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Tattoo who? Legitimate parlors would welcome state health regulation to weed out unsafe and illegal inking
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Tattoo You?
Tattoo parlors in the state of Florida are not required to be licensed by the state Department of Health and there is little oversight except when local health departments inspect to make sure that they have a biomedical waste disposal permit, which is once a year in Collier and every three years in Lee County.
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The handwritten sign taped to the wall behind the counter at Body Branding Tattoo Emporiums says: “Want a cheap tattoo?
Go to jail.”
That’s the store’s unofficial motto, scrawled in a black Magic Marker. There’s a lot of meaning behind the words.
People released from jail a few blocks away want their jailhouse tattoos fixed. Others may be looking for something cheap and on the fly.
They’ve come to the wrong place, said owner Jimbo Carriero, who opened Collier County’s first tattoo parlor in 1994 on Davis Boulevard. In 1999 he moved to his present location at 1650 Airport-Pulling Road S. in East Naples.
“The good guys have to live down the bad guys, what they are doing wrong,” he said. “They are very short-lived, one or two years and they are gone.”
Forget minors, even if they have a consent form signed by a parent or bring a parent with them.
“I don’t care if they bring Jesus with them,” Carriero said. “If you are not over 18 with a government-issued ID, we won’t work on you, period.”
Carriero and other tattoo studio owners who are serious about their profession say they want more government oversight, given what exists now is almost nonexistent.
Florida law doesn’t require tattoo studios to get a license from the state Department of Health. There is no certification requirement where tattoo artists must demonstrate their knowledge of safe tattooing and infection control.
That could change, perhaps next year, if one or more groups can persuade the Florida Legislature to either beef up the existing law for tattoo studios or adopt regulations similar to body-piercing businesses.
Body piercing is regulated by the state health department.
“I think that is one idea that is included in this proposal, to do more regulation, to get it under the Department of Health,” said Ed Golding, an environmental specialist with the state health department in Tallahassee.
The Florida Professional Tattoo Artists Guild and the Florida Association of Blood Banks, in collaboration with the state health department, are behind the effort to start regulating the tattoo industry, he said.
Right now, anyone who gets a tattoo is prohibited from donating blood for a year out of concern for hepatitis. But with the growing popularity of tattoos, use of disposable needles and other sterilization improvements in tattooing, some states are allowing people to donate blood three months after getting a tattoo, Golding said.
The caveat is the tattoo must be done in a “regulated” parlor, he said.
If the state begins to regulate the industry, the blood bank association could pursue lifting the one-year wait for blood donation in favor of a shorter deferral period.
“I think bringing the blood banks into the issue to help obtain regulation gives a little more strength to the idea that we should regulate the tattoo parlor more so the blood supply can be increased,” Golding said. “Now, the Legislature, by and large, doesn’t see a need to regulate tattoo parlors any other way than it is done now.”
Another consideration is to allow the professional tattoo artist guild to inspect studios to satisfy the health and safety concern of the blood bank industry, said Bill Hannong, president of the guild and longtime tattoo business owner in Fort Myers.
He didn’t have information about how many state health departments are regulating tattoo studios.
Under current Florida law, tattoo studios must have supervision from a physician, dentist or osteopathic doctor — but that doesn’t mean the physician is on site at all.
The intent is that the physician provides periodic inspections of the equipment and develops written procedures with the tattoo parlor owner for how emergencies will be addressed.
At issue is how much oversight a supervisory doctor maintains with a tattoo parlor, something that concerns dermatologists, plastic surgeons, blood banks and professional tattoo groups.
“It’s a joke,” said Dr. Glenn Zellman, a dermatologist in Fort Lauderdale and current president of the Florida Society of Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery.
The rule is absurd, said Dr. James Spencer, a dermatologist and president-elect of the dermatology society.
“Just because something is on the books doesn’t mean anything is going to happen,” Spencer said. “We put these things on the books and there is no way to enforce it.”
Although it is against the law to tattoo a minor without parental consent, it still happens, Spencer said.
“I think they kind of ignore that and, let’s face it, the police have a lot of things to do in life and undercover investigations of tattoo parlors is not on the top of their list,” he said. “I don’t think it is the kind of thing families will report, and they will be more mad at the teen.”
