March 26 , 2004


Latest Georgia Headlines


Georgia House bans genital piercings for women

The Associated Press - ATLANTA

Genital piercings for women were banned by the Georgia House Wednesday as lawmakers considered a bill outlining punishments for female genital mutilation.

The bill would make such mutilation punishable by two to 20 years in prison. It makes no exception for people who give consent to have the procedure performed on their daughters out of religious or cultural custom.

An amendment adopted without objection added "piercing" to the list of things that may not be done to female genitals. Even adult women would not be allowed to get the procedure. The bill eventually passed 160-0, with no debate.

Amendment sponsor Rep. Bill Heath, R-Bremen, was slack-jawed when told after the vote that some adults seek the piercings.

"What? I've never seen such a thing," Heath said. "I, uh, I wouldn't approve of anyone doing it. I don't think that's an appropriate thing to be doing."

The ban applies only to women, not men. The bill has already been approved by the Senate but now must return to that chamber because of the piercing amendment. Both chambers of the Legislature must agree on a single version of a bill before it can go to the governor for final approval.



Article Here (http://www.accessnorthga.com/news/ap_newfullstory.asp?ID=34411)

Genital Mutilation of children should be banned, that's a no brainer - but adult female piercings? Should the woman sit in a jail cell as punishment? It's HER body, correct?? :eek:
WHAT NEXT? Tattoos? And WHY just for WOMEN and not MEN?
:confused: It seems to me that the government should spend more time in "government" and less time in our pants and bedrooms.

Thanks to "PMarieC" giving me this link!

I say have the bill protect the children, but after they turn 18, let them do as they wish. I would also add men to the list. The only reason it isn't for men as well is because of circumcisions, which should be outlawed as well. You lose 30% of your feeling down there, I would be pissed off if my parents did that to me!

Originally posted by WindWip
I say have the bill protect the children, but after they turn 18, let them do as they wish. I would also add men to the list. The only reason it isn't for men as well is because of circumcisions, which should be outlawed as well. You lose 30% of your feeling down there, I would be pissed off if my parents did that to me!

Circumcision causes 30% loss of feeling "down there"? That's an absurdly erroneous fact.

But anyways, yeah, that's a ridiculous law. If I were convicted of such a thing, I would immediately challenge for invasion of privacy.

that's ludicrous. I'd really like it if politicians did something useful for once instead of trying to impose ridiculous restricyions on everyone.

What ever happened to conservatives that stayed out of people's business?

God, everyone's choice to do what they want with their own body...

PERIOD

hurry we all must rush to get peirced to protest this absurd dictatorship.

Who could be sentenced for the crime, the woman getting the peircing or the person performing the peircing? And what if the woman does the peircing herself, how does law enforcement ever find out about it?

it's such a waste. I sit in an undefunded classroom everyday while politiciabs go around making laws about what we can do with our bodies. we have just a couplke bigger problems to deal with at the moment.

The idea of legislating on what people do with their body is absurd, and absolutely unacceptable! Another exampled: the banning of anal sex in some US states. It seems like the moral compass of politicians dictate a broad aspect of politics in the US...

Originally posted by Al-Fredo
The idea of legislating on what people do with their body is absurd, and absolutely unacceptable! Another exampled: the banning of anal sex in some US states. It seems like the moral compass of politicians dictate a broad aspect of politics in the US...
Hence the ruling on Lawrence & Garner v. Texas. At least the judicial branch has more brains (and balls) then 99% of Congress.

First of all we have to remember that this is Georgia we are talking about. They are right up there with Kansas for states that still think they are in the 1800's.

Just a thought though...aren't the cops going to have a field day with this? With the way search laws are going the cops will just have to suspect a woman of having such a peircing and the woman will have to show them whether she does or not. Seems to be this could become a very abused situation here.

This is a horrid law. I cannot believe that someone actually wasted taxpayers time and money to come up with this garbage. If someone wants to do something like pierce their body, let them. Damn, who cares about this really?

Originally posted by muad_dib
First of all we have to remember that this is Georgia we are talking about. They are right up there with Kansas for states that still think they are in the 1800's.

Just a thought though...aren't the cops going to have a field day with this? With the way search laws are going the cops will just have to suspect a woman of having such a peircing and the woman will have to show them whether she does or not. Seems to be this could become a very abused situation here.

Well, the cops would need probable cause to believe she had a piercing to conduct such a search, otherwise I'm sure such a search would be an "unreasonable search and siezure" as prohibited by the 4th Amendment.

Not to mention, there could be real liability (and perhaps criminal!) issues with cops digging around female's genitals without very good reason to do so!

Originally posted by Leper
Well, the cops would need probable cause to believe she had a piercing to conduct such a search, otherwise I'm sure such a search would be an "unreasonable search and siezure" as prohibited by the 4th Amendment.

Not to mention, there could be real liability (and perhaps criminal!) issues with cops digging around female's genitals without very good reason to do so!

