Jedis and Tattoos? Your thoughts and comments

This topic is not something to cause controversy or arguments. I am tossing this out as a discussion topic.

Jedis wearing tattoos.

For me, it's no big thing. To me, tattoos are a journey through life, an expression of who a person is. If a Jedi wished to mark his or her journey on his Path, I would suggest they think on the permanence of the idea.

What would you think?

To each her own. Tattoos can be classy, trashy, and everything in between. It all depends on each persons point of view...and this day and age, it seems, tattoos are no longer taboo.

Though, have you heard of those people who get paid to get a tattoo to promote a good or service? :blink:

Haven't heard about that one.

I agree, to each his own. At the moment, I'm designing a memorial tattoo to honor my mother who passed on last month.

Also, classy or trashy could also be due to the artist. There are some absolutely fantastic artists out there, and then there are those people who think that, just because they have a machine, some ink, and a design, they're the best thing in the world. *sigh*

I think the same as Wendaline. They are no longer taboo.

Personally I have no tattoos, but I probably make me one in the future. I think they should be something with some kind of sense, that have some personal signification. Eg. I practice martial arts so making something related to it, or as I'm musician maybe something with a music theme, i don't know.

Tattoos a personal, I have one, I want more...but I heavily think about it. I thought for two years as I designed my one tattoo. I still haven't gotten my next tattoo yet because I am still thinking it. I like symbols that mean a lot to me, but as the pagan I talked to said, they should be in the mind and not on the body.

When and if I become a Knight a simple BW on my left shoulder of the Temple symbol. My wife and I are getting tattoos we designed for each other in the form of small mandala on the chest, over the heart. These will be our wedding rings. I have no other tattoos and don't really intend on getting anymore than those mentioned above.

I have no problem with body art. Tattoos have been culturally significant all over the planet through out history. Their symbolism, uniqueness and inherent mysticism automatically legitimize them to me. Body art is just that. Sure, there are some things one might find unappealing,but nobody has threatened to tattoo them on ME, so...

I was actually one of those stupid people who was Young and Dumb. I got drunk at a party and woke up with two of them.
THAT was a long time ago. I got married to a tattoo artist and, for almost 20 years, helped him run his own shop. Trust me, I've seen the good and bad of tattoos.
My forte' when it came to tattoos was drawing custom tattoos and doing research. If someone wanted a specific design involving certain non-christian religious symbols, I'd dive into my library.
Before the person got the tattoo, I made sure that the person in question understood the meaning of the design. Nine chances out of ten, they were fine with it, but the other 1 percent, I actually got thanked for keeping them out of trouble.

We're separated now, but we actually do talk and I pick his brain every now and again when I need ideas for a book.

I want my tattoos to reflect achievements and experiences. I'm going to get a Sith star when my studies reach a further point for instance. I also want a Mark of Khorne, personal heraldry, an ongoing project detailling my occult/spiritual/religious studies (maybe), and a triumvirate of my spirit animal and my two totems.

While I agree that tattoos are not necessarily taboo anymore, there are still people out there who will fire you from a job just for having one. Even if it isn't visible and they have only heard you mention it's existence they will find something to fire you for. Then again maybe that's just the East Coast...or just where I live. :dry:

I don't have one yet but I do have 5 of them planned. I've been designing them for a few years now. Just have to get the money to pay for them. The main one I want done is very large, highly detailed and really expensive. I was told it would take 7 3-hour sessions and would cost $2100 :woohoo: ...and that was before I decided to add color to it. :blink:

I was always told that before you get a tattoo done, you should make a drawing of it, hang that on your wall and look at it every day for a year. If you get tired of looking at it on the wall, why would you want to put it on your skin for the rest of your life?

No, it's true. Depending on your boss and/or workplace, alternative body art can land you in trouble.

Licenced premises in New South Wales (Australia) are pushing to have visible tattoos listed as inappropriate attire, and can make it so that you can't enter a pub or club with them visible.

Williamkaede wrote: Licenced premises in New South Wales (Australia) are pushing to have visible tattoos listed as inappropriate attire, and can make it so that you can't enter a pub or club with them visible.

Wow. :ohmy: When it comes to a job, I could understand why people might take that view in certain scenarios because it could "tarnish" public perception of that business. They can't really fire you for it too easily here though, even with visible ones. Most places just make you cover it when in uniform or on duty. But I would think that trying to make it so that people can't enter a bar as a customer because of their appearance...in America that'd probably be a lawsuit waiting to happen.

