Judgment & Discrimination

I don’t understand the stigma around tattoos and piercings, and the shaming of general presentation of oneself. The fact that someone has to censor their appearance out of fear of getting a job is corrupt. Everybody should feel safe to express themselves how they choose without having to worry about judgement and discrimination.

However, this is not to say I don’t see the reasoning behind this societal rule. It would be difficult for someone covered with crude tattoos from head to toe, or with piercings covering their face to escape judgement. While this person could in fact be incredibly kind, I believe it’s safe to say most would not want him/her to perform their heart surgery, nor teach their kindergartener.

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I believe the only rational argument in this case to be the fact that although only a generalization, it can often be inferred that someone who would get an obscene face tattoo suffers from a mental illness. Therefore, it is fair to prevent these cases from working important jobs.

However, more times than I can count I have heard “with that piercing, he/she will never be taken seriously” or “with that tattoo, he/she will never get a job.” A few, small piercings or a small, tasteful tattoo should not affect judgement of a character, and especially not an employment decision.

Everybody expresses themselves in different ways – different wardrobes, jewelry, cars, etc. Why should body art be any different?

Again, I’m not talking about those with obscene tattoos or piercings, as people with insane clothing choices are likely to be judged equally. But there is no reason someone’s small depiction of self-expression should negatively impact how they are perceived.

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If an interviewer is unable to see past a tattoo and view a person as a whole, then honestly, the job in question might not be the job for them. Although a matter of opinion, tattoos and piercings do not represent somebody in entirety.

To put it simply, it’s not fair to discriminate against people solely because of how they choose to express themselves.

Man Tattoos Faces of Royal Couple on Two Front Teeth

Of course by now we most likely all now about the infamous wedding between England’s Prince William and his lovely wife Kate Middleton.

And although I was accustomed to the minute-to-minute news updates of what she is wearing or the exact words he said to her on their wedding day, I was surprised to discover articles discussing crazed fans of the couples and their somewhat odd actions to express this.

One man, a 29-year-old British plumber who goes by the name of Barmy Baz Franks, recently paid over 1,500 dollars in order to spend six hours at his dentists office.

And rather than getting his teeth pulled, or having those dreaded cavities filled in, Franks was instead watching his dentist place temporary ivory art onto his teeth, creating pictures of Kate Middleton and Prince William with dentistry brushes and stencils.

“I’ve done some unusual dental cosmetics in my time, but this was certainly one of the strangest,” said his dentist, Dr. Neil Gerrard.

Unfortunately, this man has gotten much ridicule for this tattoo as people exclaimed it looks more like something stuck on his teeth than any sort of art.

However, Franks claimed that he only got the tattoo in order to support the couple on their royal wedding.

“I love the family, and this was my way of lending my support to their big day,” said Franks.

Although he may be a little bit too obsessed in some people’s opinions, just remember that this art does wash off in a matter of three months, and hey, I bet you the Prince and Princess will most likely hear about this one!