9-year-old girl asks for Trump portrait tattoo but gets American flag instead | Trending
A tattoo art in Arizona inked a 9-year-old girl with an American flag after she requested a tattoo of US President Donald Trump. The art, known as Sosa, claimed he was trying to help the child and her family avoid a more extreme decision, reported the New York Post. The girl had requested a tattoo of President-elect Donald Trump on her neck. (Instagram/Black Onyx Empire Tattoo) Sosa, co-owner of Black Onyx Empire Tattoo in Yuma, shared the story on Instagram, explaining that the girl visited his shop in May with her ser and parents. She had requested a tattoo of President-elect Donald Trump on her neck. Under Arizona law, minors can get tattoos if their parents consent. Hoping to dissuade the family from going through with the tattoo, Sosa quoted a $500 price for what he said would typically cost $80. However, the family didn’t back down. Eventually, he convinced them to opt for an American flag on her arm instead of a Trump tattoo on her neck. The girl returned in January to have the red in her tattoo retouched, and Sosa completed the work. Sharing the story online, he wrote, “Anyways what do you guys think?” The video sparked backlash The post quickly garnered criticism. One user took to the comments section of a YouTube video about the incident and and wrote, “Please no. As an art, be the bigger person and don’t do this to a 9-year-old. Then call child services.” Another added, “I’m heavily tattooed, and I believe anyone involved in this should be prosecuted and put in jail.” Others expressed their disapproval directly at Sosa, saying he should have refused the job. “You shoulda talked yourself out of even entertaining the thought. You can’t control the parents, but you can control your own actions and should have refused service,” one critic wrote. Amid the backlash, Sosa defended his decision, saying he acted out of concern for the girl’s safety. He told The New York Post, “She was going to get it done regardless. She said it didn’t matter if I did it or someone else did it, she was going to get it done.” He further explained his reasoning, saying, “And I thought, ‘You know what, in a sterile, clean environment…’ He feared that another art might agree to tattoo Trump’s portrait on her neck. Sosa also revealed the family’s backstory, which he said influenced his decision. The family had come to the U.S. as refugees from Turkey and were deeply grateful for the opportunities they found in America. The girl’s request for a Trump tattoo was meant to reflect their appreciation. “It was like a cultural thing,” Sosa said, adding that her older ser had also gotten a tattoo at the age of 9. Reflecting on the incident, he admitted, “Would I do it again? Probably not. However, I was moved the story they had.” Sosa also expressed his personal stance on the issue, saying he doesn’t believe children should get tattoos and thinks the law should be stricter. “Do I think it’s right? No,” he said. “I’m not tattooing kids every day. That was the first; it’s going to be the last. I have three kids — one’s 12, one’s 7, and one’s 4. None of them have tattoos.” He continued, “I think laws should be made. I think a ‘Sosa Law’ should be made, because I posted it. There should be an age limit.” However, others in the tattoo industry criticised his decision, suggesting it damages the profession’s reputation. Ben Shaw of the Alliance of Professional Tattoos told AZFamily, “It can give us professionals a bad reputation. If you see a 10-year-old child with a professional tattoo and they say they got it at a tattoo shop, that degrades us as a whole.” Shaw also noted the lack of regulations in Arizona as a problem, saying, “It is one of the most frustrating things about our career field and in Arizona where it has no regulations.” Reportedly, Sosa maintains he had the child’s best interest in mind but acknowledges the decision has brought him significant backlash, including threats and hateful comments online.