Chris Nuland, the attorney for the dermatology society, said members hear anecdotally that some tattoo businesses have no relationship with a doctor.
“The rule is probably appropriate but it’s not effective without enforcement,” Nuland said, adding that the state health department doesn’t track complaints against tattoo parlors since it has no oversight of them.
That is true, Amy Alexander, a department spokeswoman, confirmed in an e-mail.
When someone with a complaint goes to a local health department, the individual will be told to contact the doctor supervising the tattoo business, she said.
If a customer says he or she acquired an infection after a tattoo — which can include staph, or even HIV and hepatitis — local health officials can investigate for proper sterilization of equipment, Alexander said.
After that, the health department can contact the supervising physician or law enforcement, but it has no authority to close a tattoo parlor, she said.
There are an estimated 600 tattoo parlors in Florida, based on the number of biomedical waste permits issued to tattoo parlors.
While local health departments have no inspection jurisdiction over tattoo businesses when it comes to customer health and safety, they issue biomedical waste permits to make sure the businesses properly dispose of such waste.
They inspect the tattoo parlor but only to ensure they are handling biomedical waste properly. That’s done annually or every three years, depending on how much biomedical waste each tattoo parlor generates.
There are nine tattoo parlors in Collier County and 35 in Lee County, according to each county health department’s issuance of biomedical waste permits.
Health officials in both counties say they haven’t received any complaints against tattoo businesses in their respective counties in the past year.
They also ask to see documentation that verifies the tattoo parlor has a supervisory physician.
Some of the businesses also do body piercing, which is regulated by the department for sterilized equipment and where the staff must be certified and take classes in safety against blood-borne disease infection.
Chris Bath, owner of Cherry Hill Tattoo Co. of Naples, 335 Airport-Pulling Road, would have no objection to tattoo parlors having the same or similar regulations as body piercing businesses. His business also does body piercing.
“It would be a lot easier. If we could have the same stuff, it could eliminate bad shops from opening up,” Bath said. “If you don’t do body piercing, you can fly under the radar. A lot of places are not doing body piercing.”
What’s happening in Naples is people are doing tattooing out of their homes, which is illegal.
“We see it all the time,” he said. “They come in and want it (a bad tattoo) fixed.”
Requiring tattoo artists to be licensed is fine but it wouldn’t stop the illegal tattooing in homes or of minors, Bath said.
“Not everyone cares. I’ve had people come in with really, really bad tattoos and they think they are great,” he said. “People tattoo 12-year-olds and they don’t care.”
The dermatology society tried to get more teeth into the supervising physician rule six months ago with the state Board of Medicine, which has authority over doctors, said Nuland, the attorney for the dermatology group.
The medical board decided its definition of a supervising physician was sufficient but that there is inadequate enforcement, Nuland said.
Still, the board said its authority is over physicians’ practices and not that of tattooists, so nothing was done, he said.
There has been some talk of creating a board of tattooists, similar to how there are boards for every other type of health-related profession, Nuland said.
He’s not aware of any legislation having been filed to that effect.
“When there is a problem, these patients end up in a dermatologist’s office or a plastic surgeon’s office,” he said. “That is one reason our respective societies are so concerned. They see the problems. How prevalent are the problems, we don’t know the denominator.”
An infection can happen when someone doesn’t follow tattoo after-care standards, said Bath, owner of Cherry Hill.
For instance, people are told not to swim for two weeks, not to use a tanning bed, sit in hot tubs or take baths — but they do it anyway.
“With single-use needles and single-use equipment, you are not going to get (an infection) from us. It is all opened in front of you,” Bath said.
Carriero, owner of Body Branding, concurred.
“After care, that is the biggest thing with tattooing and body piercing,” he said. “Everybody uses new needles and we use plastic tubes for the tattoo machine. It’s impossible to get an infection.”
It is difficult to determine if a tattoo itself is the culprit when someone develops an infection or is diagnosed with hepatitis, said Golding, with the state health department.
“It is really hard to come up with concrete evidence as to how an infection is produced,” he said. “It is very hard to assign guilt epidemiologically. There are just too many variables.”
Carriero said he would support licensing for tattoo artists.
