In today’s society, we all have difficulty finding jobs. Most jobs have certain dress codes and policies that we have to follow. It sort of feels like we are back in school and we have to follow certain rules. Recently, at my job they changed a policy. They told us when we were hired that we were allowed to have tattoos as long as they weren’t vulgar or inappropriate. They also said that we were allowed to have facial piercings as long as they are studs. Now they are telling us that we can’t. Half of our staff at work has tattoos. I have worked at this place since they opened. There are still people who work there that have been there since day one as well. They told us to buy long sleeve shirts or athletic sleeves. It is summer now. No one wants to wear sleeves in the heat. So I would like to share why I believe tattoos should be allowed in the work place.

1. Self- Expression

Many people get tattoos to express themselves. People like to keep things bottled up inside or they are very outgoing. When people get tattoos, they get them to express themselves on the outside. Sometimes, we don’t share a whole lot about ourselves to our friends. All the things that make us who we are can be very important to us. So to show these things off, we can tattoo them. Some people get black tattoos because color is too much money or because they like defined lines. Others get color tattoos because maybe they have a bright and beautiful attitude. Or maybe they like color because it makes the tattoo look better. Everyone is different and everyone wants to show that off.

2. Discrimination

When you have tattoos and someone judges them, it really hurts. When people tell you to cover them up you start to feel awful about yourself. It feels like discrimination to me. It’s almost like racism. It’s like saying people without tattoos are better than you. It really hurts our feelings when we are told that we shouldn’t have them.

3. Family Members

Tons of people that have tattoos get them for family members. They get them for people who have passed away. They get them for their children. Some people get their wedding dates tattooed on them. When someone tells you that you shouldn’t have tattoos for a job, it hurts you because you got your tattoos for your family members. That could offend someone.

Tattoos are popular ideas that have been around for the longest time. The word tattoo originated from the Polynesian language. Many tribes and Indians created tattoos to make them warriors. Some of those tribes gave tattoos to show off their personality. Tattoos have been around for 5,200 years now. The first permanent tattoo shop opened up in New York City in 1846. When this shop opened up they would tattoo military men and sailors. Tattoos have been around for ages. I get that some people don’t like them or approve them. I understand that many older generations don’t think they are appropriate. But in today’s society, tattoos are a big deal to many of us.

Younger generations find tattoos appealing and interesting. I know when I was in the fifth grade that I knew I was going to get tattoos when I was old enough. But even the younger generations think they are cool. But think of this, we all admire celebrities. Younger generations look up to these celebrities. Most celebrities have tattoos. They never get shamed for their tattoos. So that also makes younger generations intrigued by tattoos. Why do we shame lower class people for their tattoos? Why do we shame middle class people for their tattoos? It isn’t fair that higher class people have tattoos and don’t get punished for them.

People can really beat themselves up over this kind of discrimination. It makes them feel bad when we tell them it’s not professional to have tattoos. They will hate the fact that they got their tattoos in the first place. They will think about getting them removed and that is more money spent than money going towards the actual tattoo. They feel like they are guilty for getting their tattoos. It’s wrong to shame someone for the art drawl on their body. If body shaming is wrong then tattoo shaming should be wrong too.

It takes a lot of effort to even cover a tattoo. There is not enough make up in this world to cover all the tattoos a person has. My aunt was a bank teller for the longest time. She has all kinds of tattoos on her body, especially her chest. Every time she went to work, she would put band aids on them to cover them. It’s ridiculous to cover up tattoos. The tattoos are there for a reason.

Tattoos do not define my ability to do my job. There is nothing offensive about tattoos that mean something to you. You shouldn’t have to cover them for a job. Anyone can be professional, tattoos or no tattoos. I think these policies are really stupid and shouldn’t be held against anyone. Tattoos are amazing. It’s amazing to be able to get something so meaningful on your body. So to everyone out there that has tattoos, wear them proudly. You are fighting a stigma for the future.