Opinions

People who get tattoos should not complain about discrimination

Good luck finding a pair of butt cheeks that don’t have ink on them these days. Tattoos have taken over like never before, and people are using their bodies as canvases to express themselves.

Tribal tattoos, portraits of loved ones, religious symbols and baby mamma names – the possibilities of what you can have drawn onto your body are endless.
Sure, it hurts a little and can be costly at times, but the cool points you’ll get from all your friends, or the people at the beach when you’re showing some skin, are absolutely priceless.

Since this is America, however, there’s an ugly side to getting tattoos. Discrimination and judgment are just a few things people with ink say they are tired of facing.

Not being able to show tattoos in places of employment, or being discriminated against when it comes to employment opportunities for having tattoos, isn’t fun.

Being treated differently in public by others who associate tattoos with danger or crime is another struggle tattooed people face.

Although it is unfortunate that anyone would be judged and discriminated against for their appearance, I don’t think tattooed people can exactly play the discrimination card.
Just because you could get a tattoo didn’t mean you had to, as opposed to someone who’s black, gay, a woman or whatever, who didn’t choose to be different and discriminated against.

A person doesn’t wake up one day and say, “I want to be gay because I want to be treated like a second class citizen, who doesn’t have the right to get married, can be fired from my job in several states for being gay, will be disowned by my family and church and is treated like crap by the rest of humanity.”
Tattooed people, however, willingly got a tattoo knowing that there are situations and people that will treat you differently because of your ink. You can’t be surprised it’s happening.

Everyone should be treated with respect, no matter what, but when you sign up to get a tattoo you should think things through.

A tattoo is like a marriage. It is with you the rest of your life, and you have to accept it for the good and the bad that comes along with it.

It is beyond a cool way to express yourself, but being artistic and being stupid aren’t the same thing.

When you’re thinking about getting a tattoo, you should be wise about it. Perhaps get it places where you can show it off and cover up if you need to.

Have the tattoo be meaningful to you, or represent something important, and not just a picture you picked off the wall at the tattoo shop in five minutes.

Be smart about the decision you’re making, and think about what might change after you have made it.

If you have a “forget what everyone is saying, I’ll get a tattoo on my forehead” kind of attitude, that’s fine. More power to you.

You just shouldn’t complain when that job turns you down because your tattoo is against its company policy, because you made the choice to get that tattoo.
In an ideal world, no one would be judged for anything that isn’t hurting anyone.

We don’t, however, live in an ideal world. We live in America.

When you sign up for a tattoo, you are signing up for all the crap that society might give you for it, like discrimination and judgment.

You have to be just as OK with that as you are with your tattoo.

Jack Chavdarian is a journalism major and the assistant social media editor for the Daily 49er.

9 Comments

  1. Avatar

    tattoos are absolutely the worst fashion trend in CENTURIES! i know how popular they are, but it is a decision that can’t be changed! It’s great to have a beautiful painting to gaze upon, but you DONT have to look at it every time u look in the mirror! If u are truly beautiful DONT do it, because it only demeans and hides that beauty. I have to wonder the mindset of a beautiful women who inks herself up! I feel so strongly about this that it could get me in hot water! But i don’t want to shut up! If there were an anti tattooed club, I would join in a heartbeat! My son got some when he was younger that are so poorly done that they had to be fixed! He fixed it with a “well drawn i admit”picture of JASON of horror fame! YIKES!! In conclusion although i could write a paper on it, just think strongly about it! Imagine yourself with a picture on your body for the rest of yourlfe! PEOPLE stop this madness! we are going to end up with a whole generation of circus freaks!

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    I left a message on a hair style site that had tattooed men in ads, but it makes me so mad i can go on and on! my husband thinks I should live and let live, and of course i do most of the time! But my son got so many awful inexpertly done tattoos i could scream! He even got an anti schwastika one that had a line drawn through a schwastika. But no one notices the line through it! HE looks like a white supremisis! He recently got it covered with JASON tattoo! oh great! it’s a good tattoo but it still screams, don’t look at me just see my cool tattoos! at any rate when i was a teenager only bikers and sailors got tatooes! It’s great, because of their culture, for them, but not for an otherwise classy person. you will probably say Oh she’s just a mouthy old woman. Hey plenty of crazy old ladies get them! Why would a beautiful girl with a tattoo on her back or chest, even want to go to a prom and wear a prom dress that are’s her back or chest, if she’s benn DRAWN on? It takes TOTALLY away from her looks! it somehow looks like a mistake,and it is!

  3. Avatar

    Very well said! This is exactly how I feel, just wasn’t sure how to put it into words, but you did so perfectly!!! Thanks very much!!

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    hey i have ink and im a chef yes mine are covered some what but i get a lot of people asking me about them i dont care who u are just dont judge them or me for my ink .I have employs that are hired them i dont care what they do. your if there ink is showing as long as they do there jub idk get over the ink ok

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    I agree that people shouldn’t complain. I think it’s absolutely ridiculous, actually. Businesses want to project an image. THAT IS BUSINESS. YOUR INK IS A CHOICE. Seriously, it is a choice. Get over it or get a removal. I have tattoos and even I know this! I don’t even understand how this is a question. You wouldn’t wear a a jean jacket and baggy pants to work at a fine dine restaurant, would you? Is that discrimination?? Tattoos are the same effing thing! There is a PROTOCOL. FOLLOW IT OR GTFO.

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    Anonymous

    Good on you Tiffany. Congratulations on your self proclaimed lack of ignorance and your expensive clothing. Just saying, your claims would be far more convincing (and pleasant to read) if you had basic understanding of the English language above 3rd grade level. You do not appear “more well educated than most,” you appear like a shallow twit.

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    stop judging faggot

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    It’s 2014 these days last time I checked a calendar. I am completely covered,four face tattoos,my neck fully done,chest tattoos,sleeves,stomach covered,back piece and my mom’s portrait, virgin marry and another piece on my leg. I am at least 70-80%covered in ink.and guess what a female. I am proud to be covered in ink. I will never consider myself “low class” like most ignorant people would consider me. Guess what I wear nice clothing, my Gucci belts are more than your car payment and my jeans cost more than your car insurance.. what do I do for a living.. I fix websites, I fix .htaccess files, I fix broken websites, I know how servers and dedicated and shared servers run.. guess what I am completely covered work for an amazing company bust my ass and make more than most people..if my wife (oh yeah I am gay so that’s even better for all the ignorant people out there that are judgemental.. but guess what next time you see a tattooed person don’t judge..I am more well educated than most, I am in the internet / website industry that people get degrees in, I fix websites and yeah I can afford a very nice vehicle,nice clothes and Gucci .. next time you see a tattooed person don’t judge because they may be better off than you and probably the most caring person out there because they are judged so much , that’s why we don’t care if your tattooed! Next time you judge me and you call a company to fix your website you might be thanking a completely covered tattooed person in ink.. I’d rather go to bed covered in tattoos and be grateful for everything I have than go to bed being a miserable ignorant judgemental person. At least I’m not ignorant at the end of the day 🙂 open your eyes and stop judging !

    • Avatar

      The Gucci belt and nice jeans are great, but what about the stuff that matters? Nice home, 401K, and vacations with loved ones. I’m concerned that you’re measuring your self worth with a bunch of forgettable accessories from Neiman Marcus. And you’re looking for attention in ill-advised ways, like tattoos on your face. But it’s nice you found an employer who’d hire you. They also don’t seem to discriminate against illiteracy, because sweetie your punctuation and grammar is terrible. As you get old and your tatts start to green, please find a support group or something because you’re going to desperately need it.

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