“I am very much pro-health department regulations because we worked with them when (the state) did the piercing law,” Carriero said.
Under the body-piercing regulations, an individual must get certified and take a safety class for blood-borne infection control, demonstrate a “mock” piercing, and the health department inspects all the equipment.
“They should have done tattooing and piercing at the same time back in 1999,” Carriero said.
“I think the people who make their living doing tattoos are acceptable of regulation,” Golding said. “I know many body piercers are acceptable of regulation. They want to be known as a safe and clean industry. You don’t want to be an industry that is suspect.”
Comments
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Great human interest story! Tattoos are an important form of art depicted on one's flesh which our society reluctantly admires. If, a man has a crucifix inscribed upon his scrotum with indelible ink then so be it. Some may say desecration of the flesh is immoral. It is NOT! What IS most immoral is desecration of the news by a "medical reporter" with nothing else to print.
#1 Posted by ZhuZhu on July 25, 2008 at 7:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)
All kinds of cultures have used the skin as a canvas, The_Brooks. Some used war paint as a temporary measure other tribal cultures make permanent marks to denote the right of passage to adulthood.
I have no tattoos, I have no intention of getting any, yet, I find them interesting. For those who wish to get them, it would be a great idea if the parlors were regulated.
#2 Posted by BlueTonguedVole on July 26, 2008 at 12:32 a.m. (Suggest removal)
LOL!......Never understood this love for pain and irritation.
Nipple-piercing is right behind that.
Seems to be big in Florida.
#3 Posted by volochine on July 26, 2008 at 1:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)
No thug tattoos yet Gutta? How surprising, borrow some moeny from Mommy and go get your first one at Billy Jim Joe Bobs Tattoo, I mean ummmm Body Branding Tattoo Emporiums.
#4 Posted by Jadip811 on July 26, 2008 at 2:19 a.m. (Suggest removal)
State licensing is a farce and guarantees nothing.
#5 Posted by Bramble on July 26, 2008 at 5:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Tattoos, body piercings - Lots of potential employees for the Circus side shows. Tacky, tasteless, overdone. Think of all these freaks when they get old / fat. Anyone intereted in buying one of my Skin Replacement Clinic franchises? Cost is $150k and we throw in the Belt Sander.
#6 Posted by cousinjed on July 26, 2008 at 7:18 a.m. (Suggest removal)
What should be required is that paitents, I mean customers be required read prepared materials by dermatologists about eh affects of the procedure that they are about to undergo. They should be informed of pyschological effects and potential lost job opportunities. They should be informed about the level of effectiveness of tattoo removal, its permanent disfigurement, and its cost. All of those should be signed, dated, and notarized.
#7 Posted by POC on July 26, 2008 at 8:25 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Duh... I want to put graffiti on my skin! I know it's painful, but I want to deface my own body! It's fun and it shows that I have issues with myself and the world.
#8 Posted by babbas on July 26, 2008 at 9:23 a.m. (Suggest removal)
For all of you putting down tattoo's and piercing's, we are not a part of a side show!! I have 2 tattoo's and a naval piercing. I get more compliments than anyone could even imagine.It's one of a kind, I love it. I had my naval pierced by Jimbo back in 1999 when his shop was on Davis Blvd and he gave me a kick butt tattoo on my lower back and on my ankle. I plan on getting another one from him. His shop is sooo clean ,and his work is excellent!As far as pain hardly any, irritation ,I didnt have any! Jimbo (Body Branding) has been here for years, he takes pride in his work and has the cleanist tattoo parlor that I have ever stepped into. He is also very big on sanitation. These other tattoo parlor's in Naples come and go, but not Body Branding. He obviously has done something right over the years.As far as disfigurement I call it body art, the cost you get what you pay for if it's a car or tattoo. For those of you debating on having a tattoo, Body Branding is the place to go.
#9 Posted by citygirl on July 26, 2008 at 9:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)
hey citygirl, you are being naive...those people are staring at your body and either gawking at you or making fun of you when they compliment you. Sort of like when you compliment someone's cooking when they invite you over for dinner, even though the dinner was bad. You compliment them because you are being polite to something they were proud of. Though a tattoo is hardly anything to be proud of, so they are mostly making fun. Personally, I am a man that believes that the majority of people who get tattoos, especially women, are stupid in the head. When I see a woman with a tattoo, I am instantly turned OFF, especially when there are piercings. It really make you look unintelligent.
