Tattoos are a part of the world, on a wide scale, and have mostly been accepted but the business and professional sectors are not yet on board. Because of this, our body’s’ are not fully ours. Some bodies belong to “the man.”
For years tattoos have been associated with delinquency and rogue behavior and where there might have been groups who hover toward such body art, sometimes those associated with illegal acts, tattoos have become something for everyone. The rebellious were the first to dabble in the art form in America. They were the brave few who tried the idea first and now we have turned the craft into an art and a form of expression.
The only thing we ever truly own are our bodies. But we share this with the job market. As a person, you almost must decide whether you want a good job, or tattoos. Your body becomes part of a tug-of-war between desires and money. If this is the only life we get, then sacrificing one for the other isn’t fair.
Get to know the person behind the tattoo and then you can decide the kind of person they are. Judge a person based on who they are, not because they have tattoos.
Instead, a sort of compromise is needed as to not alienate those who choose to get tattoos. Unless a tattoo would be controversial and hurt others or harm the image of the company then they should not be concerned and maybe not covered.
We need to stop assuming and stereotyping and instead trust in the law because there is a reason tattooing isn't illegal. We need to trust in our ability to still be that intelligent person wanted for the hire but with tattoos and a feeling of acceptance. We should try meshing the professional world in with tattooed employees so that they can see the tattoos are merely decorating decisions for our temple.
Tattoo discrimination is weird in that it is not changing along with the times. Even though they are legal and an understood form of expression they are still scrutinized. An employer cannot discriminate against an employee for their mullet and shouldn’t for their tattoos as long as reasonable agreements have taken place.
Everything is situational so a definite solution won’t be found today. For years, tattoos have been considered taboo by some, just like homosexuality and other such social stigmas concerning difference and freedom of expression. Gay marriage is becoming legalized throughout America. The world is changing, and we are not OK with discrimination. We are so much more than our tattoos.
