Appalling, What Is Legal Letter Of The Week From March 28

I decided recently to check out some prices on ear piercing. At the first place I went to, they stated their price and asked my age.

“I’m 15,” I said, not knowing it mattered. The clerk regretfully informed me they couldn’t pierce my ears because, as a minor, I would need a parent there to sign a waiver. Three other places I asked said the same thing.

I went home offended because of this outrageous example of age discrimination. After all, a tiny hole in your ear has never proven to be life-threatening.

I complained to my mom about this ridiculous, offensive law. She rolled her eyes and asked, “They wouldn’t let you pierce your ears? If you were 16, you could go to Planned Parenthood and get an abortion without my consent or knowledge, but you cannot get your ears pierced?”

She informed me that the government considers ear piercing a surgical procedure, but it should consider an abortion a much more drastic surgical procedure. Also, if a girl gets injured during the process, her parents have to pay for any additional medical treatment, whether or not they knew of her pregnancy in the first place.

I can legally murder another human that lives inside of me and depends on me, without my family knowing. But I cannot put a very nonpermanent, tiny hole in my ear without my parent’s consent.

Washington state should reconsider the legal age of nonconsensual abortion or should change the ear piercing age. Kelly Brown Spokane

xxxx