‘Til Death Do Us Part

I was sitting in my room this weekend when a girl from my floor came in. “Hey, want to go with me to get a tattoo tonight?” Wait, seriously? I was all for going because I’ve never been with someone while they got a tattoo, but it made me think. Do people my age take getting a tattoo way too lightly? It almost seems like I know more people who have tattoos than people who don’t. Are we too young for that kind of commitment?
Once my dad told me if I ever got a tattoo he wouldn’t help me pay for college. Harsh, but completely typical coming from my dad. It’s a perfect example of the way most of the older population in our society see tattoos: the markings of hood rats and hoodlums alike. No matter what the tattoos are of or what they stand for, they seem to get a bad rep across the board.

This is interesting, because I know so many people with Bible verses inked onto their arms or shoulders. My roommate has a tattoo that says “sister” with a star for each sibling she has. One of my good friends has a tattoo of the hakuna matata symbol.

None of these things are demonic or even carry a negative connotation, so why is it that just because people get them put permanently marked on their skin they would be denied jobs or higher positions in the work place? Is society really that shallow?
Times have changed. Seeing people with tattoos is seemingly as frequent as seeing someone with glasses or wearing a bracelet. Maybe they weren’t popular when my dad was a kid, but our decisions on how we treat our body shouldn’t affect our employment status, or how you’re seen by your peers or coworkers or even by the people you pass on Broadway.

Tattoos may be a big decision for an 18-year-old to make. The idea of getting one is almost always followed with the question “Are you sure you won’t regret that?” Well, I say if anyone is to regret it in 30 years, at least it’s a good story to tell.

Tattoos don’t make people less intelligent. They don’t make people mean or scary. They’re just an option for expression. You like to wear your hat backwards? Well maybe someone else would like to get a tattoo of the Minneapolis skyline across his or her back. Who are we to judge?

Shannon is a freshman majoring in journalism.