A mama from the United States sparked outrage when she shared a photo of her daughter with a pierced dimple on social media.
Enedina Vance shared the photo of her adorable smiling daughter complete with Photoshopped dimple piercing to make a point about children’s rights.
Internet Rages After Mama Shares Photo Of Baby’s Pierced Cheek
Sharing the Facebook photo, the Ohio mama said:
“It looks so cute, right?!! I just know she’s gonna love it!! She’ll thank me when she’s older lol If she decides she doesn’t like it, she can just take it out, no big deal…
I’m the parent, she is MY CHILD, I will do whatever I want!!
I make all of her decisions until she’s 18, I made her, I own her!! I don’t need anyone’s permission, I think it’s better, cuter, & I prefer her to have her dimple pierced. Its (sic) NOT abuse!! If it was, it would be illegal, but it’s not. People pierce their babies everyday, this is no different.
MY BABY, MY CHOICE!! PARENT’S CHOICE, PARENT’S RIGHTS!! Don’t judge my parenting, we all raise our kids differently, it’s none of your business anyway!!”
The inflammatory photo, designed to start a conversation about circumcision, has been shared over 14,000 times and racked up hundreds of comments from parents across the world.
Many parents understood the hidden message in the post, commenting in support of Vance’s stance, raising and sharing their own views on circumcision.
Others, however, missed the #sarcasm tag at the bottom of the post and commented in anger, labelling Vance a bad parent. Some even went as far as reporting Vance to Child Protective Services.
Vance, a mother of six, campaigns against body alterations in children and wanted to raise awareness of the arguments against circumcision, a practice that is viewed as the norm in the US.
Seen as the cultural norm, many parents choose to circumcise their sons without carrying out much research into the procedure or whether it’s necessary. The American Academy of Pediatrics released a report in 2012 stating:
“Parents ultimately should decide whether circumcision is in the best interests of their male child. They will need to weigh medical information in the context of their own religious, ethical, and cultural beliefs and practices. The medical benefits alone may not outweigh these other considerations for individual families.”
In a follow up post, Vance explained: “Altering a child’s body simply for aesthetic reasons is wrong, as all the angry post, comments, & hate mail explained. “You don’t own your child!” “Your baby isn’t a doll you can customize!” “How could you do that to your child?!!” “Stabbing holes in your child is abuse & you don’t deserve to be a parent!” Well said, I couldn’t agree more, so why are ear piercings & genital cutting so popular?”
Sharing more about her reasons for posting the pics, Vance said: “Education is key & the truth is, genital cutting is completely unnecessary. Its (sic) NOT cleaner, not healthier, & definitely does not look better!! But most importantly, it is NOT your body to alter or modify for aesthetic purposes.”
You can find out more about male circumcision in Circumcision – Should Your Son Have A Circumcision?
Information is key, so make sure you do your research before making a decision. You can also find more about the impact of circumcision on parental rights in Circumcision and Parental Rights – Can They Be Taken Away?