#10 Posted by babbas on July 26, 2008 at 10:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Wow.... have none of you not see the show Miami Inked ,not only are tattoos fashionable and sexy but the men and woman who perform this body art are extremely talented. People from all walks of life have tattoos now ... just like people from all walks of life have a Harley Davidson ...its not for outlaws anymore . So before you make ignorant statements realize that tattoos are a personal decision I personally have 2 that are a tribute to my fallen brothers in the FDNY so BABBAS does that make me unintelligent ? Time to grow up !
#11 Posted by FDNYEngine298 on July 26, 2008 at 11:09 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I have several tattoos, but what I really want is to get that part of my face between my eyebrows above the bridge of nose pierced. That would rule.
OR! I'd like to get a tear drop off the corner of my eye. I'm hardcore.
#12 Posted by emmylopez on July 26, 2008 at 11:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Babbas... Your comment is so ignorant.You obviously live in another world. Body art is becoming more popular than ever before. The compliments I get are from people that have tattoo's and one's that dont and I do not for one second think they are ,making fun of me, and even if they are oh well. One of my tattoo's is a tribute to my son that passed at almost 3 yrs. old. Am I proud of it, yes as much as I was proud to have him in my life. You obviously must get turned off alot because many women have tattoo's. FDNY Engine 298 said it best Time to grow up!!! FDNY- Miami Ink is a great show.
#13 Posted by citygirl on July 26, 2008 at 11:36 a.m. (Suggest removal)
#14 Posted by emmydevoelopez
"but what I really want is to get that part of my face between my eyebrows above the bridge of nose pierced."
Sweetheart, first you have to MOW down the unibrow...
#14 Posted by Jadip811 on July 26, 2008 at 1:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Yeah, Emmy. Get rid of the unibrow and then kill someone and you've earned that teardrop. LOL
#15 Posted by Jadip811 on July 26, 2008 at 2:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Nothing shows more individuality than a small appliance hanging from a nose, lip, or eyebrow. If someone wants to inject poison underneath their skin, then I guess it's okay. But, they ought to have to sign something which proves that they were made aware of the long term side effects.
#16 Posted by POC on July 26, 2008 at 2:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)
CITYGIRL ... Babbas does not live in another world he is from another world. I am thinking India , Pakistan or some other third world country that has no respect for woman ....which is obvious by his lack of education . He is not only insulting to woman by his comments but he is showing his true colors. To be honest by reading his comment he should in fact go back to what ever country he came from or better yet lets DEPORT him. He has no respect for woman. I guess he will be single for the rest of your life !
#17 Posted by FDNYEngine298 on July 26, 2008 at 2:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Wow, Jadip. You're a real sweetheart. I actually have very nice eyebrows, courtesy of Jill at Adonai of Naples, but hey..I know you were just digging for an insult, so I'll let it slide.
Nice of you to personally attack me for trying to bring some lightheartedness to this blog.
#18 Posted by emmylopez on July 26, 2008 at 2:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Sorry.Couldn't resist. You left yourself open for that one and I let this Indigo *#@$ under my skin. She is quite the pent up peice of work...
#19 Posted by Jadip811 on July 26, 2008 at 2:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Coudln't resist? Its pretty easy actually, unless you enjoy personally attacking others.
I'm not Indigo, so adding in there that you let HER get under your skin has nothing to do with me really. So I'll just chuck up to my original assumption of your fondness for insulting others.
#20 Posted by emmylopez on July 26, 2008 at 2:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Thanks for the tip, Gutta. Does killing goldfish count? When I was 12 I killed my goldfish and then dissected it. I wanted to be a forensic pathologist.
Do you have a teardrop tattoo?
#21 Posted by emmylopez on July 26, 2008 at 2:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The correct spelling is "merc", not "murk". The former being a shortened form of "mercenary", believe it or not; the latter related to "murky", as in "murky water".
Just thought you'd like to know....
ps...can I get a little bitty dictionary tattoo by my eye? It's kind of my thing.
