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Thousands Of People Want To Ban Baby Ear Piercing, Calling It "Child Cruelty"

Almost 30,000 people in the U.K. have signed a petition asking lawmakers to formally ban the practice.

A petition to ban ear piercing for children is blowing up in the United Kingdom, with almost 30,000 people signing it in a week.

The campaign was started by a woman named Susan Ingram on the website 38 Degrees. Ingram says she believes ear piercing is a form of "child cruelty," and asks the U.K. minister for children and families, Edward Timpson, to take up the cause.

Pretty soon, the campaign caught the attention of lawmakers. Mark Tami, a member of the U.K.'s Parliament, told The Guardian he planned to bring up the issue at the House of Commons.

Some people who supported the petition wrote that they wanted to let their child make their own choices about their body.

And some went even further, comparing it to child abuse.

But to some people online, ear piercing for babies is not a big deal.

Why people bangin on about tryin to ban baby ear piercing. They barely feel it and if so its for seconds. More to worry bout in world. #grrr

Of course, the internet has argued about this issue before. People totally freaked out when Kim Kardashian pierced her daughter North West's ears last year, and when Gisele Bündchen did so the year before to her child.

Metro UK pointed out that this latest wave of outrage may be linked to a British TV show called Blinging Up Baby. In the show, a mother pierced the ears of her 4-month-old daughter...

Did you watch #Blingingupbaby last night? Should we put an age limit on ear piercing? http://t.co/1eyGPBFIG4

And people were really pissed.

Piercing a baby's ears should be outlawed. It's their body. Wait til they are old enough to decide for themselves. #blingingupbaby

Piercing your 4month old babies ears is not okay, cool or fashionable! The poor child's distress brought tears to my eyes #blingingupbaby

But is piercing a baby's ears really that dangerous?