Someone attempted to do that and my political activist self kicks in. I can "understand" the desire for lack of visible tattoos and piercings, but I feel it is an attempt to make the older generation who cares naught for it, comfortable. Especially when you are within a rather respectable position say like Nursing. Military has whole other reasons I believe, or at least, understand, but I am not military so I cannot tell.

Though if someone tried to fire me for the one tattoo I have, I would do everything in my power to get them in trouble because for me, it is a religious tattoo.

The military can't fire you but the marine corps has greatly restricted your opportunities if you have one visible or not. You can't do special duties if you have them, you can't be an officer if you have one etc...

They are a frowned on part of traditions which is sad.

That's mental...if they're not visible it shouldn't affect your rights...I thought that they were kind of 'normal' in the Armed Forces.

I've been thinking of getting one...a small one...I've recently come up with an idea that seems 'right' and might override my previous dislike of tattoos. But I'm concerned about whether the place I want it would be too visible for classical solo singing jobs, hahaha. People don't really expect classical musicians to have tattoos...

Come on V, someone has to be first!

Tattoos are older than classical music, and should be considered "classical"... lol...

Or, go for a white tattoo.... Id be so jealous....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tattoo_ink

As you can tell by my avatar I have some ink work though the red work on my left shoulder doesn't show too well...

What a person does to their body is their right...one should not be discriminated against for a differing sense of aesthetics...

As to what master war said in regards to military...special ops aren't supposed to get tats that are visible while in uniform...this is partly because it becomes a distinguishing identifiable mark...much like a visible scar ...special ops operators are anonymous for theirs and their families safety...of course sometimes a rule or two gets bent....I knew a few seals that had tats that were visible in uniform...of course in their bdu's the tats weren't visible...here's a little known thing...if you get a tat while on active duty and it gets infected you could be charged with destruction of government property...of course most commands don't bother...

War Beauty wrote: The military can't fire you but the marine corps has greatly restricted your opportunities if you have one visible or not. You can't do special duties if you have them, you can't be an officer if you have one etc...

They are a frowned on part of traditions which is sad.

It's terrible isn't it? My cousin was in the marines and got his tattoos while enlisted, but when he wanted to reinstate they wouldn't offer him anything he was more than qualified for (jobs he'd already been doing). So he tried the army special forces instead and they took him without question.

Oh! And a buddy of mine in the military told me that they drug test people with tattoos more frequently than others. :huh:

Even in Volunteer instances, you run the risk of being told you're not able to do your job anymore.

Trust me. I volunteered for Citizen's Patrol at City Hall. I worked in the office. I told the person in charge that I had tattoos and if that was going to be a problem, I apologized for taking up her time.

My boss had no problem with it. It was fantastic, I got to come into city hall, do the files and stuff. Unfortunately, I had to run some paperwork to the office on a Saturday. I did it in a Tank Top and shorts.
Now, basically, I'm over 50 percent covered. So you can see where this is going.

To get to the CP office, I had to walk past the Mayor's office. Funny thing, he was working on Saturday. I glanced in and the old man's eyes had popped out of his skull and were rolling around on the desk. *figuratively speaking here*

On Monday, I found out that the Mayor had tried to get me let loose from my job. My boss lady said, "No. She does her job and she's seriously good at it. Just because she has tattoos doesn't mean she is a bad influence."

I think the fact that I have a clean record and everyone in City Hall liked me helped my cause.

But yeah, I got lucky. I had someone willing to back me up. Not sure about any other volunteer organization.

Sadly it's true that while more widely accepted, tattoos still have some social stigma attached them...but this is mainly amongst the older generations...

A lot of it comes from tattoos being a symbol of rebellion in mid-20th century culture. It has, of course, seeped into our minds in the 21st.

Of course, rebellion is a new concept in society. Used to be, rebellion got you killed. Nowadays, society "tolerates" rebellion and stresses individual liberty due to all the civil rights (African American/Women's suffrage/right to drink alcohol. heheh eXP) things that happened in the 1800s/1900s. People are afraid to exclude because to exclude seems to be taboo.

SO, how do we identify the outcasts? We turn to those who have made CHOICES to distance themselves from the status quo. We call out the nerds and the tattooed people and the overly sensitive and the rebels who rob banks or cause trouble in class. We nail them with a social stigma and label them as those whom should not be associated with.

I don't know how I feel about this system, to be honest. Society has not reached the point where "anything" is acceptable. Because, instead of being more exclusive, we're being more inclusive. We don't tolerate the people who don't tolerate... it's a horrid circle. hahah.