The Great Tattoo Controversy

years. Based on the discovery of tattoos on mummies and other historical records, tattooing is believed to have existed since Bronze Age. The practice of tattooing was followed by various cultures from ancient Egypt to Japan, Greece, Rome, Polynesian islands, and Americas before getting infused into the modern Western culture. Tattooing has held various meanings and purposes during different times. Some of the main reasons for getting tattooed were, these represented the identity of a cultural group; to show affiliation to religious, cultural, social or professional groups; to show masculinity and strength; for medical reasons; for punishing convicts and rebels; for branding slaves; and for self-expression. However, in the modern times, tattooing

Piercing skin repeatedly with a sharp needle dipped in ink sounds like it would deter people from attaining tattoos, but humans have been tolerant of this pain since the beginning of time. In fact, the Egyptians started tattooing around 4000 B.C (Lineberry). To create a tattoo, a needle has to pierce the second layer of skin known as the dermis (Noonan). After that, ink is rubbed into these pinpricks and the design should be covered, otherwise an infection may set in, seeing as the end result is very similar to an open wound (Noonan). This slightly complicated process did not stop our inked ancestors, though. In Cassandra Franklin- Barbajosa’s article, she notes that the earliest tattooed person was found

Tattoos have played a role in human societies since their inception, as pieces of cultures and rituals across the world. To many, having a tattoo is an outward way of expression. However, the prejudice have not disappeared and are still greatly diminishing. In the article Inked Well, David Kirby examines the aspects of tattoo’s history, as well as tattoo’s iconic popularity among today 's middle class. Kirby’s stereotypical views on the tattooed “victims” quickly change as he goes on to interview some local tattooes of Tallahassee, Florida.

This is a quote that i found and i totally agree with it. “Tattoos are like stories-they 're symbolic of the important moments in your

A topic that the Marine Corps has been debating for the past decade is whether or not there should be a policy regarding tattoos. It has been a constant struggle to balance the personal desires of the individual Marine and maintain the appearance of professionalism that is expected of the Marine Corps. A tattoo policy definitely needs to be in place in order to maintain a positive perception, sustain good order and discipline, and provide a standard of uniformity.

When someone mentions tattooing or tattoos, the first reason that comes to mind as to why someone would get a tattoo is that it was done for the aesthetic appeal, as a sort of piece of art done on the body, but now after looking at it using sociological imagination perspective, I realise that tattoos have very different meanings to those who have them. Some people do in fact choose to get tattoos solely for the aesthetic appeal, however there a great deal of more who get tattoos for other reasons.

In December my friend had just come home from the marines on leave. We had recently planned on going to get tattoos and we picked our tattoos and went and got them. My tattoo is about hunting and describes my life really well. After a few days had past and the break was coming to a end I was wondering what people would think of me? I had heard story 's of people getting looked down on because they have a tattoo or not being able to get a job because they have ink on them. So those thoughts were going through my head also i had to see what people thought of me after i did it. For the first 3-4 months i had wore sweatshirts and long sleeves because it was cold. in February we had a dance in which i wore or short sleeve and in which people begin

“We realize the fact a person simply has a visible tattoo doesn't prohibit them from being an effective law enforcement officer,” said Hunter, noting, uniformity in appearance and dress, as evident by the clothes they wear, is not only historic, but important to solidifying public perception.

A person only has one first impression. This does not mean that the person is who they seem to be. The story behind their body art shows their personality and who they are. What led them to choose the outfit they are wearing or why they chose to dye their hair also factors into this. A person is also defined by what they say but especially by what they have permanently on their body. My friend Shivani Recinto has many things that are defined as body art. Shivani has multiple piercings and a tattoo that define her past, expresses her fashion and her passions in life.

In “Our Bodies, Our Ink”, Dwight Garner discusses how tattoo are seen by society. He points out how tattoos were rare to be seen in someone but now nearly everyone one meet has a tattoo somewhere. He further points out, how “according to a 2012 Harris Poll, American women are most likely to be tattooed than men”. In fact, “some 23 percent of women have tattoos; 19 percent of men do”. But, in any event, tattoos haven’t been completely accepted by society, they are still criticized by society to this day, and in addition the majority of society still associates people with tattoos as a low-life person.

Most of everyone who goes in, goes in for a tattoo that has meaning or to make them feel beautiful. It is the same for piercings, people go in to get piercings to feel more like themselves and to define them as a person. My personal experience with tattoos, is the meaning of each. I have a small tattoo on my ankle that I got with my best friend that symbolizes that we are different, yet the same. My tattoo on my arm, I got matching with my boyfriend that are the four elements, he got two of them and I got the other two and the characteristics that go with each element defines us. My last tattoo is of a daisy with a yin yang symbol in the middle of it, and to me that shows the balance of life and to always remember that there’s going to be good and bad but to always be positive. Personally, I see tattoos as a way of expression of who you are and by looking at somebody’s tattoos, I can sometimes see that type of person they are. In a way, body modification is used to make yourself stand out and be unique compared to others, and I think it is absolutely

In order to show loyalty and devotion to a particular god, Aztecs would place tattoos on their chest, stomach and wrists. Each tattoo would be designed in a distinct pattern depending on what god they wanted to honor. Another reason they would place tattoos on their bodies would be to honor battle accomplishments. There has also been evidence of Egyptians tattoos on mummies of woman. The design of the tattoos on these mummies mainly consisted of dots and patterns. In our present times the placement of tattoos on the body has become more popular and accepted by business institutions and society. The military is one of the few institutions that seems to be going in the opposite direction, in particular the Marine Corps. The Marine Corps has always prided themselves on accomplishing the mission and most importantly winning battles. Such pride has been rattled by the decision of the leaderships for t to place

Whether it be a dragon, tribal marking, Asian character, or a simple phrase, thousands of people get tattoos daily. Tattoos play a significant role in self-expression and identity since ancient times. Tattoos can be recreational, cultural, symbolic, or just stylistic. For some people, it is an expression of identity and personal beliefs. This is exactly the case for Leslie Jamison. She tells the story of her tattoo in “Mark My Words. Maybe.” The Latin phrase “homo sum: humani nil a me alienum puto” is on Jamison’s forearm. In English, this translates to “I am human: nothing human is alien to me.” This is a quote about understanding and accepting humanity (Jamison 458). Throughout her story, she elaborates her personal reasons for getting the

Throughout the article, you see that Balsamo isn’t biased toward having tattoos or not. You see this when she says, “If you don’t want a tattoo,

To understand why a person might tattoo their skin, a practice known to be permanent and painful, research was directed toward the history of tattooing. It was discovered that the art of skin modification had been traced back to 5300 years ago by dating a mummified corpse ordained with tattoos (Haskings-Winner, Collichaw, Kritzer, & Warecki, 2011). The tattoos of