by Matt L.

Created on: June 02, 2008   Last Updated: July 27, 2009

Discrimination in the work place, in one form or another, has gone on for decades. In a perfect world, we would be judged strictly on our ability to perform the job at hand instead of being judged by whether or not the person in charge of hiring supports expressionism and individuality or not. Which, let's face it, is all a tattoo or a piercing is. It is a form of self-expression, no different than the clothes we choose to wear or the cars we decide to drive. It takes more commitment to yourself and your beliefs to commit to the tattoo or the piercing, which in my opinion actually shows your strength of character. One would think that would be a positive attribute to a potential employer rather than a negative one. But, that's just me.

I once worked for a company where my boss found out that I was tattooed when he overheard a conversation going on during our lunch break. I gave seven loyal and hard-working years of my life to this company and my boss actually interrupted the lunch conversation to tell me, and a few others at the table, that if he had known any of us were tattooed when we were interviewed, we would never have been hired. I actually laughed at him. I thought it was a joke, but as it turns out, he was dead serious. It was the most ludicrous thing I had ever heard. This was a small company where we never saw customers, how would tattoos have had any reflection on our work? I now realize that people that think this way are very weak individuals who don't have any sense of individuality. They would rather have an office full of robotic-like clones than to have a diverse and interesting culture of hard-working employees.

Why people stereotype that which they know nothing about will continue to be a mystery to myself and countless others like me. Self-expression is nothing to ashamed of. If you had the courage to get the tattoo or the piercing in the first place, you should be able to wear it proudly where ever you choose. I am not really sure how a tattoo is anymore offensive than a scar or a birth defect or some sort, only difference being that one is chosen and the other is born upon us. It is amazing to me that people in today's society are still as closed-minded as they are about so many things. Remember when it was unheard of for a woman to wear jeans? Now jeans are a virtual staple in everyone's wardrobe. Maybe it will just take time, we can only hope.

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