Patty Jo Marsh and Jacob Edward Bartels are a married couple with six children between them.
They were arrested for tattooing their kids.
From WHEC:
A Georgia couple is facing child-cruelty charges for tattooing their six kids.
Georgia authorities say they used a homemade device to tattoo black crosses on the hands of their children. But, the children's mother says they weren't hurt and she doesn't understand why she was arrested.
Patty “Jo Jo” Marsh said, “I don't understand why this got blowed up so big, I love my children, we'd never do anything to harm our kids.”
Marsh was proud to show reporters the tattoos that her boyfriend put on her arms and legs. But Chattooga County Sheriff John Everett said Marsh and her boyfriend, Jacob
Edward Bartels, went too far by tattooing their children - a 10-year-old, two
11-year-olds, a 12-year-old, a 15-year-old and a 7-year-old. Everett said, “We've never seen anything, or heard of anything like this in the surrounding counties, or anywhere.”
Sheriff Everett said the children were tattooed with a black cross on their hand - in the web between their thumb and forefinger - with a home made tattoo gun.
The device is made with a variable power supply, an electric motor, wiring, an ink pen and a sharpened piece of guitar string used as a needle. A vial of black ink was used for coloring. The sheriff says the needle was used on all six children by Bartels.
Marsh said, “We have kids from separate marriages, Okay, so I have four and he has three but they're all ours, you know. Anyway, so they wanted one so we're like Okay, so it's just a little biddy cross right here, Okay?”
...Marsh and Bartels are charged with illegal tattooing, cruelty to children and reckless conduct.
...It's a crime in Georgia anyone under 18 to be tattooed.
When I see tattoos on adults, I think about when they'll suffer from buyer's remorse.
That day will come. Think of Tony Danza and his "Keep on Truckin'" tattoo.
I think Georgia's law against tattooing anyone under 18 is a good one.
I agree with charging Marsh and Bartels. I believe them when they say their children wanted to be tattooed, but that doesn't mean they should have marked them permanently, even if it is with "just a little biddy cross."
Whenever a story like this comes out, it reminds me of how legislators have fought to allow children to get abortions without parental consent.
Depending on the state, it's not OK for a child to get a piercing or a tattoo. Restrictions are in place. But when it comes to a child having a major procedure like an abortion, ending a human life, the government grants permission as if it's the child's legal guardian.
There's something wrong with that.
Video.
7 comments:
Interesting story. I also understand your points on abortion. Whats worse? A small cross tattooed on the hand or the ending of a life. One you can get arrested for and the other you get paid for.
Anyway, child cruelty? I have three tattoo's. I didn't feel cruelty when I got them. I've suffered much worse pain when I got stitches when I was a kid. Distasteful, stupid, and idiotic come to mind when I think of these parents. I waited until my 30's before I got ink. Luckily for these kids, tattoos are not as permanent as they once were. I can think of things parents do that are a lot more cruel yet not against the law.
Freedom from social norm is just as important as freedom of speech and the right to keep and bear arms.
I am shocked and sickened by this couple...
What your post fails to mention, and I'm not sure you saw it, but their house had chains on the fridge and empty bottles of alcohol everywhere.
Not to mention, the machine itself, that the parents are so proud of is filthy.
The tattoos are the highlight of the case, but they're being arrested for being abusive parents because they're abusive.
@Cable
If you were 30 when you got your tattoos, I wouldn't compare yourself to a 10 year old getting a tattoo with a grease covered guitar string.
Look at it this way, if you tripped and had a six-inch gash on your leg, is that more serious on an adult or a three-feet tall child?
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For the record, it doesn't matter the age, it's typically illegal to tattoo at home for safety reasons like hygiene.
Plenty of kids get their ears pierced by age 10, but you can bet most parents wouldn't use a greasy guitar string.
The issue here is the machine, as someone has stated. The kids received "Jail House" tattoos from a machine that probably has never been cleaned or, as proven, the needle (?) changed. They should be brought up on child endangerment for exposing them to the risk of contracting a disease like Hepatitis or worse.
I'm all for raising you children the way you see fit, but this definetly crosses the line. This couple is rightfully being tried for child abuse.
@Rhi
Typical pro-choice attack: saying that the pro-lifer should have been aborted. Yeah, how long did it take you to come up with that one?
This guy has a point. Anyone under 18 can't get a tattoo--even with parental consent--but they can get an abortion WITHOUT parental consent. Seriously, how effed up is that?
Is it worse to give a child a jail house tattoo that could be removed at a later date, or to force a child to go through childbirth and the psychological strain of bringing it up or giving it up?
omg, children do not have the ability to decide or make any long lasting decision that they may regret & thats why they have Parents or they wouildnt need any parents & we could let them run the world, just imagine what it would be like.. I mean its bad enough with the adults running it.! my children tell me what they want everyday, but they have no clue, & an adult this may not feel like it should be called cruelty. But to a child who hasnt experiance life, what is cruelty. You cant even imagine how much pain or pleasure each child got out of this experiance. Why each child did it, or wanted it. Maybe to match & be the same like a family & belong together? I thought maybe the kids are of different ethnic back grounds.? My I think that these parents could use a book or two on parenting. & some classes on being people . Don't they have friends, if that was my friend I would of said "Dont DO it!!"
& wait, what do tattoo's have to do with abortion? What BS!! I dont think I want it justified that its so much better to let the Parents ink the kids because abortions are worse.. aaahhhhh! & kids, dont do drugs. Crack Kills. Why not throw that in. Because its true.
I am in my 40's, I still havent got any Tattoo's. thats my choice. But when I was 17, 15, 12, 11, 11, 10..? wow. Who knows what I would of ended up with. My child loves water horse's & she is 10.
I will Thank God my parents didnt ink me!!
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