Baby Ear piercing controversy

Posted On April 2, 2017

Why is this even a controversial subject? You might be wondering, but yes it is quite a controversial topic at least here in UK. There is even an online petition to ban baby ear-piercing where more than 41,000 people have signed the petition against it. The petition creator stated it as a form of child cruelty that only satisfies parent’s vanity which is no different to other form of physically harming children. However, little thing they don’t know is the cultural practice in other countries where this is a norm and done as a belief of blessings to their children.

Filing a petition without being aware of the vast majority of people, their cultural background, life-style, belief and stating it as a ‘cruelty’ practice is such a harsh word. Online is such a big platform where it’s easy to share thoughts and ideas whereas filing petition and stating any vulnerable topic as cruelty and inhuman activity is wrong. It doesn’t mean that filing petition for other cause that stops people from committing real inhuman activities in the name of culture and tradition is wrong. They are the serious matters that are needed to put to an end and everybody should support that cause instead.

In her column she made some valid reasons though when she said, ‘what if other children would grab it or gets entangled in other children’s hair or clothing’ and about ‘strict rules during PE classes to take off the earrings or tape it to avoid any accidents’. These are serious matters which are to be taken into consideration by the school and play area by assigning strict rules like banning earrings, this way the chances of accident gets quite minimal. Furthermore, the children are always being supervised and taken care of in any unsafe situations or environment by the adults. Despite of such controlled and secure environment, some tragedy still occurs not only because of the earrings but with other things too, even a piece of clothing accessories the child is wearing. So, to only hold accountable to the earring the child is wearing is not justifiable.

The writer should have also acknowledged the fact that it affects people who are merely following their cultural practice. These petition influences other people to make quick judgements without knowing people’s real motive. Their motive is not to doll-up their child by treating as a ‘personal property’ (this is what they’re saying), which even sounds bad, why aren’t they not even hesitated to say such things? This is the reason why people should know the real motive behind any story to minimise the conflict as much as possible.

Change is good when it’s done for the good cause but if its too vague and absurd and limits only small group of people then it’s of no use. It indirectly shows how hypocrisy people are because on one hand they accepts they are multi-cultural nation and on the other hand such petitions focusing only few group of people discourages and disrespects other group of people and their culture. However, I didn’t mean to say it’s alright to see your child in pain when they got their ear pierced but the point is, is it really a child cruelty? No parents would ever want their child to suffer, they would rather stay hungry to feed their child and rather give up everything to earn the love of their child. People are very opinionated these days, they simply criticise and victimise the vulnerable people and uplift the superiority & so-called the perfect life style of themselves by blaming others, their culture, life style and parenting style.

Baby ear piercing is merely a choice of the parents similarly as the choice to breastfeed or not. Blaming mothers for their choices and giving it a name of satisfying their own vanity is inhuman. Actually the truth is when it comes to babies everything becomes a big topic and it becomes easier for these people to play a blame game relating every little things to child cruelty. But please tell me isn’t it child cruelty when a mother is separated from her baby by social service people for unnecessary reasons, isn’t it child cruelty when little children from war countries lose their parents, isn’t it child cruelty when small children are brought to foreign lands for labour & sex work, so, if people really have to stop child cruelty then please you should file a petition for a big cause not a small unnecessary cause like this.

I haven’t ever regret the decision of my parents for ear-piercing me when I was small. I don’t even remember anything to hold the grudge for the pain that caused during ear piercing. This is also one of the reason why ear-piercing is carried out so early because you’d not know anything. And it is irrelevant to compare it with other child cruelty and abuse that happens in this cruel world. It’s easier for people to blame other parents because they are on the other side. They only hear and see what they want to, half of the stories they write only focuses on the things that are controversial. It’s just the way they earn their money by making people believe what they want them to believe.

So, I agree this subject is quite controversial, despite that I empathise all the parents who are victimised by saying they are bad, cruel parents and are only satisfying their vanity by hurting their children through ear piercing. Everyone should have the right to make the choice for themselves and their kids because every parents knows what’s right for their kids. The gossip mongers exists every where to make things worse through the powerful platforms that are available. So, you just have to let these people talk and carry on with your life because there are so many parents who are against this petition and exactly know how to fight the situation.

Thank you.