Child's tattoo: disfigurement or poor parenting?

hosted ^ | Oct 1 | TRACIE CONE

[JoeProBono]

FRESNO, Calif. (AP) -- Enrique Gonzalez wanted his 7-year-old son to have a gang tattoo, like the many that adorn his own body. About that there is no dispute.

The question that a judge says she will decide Friday is whether placing a tattoo on a minor is a permanent and painful disfigurement worthy of the potential life sentence that comes with a mayhem conviction, or is it something less?

[JoeProBono]

An unidentified 7-year-old boy shows a tattoo on his abdomen in this undated photo provided by the Fresno Police department. Enrique Gonzalez, the boys father, and fellow gang member Travis Gorman allegedly held the boy down while Gorman applied the tattoo. On Friday, Oct 2, 2009, a judge will decide if placing a tattoo on a minor is a permanent and painful disfigurement worthy of the potential life sentence that comes with a mayhem conviction, or is it something less? (AP Photo/Fresno Police department)

[GeronL]

stoopid headline... its both

[Dr.Zoidberg]

Both the gangster and tattoo “artist” need to face long prison sentences for this assault.

And ANY parent who would do this to their child should lose the child and the ability to reproduce, permanently.

[livius]

I don’t think it’s time for a life sentence, but it’s definitely time to get that family into some kind of ex-gang-member support program.

I worked in a classroom years ago (in a program for emotionally disturbed children) that had a child whose biker dad had tattooed him with a swastika and a number of other bad biker symbols.

The father was already in jail at that time, the mother had disappeared years ago, and the child shuttled between various trashy relatives and state foster care. The boy was 10 at the time but was clearly on the way to jail himself; he couldn’t see a defenseless child without wanting to attack him, and he was full of anger at everyone and everything.

If the father is even involved with this family and not in jail, that’s a positive and we need to build on what we have. Make the sentence contingent on doing certain things; make violation of the conditions grounds for immediate revocation of the terms. Then maybe daddy will think twice.

[DesertConservative]

Good to see those family values at play. Who are we to discriminate against this diversity?

[SteelTrap]

Agreed.

It is also a ticket for a free b-slap upside the kid’s Daddy’s noggin.

[Hacklehead]

Enrique is a great dad and even takes his son with him on drive by’s.

[Reverend Wright]

Des Con wrote: “...Who are we to discriminate against this diversity?”

LOL!

[ßuddaßudd]

¿ BullDogs ?

[scoobysnak71]

>”stoopid headline... its both”

Agreed.

[Mjaye]

A gang tattoo can get a kid killed, it’s insanity. Gangster parents are a sick lot of people. Their family photos display the little kids, dressed down, holding an AK or handgun, doorag in place, throwing gang signs. I recall a gang mother who was in a rival gang from that of her teenage son. Her gang had a green light on his gang, an unbelievable situation. Family entrenched gangsters are bad news, to be sure. This guy needs to go away for a long time. The kid has virtually no hope of growing up in one piece.

[Morgana]

“Enrique Gonzalez wanted his 7-year-old son to have a gang tattoo, like the many that adorn his own body. “

Like father like son? I guess.......eeerrr......oh skip it.