National Adult Literacy Database

April 3, 2000

This week, we are launching 2 stories from Reading Routes in Napanee, Ontario. As a special event you can read their stories as well as hear them.

This story was written by Jennifer Johnston, from Napanee, Ontario. Jennifer has been attending Reading Routes in Napanee for just over a year. This story was written in response to a group discussion they had after reading an article on body piercing. Everyone in the group had his or her own opinion, and this is Jennifer's.

Play an audio version of this story

My Point Of View About Body Piercing

by Jennifer Johnston

On January 28th 2000 there was an article about body piercing in our local newspaper, The "Whig Standard". On February 5th there was an editorial done from a Marge who felt that Ben was ruining his body due to body piercings. Marge also complained about having to look at a picture of a man in her morning paper with body piercing. So our school in Napanee, Ontario, thought we should write about our point of view, which we all had, and our opinion and version of the story. Here are my thoughts.

Myself I wouldn't do the body piercing because I feel that it's a stage that I would out grow as I got older. I have several tatoos I got when I was younger that I wish I didn't have. I'd like to have them removed but it is very expensive , I don't have the money to have laser treatment and now I'm stuck with them . Most facial piercing would leave a scar even after they grow over. I feel that body piercing is much too permanent .

As a mother of two teenage children I feel against it for my own children. When they get older,16, if they still want to have body piercing done they can. At that point they won't need my permission to have body piercing done. For now I daily refuse to allow the piercing's . Personally I think the age limit should be higher then 16. I would like to see the age limit raised to 18. For others, everyone has their own point of view and ideals. We live in a country were we have freedom of choice. That freedom of choice is also a responsibility. You have to expect to be judged by your appearance. WE have all heard the expression "First impression is the most important" another thought is does Ben want to be doing this for the rest of his life? The markings from the piercing's will last a life time whether his desire to continue in this line of work does or does not!

As for not being painful, how can anyone out there say it's not! My daughter had her ears done by a body piercing shop that had huge hoop earrings. I had made her take them out at about 10 days as they were infected also the hole was big enough to put three regular earrings in the same hole. It was very painful to have her ears done.

For myself I wouldn't pray for Ben as I don't feel God would judge him over body piercing as it is Ben choice on how he wants to present himself to others.

I do not agree with Marge about having to look at Ben's pierced face on the front page of the newspaper. She talks about how it made her feel sick to look at him, well it could not have been that bad as she read the whole article. As it is there has been more devastating news on the front page (like the slaying of the 5 year old girl who was killed by her father and step mother a few months ago) now you tell me who wants to see that plastered on the front page first thing in the morning? Ben's article wasn't all that big of a deal!!