Friday, February 1, 2013

Outgrowing The Stigma


There is an obvious stigma in society towards parents with tattoos. Being one of those parents, you see the glares and the judgement as you pass. I am mother of two, a great mother, who is actively involved in my children's education, and has strived to instill strong morals and respect - which is much more then I can say for a growing number of parents in today's society, tattooed or not. So why, in societies views, am I the corrupt influence on my children?

Only 30 years ago tattoos were restricted to bikers and misfits and were considered the brand of the rebel. Individuals who were shunned simply because of their chosen form of expression. Instead of being seen as a new form of art, they were the mark, a warning, to keep your distance. Society is evolving quickly though. Only 15 years ago visible tattoos were unacceptable in the workplace and had to remain hidden at all times, if you were lucky enough to find a company to accept them at all.

Have you noticed your local supermarket cashier lately? Tattoos have finally made their way out of most of the standard Employee Handbook Policies and into your common customer service occupations. I was walking through the grocery store today, and noticed something that had never been so apparent. On this warmer southern day I noticed that nearly every person I passed by had some kind of tattoo. Individuals from all generations, young and old.

I strongly believe that we are very close to overcoming the outdated stigma that still has a stronghold on our society. As society begins to accept just the mere site of tattoos, it will still be some time until our parenting abilities are no longer being questioned because of the decorations on our skin. All we can do is continue to care from our child, setting the example for the future generations, that it is not acceptable to judge anyone based on the color of their skin, or the decorations that it may hold.

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