The way this country is going they wouldn't need probable cause. The Bill of Rights has been disintegrating ever since the Patriot Act was passed. Did you know that police can now search in Louisiana without a warrant? They simply have to feel "threatened." Kind of vague if you ask me. I was simply saying that if something similar happens in Georgia to what has happened in Louisiana then the police will have a much easier time finding their way into these "suspects" pants.

frankly, with the whole patriot act thing, I don't feel safe anymore. the government could be watching me constantly, and know everything about my life, and my family, and I wouldn't even know it. if we don't watch out people are going to start disappearing in the middle of the night like in 1984.

While I'm no fan of the Patriot Act, you're kidding yourself if you think the government didn't have secret files on all sorts of people back in the day. This, however distasteful, is nothing new.

Originally posted by Leper
Circumcision causes 30% loss of feeling "down there"? That's an absurdly erroneous fact.

Read this: Circumcision Causes a Major Loss of Sexual Sensitivity (http://www.circ-info.org/sensitivity.htm)
and this:Reasons for Medically Unnecessary Circumcision (http://www.informedconsent.org/circumcision.html)
To bring about a decrease in sexual intercourse and a weakening of the organ in question, so that this activity be diminished and the organ be in as quiet a state as possible . . . for there is not doubt that circumcision weakens the power of sexual excitement, and sometimes lessens the natural enjoyment . . . we know how useful the foreskin is for that member
and this: Circumcision results in sexual losses (http://www.icgi.org/Downloads/loss.htm)
Circumcision removes approximately 80% of the fine-touch nerve receptors in the penis

Thats not right for parents to do that to their kids. If the kid wants to do it when he's 18 thats his call, but it shouldn't be the parent's choice.

Originally posted by LionelHutz
While I'm no fan of the Patriot Act, you're kidding yourself if you think the government didn't have secret files on all sorts of people back in the day. This, however distasteful, is nothing new.

beleive me, I know, but people I nkow who had FBI files on them knew it, and had some idea of what the FBI knew about them. now nobody has a clue, and we don't know how this stuff is being used, because of all the gag orders. so people could be freaking over nothing, or the goverment could in fact be watching tons of people.

I have no doubt that the government was keeping illegal tabs on people prePatriot Act. The problem is now it is LEGAL. Not only that but it seems that it now not only applies to intelligence agencies but local law enforcement as well. While I can understand the need for surveillance and searching certain people, the powers given by the Patriot Act and other laws that have been passed since seem to me to be easily abuseable. And not by people you will never meet but by your local policeman.

I think this ban is a little overkill for adults. Adults should be allowed to pierce any part of their body that they choose. Even if they are that stupid, it still should be their choice.

I'm so glad there are so many people that agree on the nonsense of this law...

I just get frightened thinking that as this country evolves, the government is becoming more controlling, more domineering and now it's to the point that our very individualism is at stake. "WHO" makes the rules?! :confused:

I just have one thing to say on this discussion...

OWIE!!!!!
:eek:

My God please outlaw it for men also, For some reason I just don't see people lining up for such a thing. But should not be outlawed only heavly controlled and only a Dr. should be permitted to do it to you !! Make it cost like $5,000 to have it done and the whole problem will disappear.

What a stupid waste of Georgia state taxpayers money. The first time they try to enforce that law - it will be struck down by the state supreme court as unconsitutional and if they fail to do that then it will be struck down by the federal court of appeals.

They should pass a law that elected officials who waste tax payer money should spend 25 years doing hard labor.

First I agree that this law is absurd, second if we want to regulate this type of piercing then we should set an age lower than 18. Maybe 16 with parental consent.

Drew I agree but what we should do is make them reimburse the state instead of doing hard time.
I also feel that Lawyers and Plaintiffs should be made to reimburse for frivilous law suits, ie. Inmate suing because they feel that they should be given Nikes instead of Kmart running shoes. (actual Florida case)

Less government is needed......
Get them out of my life or my entertainment.

:D

What's next....going back to the good old chastity belt?

What suprises me the most is that it(the bill) was not voted against by anyone. Its hard to believe that 160 people agreed on one subject.
This means that no lobby group paid anyone off to challenge the bill.
Where were the womens rights groups? Where was the ACLU?
See how things change when no one smells a dollar.

Womens rights groups would be involved if it was abortion and the ACLU would jump in if the cross was mentioned.

Correct me if I'm woring but isn't Georgia the state that still has segregated proms to keep the white girls away from the black guys? ROTF

Based on that, I don't see how this piercing thing should be a shock to anyone. It's just another personal freedom and civil right taken away by the good ol' boys.

It's also the reason I don't live in Georgia or anywhere in the south. Someone needs to tell them it's the year 2004.

My apologies to the fine folks of the south but I gotta call it the way I see it.

Dop

listen, people have gotten away from the idea of " we the people ". where i live, whenever they want to do something big, they first have a forum of the people in that community. then when the people disagree with the proposition, the board says thank you for your input, it was needed to make our decision........then they go and do it ANYWAY ! this is not confined to buffalo ny. when we meet a polititian, we act as if they are a star, more important the your average guy........WRONG ! WE put them in office ! they owe their jobs to us, hell, kalf of them are doing a bad job at that ! why do we act as if we owe them something...! ? because thats what we are trained to do !.....we the people, they the crooks....lmao