#22 Posted by lizzyb on July 26, 2008 at 3:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)
lizzy..thats great. I think you should, really..it would be unique. You get that and I'm gonna get a wedge of cheese.
#23 Posted by emmylopez on July 26, 2008 at 4:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Seriously - why on earth would anyone care if someone wants to get a tattoo or a piercing? If you don't like them, don't get them.
My junior high home ec teacher plucked out all of her eyebrows then drew them back on with a navy blue pencil. Who was I to judge? That was her thing. If someone's thing is tattoos, so be it.
emmy, I think your body art ideas are awesome. I "merc"ed my goldfish too - I changed its water without keeping the temperature the same and shocked "fin-fin". That's how I roll. :-)
#24 Posted by etcetcetc on July 26, 2008 at 4:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I use to go snook fishing with my dad when I was kid, I would "investigate" the fish's death after he cleaned them. Once I cut out the heart and kept it. I took it home and kept it in our fridge. For a few hours after I brought it home if you would massage it, it would be a couple of beats. I loved it. Had I not been removed from housing in college the first time around, I might have gone on to be that forensic pathologist.
#25 Posted by emmylopez on July 26, 2008 at 4:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Gutta...you didn't answer my question..do you have a teardrop tattoo??
I don't speak slang. I embarass myself all on my own without trying to be hip.
#26 Posted by emmylopez on July 26, 2008 at 4:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I've been inside both Body Branding and Cherry Hill. I know why you only had photos of Cherry Hill in your paper. I guess you sent the Body Branding photos to the Health Department.
#27 Posted by BorrowedTime on July 26, 2008 at 4:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Come on Gutta1 you know your really a redneck. You can"t fool us.
#28 Posted by chincieone on July 26, 2008 at 6:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)
#7 Brambles, licensing by some agencies means little. Inspections by health departments are usually superior to agencies such as DBPR (useless) or Ag.
I used to be brought in to consult with some of the health depts. in Florida and the majority are very thorough.
#13 FDNEengine298, yes. We started watching Miami Ink and guess that is where I lost many of my original presumptions about who got tattoos. My dad was in the Navy and he had a tattoo to commemorate some of his buddies who died in Viet Nam. He never had to hide the ink for a job or had people look down on him.
For all of you who are so down on tattoos, no one is making you get one. No one is making your get pierced or have plugs put in your lips or ears. Anyone have a wife or girlfriend who has pierced ears? My wife has doubles. She sometimes wears earrings in all four spots, but mostly just wears two earrings. She had them pierced years ago and no one thought much of anything about it. Cultures evolve and change. One thing for sure if someone has a unique tattoo, they will be easy to ID if they are in trouble, get lost or (well other less pleasant reasons).
I have noticed many young people with tattoos that look like bracelets or have a strong graphic design. They are not garish. If my business needs an assistant in the future, a tattoo or even some of the less extreme piercings would not prevent me from hiring them.
#29 Posted by BlueTonguedVole on July 26, 2008 at 8:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Emmy re:#24, knew I liked you for your humor and interest! LOL. Some of my best friends are forensic pathologists.
#30 Posted by BlueTonguedVole on July 26, 2008 at 8:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)
#32 Posted by Gutta1
"Crooked police took him"
Hmmm, are these the same "crooked police" that "harrass" you because you wear baggy clothes, have dreads and gold teeth?
That is just plain wrong of the police, why would they want to do that to such a fine upstanding brother in our lovely community?
Call the NAACP, call the DEA, call the FBI , call NAFTA. We must right this wrong done to our brothers brothers brother.
#31 Posted by Jadip811 on July 26, 2008 at 9:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)
POC, please get real, I've got 2 and 1 more about to be put on and you'd never even know i've got them. Different strokes for different folks. What makes the world go round.
#32 Posted by sanibelblueyezz on July 26, 2008 at 10:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)
babbas, if someone didn't like a tattoo I wouldn't commment at all or I'd say I personally don't like tattoos. The ones that compliment are not teasing. What world do you come from. Tattoos are very popular. I don't like them all over my body but everybody has a choice to do what they want with their bodies and no one has a right to put them down just cuz they don't like them. You're close minded and rude. Just by your writing you turn me off, how's that sound to you.
