or on the tea party forum the question was asked if they should get their child a SS# and one response pointed out correctly that once you have it you can't get rid of it but you can get one later in life by choice.  Parents getting one force their will on the child.  Same thing would apply here.  If a parent makes the choice they are forcing their will on someone who may not be ready to comprehend those kinds of life choices yet.  The child can later get a tattoo on their own when they get old enough to knowingly consent.

[K. Darien Freeheart]

The age of consent, in respect to a voluntary society is one that bothers me mentally. Ian touched on it last night on FTL and it asks the question of "Do parents have any obligation, other than that imposed on their own sense of ethics, to their children?" I can see how it would be profitable to raise a child to hold your societal beliefs (Liberty lovers can raise kids just like socialists can!) and to have someone share in the duty of running a household (i.e. chores). Yet at the same time, parents aren't any more able to control their children (without the use of force) than one free adult can control another free adult.

In relation to the tattoo thing, I'd imagine that all good tattoo artists would, as a matter of practice, poke their canvas once or twice before inserting ink. It's the first few that hurt before your endorphines kick in. If a kid is capable of saying "That hurts, but sitting here and taking this pain is worth it" then I think they're mature enough to make that decision on their own.

[J’raxis 270145]

Not even with parental consent?  The tattoo artist wants to give the tatto, the person wants to receive it, the parental units are okay with it, but ... it still can't be done in NH? Home of the free, eh? 

I thought about this and here's another side to think about... the parents are basically taking away that child's freedom.

We consider 18 to be the age of majority saying that's the age most are considered mature enough to make their own choices in life.  Prior to that they just don't know any better.

This is heavily context-dependent. It's 18 for voting, tobacco usage, and a few other things—but it's 21 for alcohol, 17 for military service, 15–16 for a drivers license, anywhere from 13–18 for sex (16 in New Hampshire), and so on. Getting a consistent age of majority would be a nice first step toward fixing that mess, but we're not even at that point yet.

Secondly, don't say "we"—we don't consider it as such, the law does. We didn't agree to that any more than we agreed to any of the other "social contract" nonsense Statists try to push to justify their rules.

[lildog]

In relation to the tattoo thing, I'd imagine that all good tattoo artists would, as a matter of practice, poke their canvas once or twice before inserting ink. It's the first few that hurt before your endorphines kick in. If a kid is capable of saying "That hurts, but sitting here and taking this pain is worth it" then I think they're mature enough to make that decision on their own.

I'm sorry but tolerance to pain is not what I would consider a good judge of mental maturity.

Not to mention kids even if they can take the pain of the needle may not have thought it through.  Their bodies are still growing so chances are a tattoo that looks good at 14 or 16 may stretch and disfigure as that child continues to grow.  Without thinking it through their hoola girl may end up a heavy hottie by the time they mature and some explaining that will take to friends wondering why they have an over weight chick painted on their body.

[K. Darien Freeheart]

I'm sorry but tolerance to pain is not what I would consider a good judge of mental maturity.

I agree. But one doesn't need to be mentally mature to be responsible for their own decisions. Case in point... There are SOME adults who believe that sex with the woman on top means she can't get pregnant. She's a moron, but she's still capable of making her own decisions.

The idea of an age of majority is flawed, but if we add in the idea of "mental maturity" being a requirement it's even worse. How do you determine "mental maturity" without infringing liberty?

Not to mention kids even if they can take the pain of the needle may not have thought it through.

Once again, this is true. But there is, and should be, no requirement that a person getting a tattoo has "thought it through". There are adults who later regret having it done. The possibility of an undesired outcome shouldn't bar someone from exercising their rights.

Their bodies are still growing so chances are a tattoo that looks good at 14 or 16 may stretch and disfigure as that child continues to grow.

I got a tattoo at 19 and I'm 23 now. I'm also overweight. My tattoo has stretched (it's a humanoid, so it's gotten shorter and wider) and lightened over the past few years. This happens to adults too, so I don't see why that's a valid arguement. The tattoo artist explained that before he began and I still exercised the right to decorate my body.

[Beth221]

all i can say is luck for me, i wimped out of many tattoos, tramp stamps, piercings, when I was 18.  My taste now is totally different. 

Thankfully my parents educated me about personalizing my skin before I made any drastic changes, and I think that is where discussions on body art starts, in the home, rather than discussing laws on the matter.