Through out history tattoos have gotten many raps. In America, they have about every rap. Some are seen as good things, like memorials, or religions. Some are seen as gang signs, and some are seen as just art. In this, we explore the rights of a person with tattoos.
People make the choice to express themselves in many ways. Some write, some draw, some get tattoos. Tattoos are covered under the freedom of speech. A a tattoo is a person’s expression. However, the artist that does the art, has almost no rights. In America, we protect all types of artist. They have rights just for them, and laws to protect them. Our constitution starts with the protection of art. Art like speech and all other types of expression. Yet, a tattoo artist is only threatened by laws.
In South Carolina, which has only legalized tattoos in the last 15 years or so, an artist cannot tattoo fingers, hands, necks, or people’s faces. You can bet, we as citizens, do not really care about that law. We get them done anyways. The artist doesn’t have a choice, if they want to eat. I got eight on my fingers, illegally, in a legal shop. It is my body. If a person can change their sex, i should be able to color my body.
The workplace… We all know the laws a workplace is forced to follow, when it comes to the freedom of expressing ourselves. If we decide we we no longer feel like a man, we can change ourselves into a woman. They cannot fire us, or punish us. This is protected.
Freedom is a strange thing. You can put on a dress and show up for work, and nobody can tell you any different, or hold it against you. You can do this for as long as you want. You can go as far as to use the Ladies’ room! Now, if you put a big pretty piece of artwork on your arm, and some opinionated person runs the company, you are fired. It does not seem fair.
For me, on your time, wear the dress. If it is my company, you would be given a uniform. Everyone would dress the same, and i would not deal with the whole sex argument. As for tattoos, i got nine of mine to say to hell with the rules, and visible, so i don’t have to work for those types. I would protect my tatted up employees. If you had a problem with my employees, we would not do business.
I see it as a person’s sexual preference is protected, because it is their pursuit to happiness. I see them changing their appearance as their freedom of expression. I also see a person getting a tattoo as a person on their pursuit to happiness. I see them as a person showing off their freedom of expression. In my opinion, tattooed people changed their body for the rest of their life. They should be protected.
But… When it comes to rights, you must consider them all. An employer has worked hard for what they have. It belongs to them. As you do on your property, they have the right to decide. The right to private property, and control of that property, should trump any freedom of expression, and all other freedoms, unless it is pointing out wrong doing on that property. Business owners keep the world turning, they have rights ,and rules to follow. Having the choice to have employees without tattoos, or that overly express the sexual preference, should always be a right the employer has.
Thanks for reading! What do you think? Should getting a tattoo give you special rights?
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