Skin Police
by Greg Hill
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posted May 2 2012 1:45PM
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Consider that, as a parent, we make choices every day that can affect our children later in their lives. Now, consider the case of this lovely woman… New Jersey mother Patricia Krentcil has been charged with felony child endangerment because police allege she put her six year old daughter in a tanning booth. New Jersey law prohibits anyone under the age of 14 from getting in a tanning booth and the Skin Police in Patricia’s hometown of Nutley, NJ ordered the code red as soon as the school nurse asked little 6 year old Anna how she got her sunburn.
Yes, we are all aware that too much sun is not optimal when it comes to caring for your skin. We know about the dangers of skin cancer. But is Patricia truly endangering her daughter’s life when she lets her get sun? If so, I know an awful lot of parents who better prepare for arrest at Cape Cod beaches in a couple months. I fully expect to see Homeland Security on the walkway to the Ocean Park beach this summer, checking beach bags to make sure moms have a crisis supply of SPF 80.
And if “Magda” can be charged with a felony for this, how long until you are dragged from your home by the authorities because you let your son ride his bike down the street without his helmet. Or allowed him to eat an extra slice of pizza when you were at Bertucci’s Friday night. Kids, unfortunately, lose their lives playing sports every year. Will we soon be turning soccer moms into convicted felons for allowing their kids to take part in risky activity?
Parents have an obligation, and a right, to bring their kids up as they see fit. The government does not have the right to force us to raise them as they see fit. Little Anna isn’t going to die because she got a sunburn. And its quite possible her fake-bake addicted mom is the only deterrent she needs when it comes to staying out of the tanning salon.
For the record, Patricia says Anna goes to the tanning salon with her, but doesn’t get in the booth, and this is just a big misunderstanding. So is why she thinks having the facial texture of a 48 year old African pachyderm is even mildly attractive.
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