Enedina Vance from Fostoria, Ohio posted an image of her baby daughter with an apparent dimple piercing on Facebook, but the image was not all it seemed on first glance. Photo / Facebook
Enedina Vance from Fostoria, Ohio posted an image of her baby daughter with an apparent dimple piercing on Facebook, but the image was not all it seemed on first glance. Photo / Facebook
A mother has faced abuse, death threats and promises to report her to child services after posting an image of her baby's cheek with a piercing on Facebook.
Enedina Vance from Fostoria, Ohio posted the image, which has now been shared more than 12,000 times, saying: "I'm the parent, sheis my child, I will do whatever I want! I make all of her decisions until she's 18, I made her, I own her!"
As the post spread like wildfire, people were threatening to "beat her to death, call child protective services and take away her children."
However, the image was not all it seemed as the mother-of-six had in fact doctored the picture in order to make a point about the circumcision of baby boys, the Daily Mail reported.
"Its ironic that people were ready to beat me to death over my excuses for piercing my baby, but then they used the same exact excuse to justify cutting their baby," she explained.
Enedina is what's known as an 'intactivisit', meaning she is part of a group of people against circumcision and any form of genital cutting of children.
She posted the dimple piercing picture to highlight her belief that parents shouldn't have the right to modify their child's body in any way before they're old enough to consent.
Enedina argued that it was her right to do whatever she wanted to her child's body - as a way to highlight her opposition to circumcision and any form of genital cutting. Photo / Facebook
"How is it so triggering, so enraging to see my baby with a pierced dimple, but actually knowing a baby is being strapped down and forcibly having his most sensitive portion of his penis amputated, seems perfectly OK?
"How can society threaten death over one, but encourage and support the other? Piercing is bad, but cutting is accepted as the norm?
"Hypocrisy, that's what that is. Sexism. Superstition. Fear. People would rather continue to inflict an unnecessary and irreversible ritual onto their defenseless infant, than to have to admit that they don't know.
"They don't know why it's done, if it has to be done, what the functions of that body part are, or what happens if they were to just leave it alone.
"So the cycle continues, all because parents are too afraid or to proud to admit that they just don't know.
"Education is key and the truth is, genital cutting is completely unnecessary. 'It's NOT cleaner, not healthier, and definitely does not look better.
"But most importantly, it is NOT your body to alter or modify for aesthetic purposes."
Despite the negative reactions, Enedina received an outpouring of support from people who had taken the time to read her post and understood her message.
And they added their own sarcastic posts to back her up, with Lisa Weinstein writing: "I bet she "slept right through it", right? Just like with my daughter.
"I had both of her dimples pierced. Unpierced dimples are so ugly and they collect all kinds of bacteria."
The mother-of-six explained she'd also been accused of 'parent shaming' for appearing to criticise people who do pierce their children, or allow other forms of body modification. Photo / Facebook
Vee Savage made a similar point, joking that it's much better to have a piercing as a baby because you won't remember the pain.
And Melissa Marie added that all body modifications should take place right after birth because babies won't even feel the pain, let alone recall it.
A delighted Enedina fired right back, saying she knows someone who 'hates' her parents because they didn't take her for any piercings as a baby.
The mother-of-six received an outpouring of support from people who supported her position and added their own sarcastic comments about babies not being able to feel pain. Photo / Facebook
