A tattoo shop in Yuma, Arizona, has come under fire after inking a minor, as online debates flare over the decision to tattoo a nine-year-old girl with an American flag, despite Arizona law allowing tattooing of minors with parental consent; Black Onyx Empire Tattoo's highly controversial action has sparked conversations concerning the ethical considerations of tattooing children and the permanence of such decisions.
In this peculiar case, the girl initially requested a portrait of Donald Trump to be tattooed on her neck last year, but the tattoo artist, who goes by Sosa, redirected her to an American flag design, telling her to reconsider the Trump portrait after a year according to a Fox 10 Phoenix report, she returned this year to get the American flag tattooed on her arm and get the original tattoo touched-up. "There should be laws and regulations of limiting the ages in order to do these procedures. I think there is a law that should be created. Like everybody's opinion, a lot of people think it's wrong. I agree," Sosa told Fox 10 Phoenix.
Despite his apprehensions, Sosa attempted to deter the family by quoting a high price for the service, expecting them to not accept; however, the family agreed to the terms, and he proceeded with the tattoo, the girl and her family, reportedly refugees from Turkey, had traveled from another state specifically for this purpose, he claims.
Meanwhile, comments on the shop's social media posts have since been disabled, but before the shutdown, public opinions varied, with some arguing the young girl's lack of maturity should have been a factor in the decision-making, "A 9 year old child does not have the life experience and decision making skills to choose a lifelong stamp," one user remarked on the platform as captured by 12 News, while another simply dismissed the criticism with a reference to the shop's own reaction, "Hating on a 9 year old getting a tattoo?😂 haters gon hate" as was posted by Black Onyx Empire Tattoo.
