Tattoos. A bane or a boon?

The history of tattoos is believed to have begun over 5000 years ago and is as diverse as the people from different places who have them. Tattoos are created by inserting inks of various colours beneath the skin's surface. With a growing fascination with tattooing and its significance
and the immense popularity of tattoos themselves, it is interesting to note how tattoos have changed in the way they were perceived.

In the past, tattoos have been mainly used as a decorative art on an individual's body in Japan, Polynesia, New Zealand, to name a few examples. In recent centuries, it has also become popular in convicts and gang members, who want to have a sense of belonging and identity as they are all in the same place (i.e. prison, gang). Tattoos can reveal a lot of things, such as a which gang you're from, who you actually are, your beliefs (e.g. religion, racism) and sometimes even how many people you've killed.

Closer to home, tattoos initially started out with indicating which gang you belonged to, and anyone with one of a different was automatically assumed to be from a rival gang and beaten up. Other than secret societies, more people are looking at tattoos a s a form of a decorative art for their bodies. But this view is not shared by everyone. Those from the older generation, especially with experience in the shady underworld of the past, might still view it as a symbol of violence and hostility towards others. Anyone with one that's relatively visible would be assumed to be of no good character. Why do most of us think this way? We may claim not to mind, but when push comes to shove, would you befriend/marry/go out with someone with these decorations all over their body?

Recently, I attended a good friend's birthday party and I arrived early to help out with the food and decorations. Everything was going along relatively well until her younger sister emerged from her room to mingle as her boyfriend had arrived. I could be oversensitive, but it was evident that the atmosphere changed when both of them were present. Why would this be the case? For starters, the sister has a large tattoo of a phoenix which covered half her back, and it was very obvious as she was wearing a white racerback top at that time, and also a tattoo of 2 roses on her wrist. Her boyfriend was no better. He has tattooed lower eyelids and has both his upper arms and legs more or less tattooed all the way to the elbows and mid-calves respectively.

The guests could be seen discreetly checking out the odd couple as they moved around the house, and some were actually blatantly avoiding them. Though I do acknowledge that some might feel uncomfortable with their presence, and I might have seen her sister too often to be affected, I did find it rude that my friend's sister had to be treated in that way in her own home. After a while, the sister realised what was happened and changed into something that covered her up more. My friend didn't realise anything as she was busy, and I guess that's a good thing, as she wouldn't have wanted her sister to feel isolated.

But the thing is, are we going to discriminate or ostracise people because of their choices, just because it doesn't agree with ours or isn't accepted totally by society? Who are those that dictate what can or cannot be accepted, and why should we listen to them?

To end on a lighter note, her sister's tattoos have also helped us out on a few occasions. We were never approached in clubs by sleazy creatures whenever she was with us because everytime she stuck her hand out to draw us into a circle, her wrist tattoo would be seen and said creatures would beat a hasty retreat. =D