My Personal Opinion Regarding Age-Related Laws

I agree with the laws regarding age that could potentially harm other innocent beings such as the drinking age and the driving age. These laws were established not to be unfair but because of the brain development and maturity at the specified age. The drinking age is so “high” because of responsibility issues as well as potential health risks on underdeveloped brains and bodies. The driving age could arguably be higher in order to ensure the complete development of motor skills and decision-making abilities. However, with my personal experience with law and my peers, regardless of age restrictions or laws in general, the laws will always be broken and teens will always find a way to do what they want especially in modern society. Once they finally reach the age restricted by the law, the sense of rebellion declines and they seek fun and interest in other motives.


I also agree that 18 is a sensible age to become a legal individual and therefore entitles that person to their own body specifically referring to tattoos and piercings. Again, people will always find ways to ignore the law whether doing it him or herself or faking parental consent. This is also true with sexual consent because once a teenager becomes a legal adult; they may choose to treat their bodies in any way that might please them. Therefore, I do not agree with the legal age of consent being only 16 in Georgia, even though most individuals have started to begin intercourse at much younger ages.

Age classification laws define a person and their legal transition from child to adult at age 18. The other laws regarding age are typically for the own good and development of the young individuals. There are many specific reasons behind each decision to set a legal age limit that define each persons’ capabilities and maturity. The only definitions laws provide outside of the adult law are definitions of allowance.  It determines nothing about the person besides their choice to participate or abstain in activities such as consuming alcohol or giving sexual consent, which are matters or personality interpretation or individual reputation.

Legal Age of Consent for Tattoos and Piercings

The legal age of consent for tattoos and piercings is 18 (in Georgia.) There are specifics about parental consent that vary across the country, but the minimum age for an individual to obtain these bodily changes independently is 18. This is an example of one of the basic adult privileges that is developed in the Constitution where an adult is defined as 18 years of age. There are immense legal responsibilities placed on a new adult, so making changes to one’s body is made legal at that age as well. Tattoos and piercings are forms of expression and are especially popular in modern culture. Strong, beautiful idols like Kat Von D have become common across pop culture and are respected among the younger generations.

http://media.photobucket.com/image/kat+von+d/Fav54ver/FP9475Kat-Von-D-Posters.jpg

Older generations hardly accept the idea of marking one’s body permanently or piercing one’s body whether for religious or moral reasons, but it seems as if their opinion fails to matter anymore to the current generation. Everyone is their own person and can consider other’s opinions but in the end make the final decision as to how they treat their body. This law affects me because I was able to legally acquire both a piercing and a tattoo without parental permission. The feeling of signing a paper allowing one to do something most likely not approved of by their parents is empowering and allows for a strong desire and feeling of independence. There are many issues regarding this law and states have been increasing the restrictions. For example, in Arkansas the parent must now be present for the body modification. A concern with this overkilling law is that minors will instead do the markings themselves in less sanitary and more dangerous manner.


The law defines a person by letting individuals define themselves. Each tattoo or piercing makes each person different and unique and allows for differences among the broad definition of a person that tends to include and generalize among all citizens. In Citizens United v. FEC, there was dispute among what defines a company as well as how to include just one definition of person (corporation) when each component was so different on so many levels. Once the court reached a decision of whether a corporation was an individual, they would immediately have to work on a definition that would include and define all people. Just as people are so different in appearance, corporations vary in several ways. Overall, the law regarding a minimum age of 18 to sign for tattoos and piercings seems to accommodate all eligible individuals by including a clause that requires parental consent, making it seemingly fair all around.

This is the piercing that I decided to get the day after my 18^th birthday.

Georgia Laws