Jedis and Tattoos? Your thoughts and comments

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.