Tattoos

A majority of the people who walk by me have tattoos, weather its a biblical phrase or just a lovers name each tattoo is spread largely across the persons arm, back, or neck. I find it absolutely ridiculous to get someone's name (a lover) tattooed on your body because what if the relation ship doesn't work out, the person's body is permanently scared and tagged with someone elses name (as if your there property). Although i am against tattooing people's names i want a tattoo of my grandmothers name as a remembrance, i think it shows the amount of love i had for her and it shows that she really impacted my life. ( although this doesn't have to be the case for everyone) 

Tattoos show a sense of "cool" many of my friends have tattoos that represent the crew they role with or the group of people they hang with. If people know where you come from and see a group represented on you some how (such as bandanna's, tattoos, certain clothes) they recognize that you fit in and you get that much more respected. Tattoos on certain people give off a different effect then on others. If an African American male has a cross tattooed across his for arm it is considered gangster, yet if a white male gets one its considered religious. Why are different races judged differently for the same markings that are known for signifying beautiful things/events. 

I don't believe that we should fight against the tattoo trend because it lets people be artistic and gives another opportunity for people to express themselves, in a way that is understood and liked by a lot of people. When John Fanning was talking about his "sleeves" he stated that in his family tattoos weren't accepted yet they gave him an escape, because he never thought he fit in with his neighborhood. If tattoos are having a good effect on communities they shouldn't be banned. Piercings have the same effect as tattoos (unless you get gages, which expand your whole earlobe) they mark your body but just not permanently. 

When you ask someone the reason behind why they have a certain tattoo or piercing they give you a long story of how its important to them and means something special, there's no doubt in my mind that each tattoo means something special to the person who got it but for everyone the factor of cool is always measured in. If your seen with a tattoo your automatically seen as cool an as a rebel. Although the significance and history of tattoos have been altered in our day in age they are still important to us as a community and show our growth in art.