Colin Kaepernick, Tatted Up Freak

I dunno. Is walking into a job interview with an Avenged Sevenfold tattoo on your wrist (like my 18-year-old nephew has) really any different than walking into the same interview wearing an Avenged Sevenfold t-shirt?

 

"A wannabe cop whose application to join the North Rhine-Westphalia force was turned down because of the large tattoos on his arms - showing a dog and a Mexican death mask - appealed against his rejection and won."


www.thelocal.de/national/20121129-46475.html

 

Honest question.

In 2012 is the goal of a tattoo conformity, or non-conformity?

 

OK, I'm an old fart and generally think tattoos are low rent. But my kids? Oldest son, who is an ER Tech, has 8 (I think). Younger son, who is in Afghanistan, has 6-7 (lost count a while back). Even my daughter in college has one.

So, yeah, it's a generational thing, and I just roll with it. Of course, when younger son's map of Iraq on his upper arm got infected, I got to play the tsk-tsking dad role, which I did with a fair bit of glee.

 

I might add that tattoos seem to be a favorite hobby of people who desperately want to seem hip.

 

Either Roethlisberger or Cutler has a design in the small of their back. I cannot remember which one.

 

It's Cutler. And I believe it says, "Kick me."

 

The girl with the dragon tattoo wants a word with Whitley.

 

I go back and forth on this column dealing with the racial aspects, but I have to say I'm very surprised Garry Howard let this go through. But if nothing else, it's creating buzz/talk, and that's what SN desperately needs right now.

 

Attaching this to the bottom of the column in the wake of all the criticism seems sort of double gutless, does it not?

"David Whitley’s opinion is not reflective of the opinion of AOL, Inc."

 

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2012/11/29/49ers-colin-kaepernick-tattoo-criticism-sporting-news/1736671/

Quick, good work by USAT getting read from Colin's parents.

 

That's kind of always been my attitude about tattoos... If you're special forces and you have one... Good for you... Everyone else... Ugh...

I work with a woman who is in her late 20s. She's completely brilliant and is incredible at her job. Arguably our best employee at what she does, but they don't send her certain places and they don't let her work with certain clients because she is covered with tattoos.

Fair or unfair, it changes how people look at you. Maybe that will change at some point, but these days if you get tattoos that are not easily covered by a shirt or pants, you're doing yourself a huge disservice.