#33 Posted by sanibelblueyezz on July 26, 2008 at 10:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Gutter_pig earned his teardrop by being the "murk" in county jail. He/It is so hardcore.
#34 Posted by jim09091 on July 27, 2008 at 2:07 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I have two tattoos from Cherry Hill and I've never been to a cleaner, nicer parlour. They are extremely conscious of cleanliness and sterile technique - much more than anywhere else I've been. Also, the artist I used, Mark, did a great job....If you're inclined to get a tattoo, I would definitely recommend this place!
#35 Posted by dab on July 27, 2008 at 5:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Who the heck is dumb enough to get a tattoo with unsterilized needles in the first place? Thats just as bad as the idiots that get tattoos out of houses... I have 21 tatts and each time my artist has used completely sterile equipment.
#36 Posted by firefightermedic27 on July 27, 2008 at 8:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Gutta..thats why I was asking. I don't think you're a dumb man. I think you're fairly intelligent, while I don't agree with most of your statements. I'm smart enough to recognize that you and I are from completely different backgrounds and you are the result of a completely different view of life. Other bloggers are just going to ridicule you for that, because you are a bit extreme in your comments.
You're not asking for my advice, but I'm going to give it anyway. If you lighten up on the anti-law enforcement comments, I think you could provide a very insightful view of what life is really like for a lot of people in our area. But, if you're just here to ruffle some feathers....you're doing a good job of it.
#37 Posted by emmylopez on July 27, 2008 at 10:01 a.m. (Suggest removal)
#41
It's merc. Trust me. It's not a white thing. It's a literate thing.
I'm an avid student of how languages evolve-- fascinating, really.
But Gutta can spell it however he wishes. The short bus idea is funny!!
So speaking of languages, did you all realize that when people say "My bad", this actually came from the rhetorical question, "Am I bad?", but the Am and I were run together and now many people think it's "my"?
Emmy, you're hilarious. I always enjoy everything you write. Why a wedge of cheese? Because it's...well, cheesy?
#38 Posted by lizzyb on July 27, 2008 at 10:41 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I totally agree with you Gutta. BUT, what I'm trying to get across is that you have really valid points to make and if maybe you bent a little and dropped the "pigs" sentiment..you might actually open up other peoples eyes about stuff that you have actually lived.
When people are anon on these blogs they judge the rest of us on here as though they are God himself. I disagree with you about a lot of stuff, but I also respect a point of view from you that I know nothing about. I'm at least open minded enough to not "hate" you for your dress and sarcasm. Thats not the way life is though, as you know. I think if you'd like to change that perception...you should dress the way you do..and intelligently (as I'm pretty sure you can) express your opinion and your life experiences.
#39 Posted by emmylopez on July 27, 2008 at 12:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)
A wedge of cheese? Well..I guess it could be a number of things. But really, I'm just a nerd.
Thanks for the compliment lizzy.
#40 Posted by emmylopez on July 27, 2008 at 12:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Gutta is an idiot. i suggest removal. unfortunately like a tattoo it is impossible. but i can skip his posts just like anyone can skip my tattoos. Cherry Hill is the cleanest and has the most talented artists I have ever seen. I have never seen a hospital use as many latex gloves as I have seen at Cherry Hill. They are courteous, funny, educated, and completely dedicated to their art.
Tattoos are a form of self expression, some people prefer to express them selves (and show their colors) by blogging while hers use their skin. I have learned which names to avoid and which have something interesting to say.
#41 Posted by seaandfree on July 27, 2008 at 6:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)
#46 Posted by Gutta1
"they may not like the way I described my look and how much smarter than them I am."
Hmmm, those that usually brag about how intelligent they are, usually aren't....
#42 Posted by Jadip811 on July 28, 2008 at 1:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I hope you are all so proud of your "tats" and your "merc" c r a p, you bunch of ghetto wannabes, when you are in your sixties, if you live that long.
#43 Posted by babbas on July 28, 2008 at 8:46 a.m. (Suggest removal)
babbas, its amazing how you can pass judgment. You don't even know me (or anyone else here.) All of my tattoos are hidden and tasteful. No flaming skulls for me, not that I think thats distasteful..
I'm glad I'm walking away from this post as a ghetto wannabe with a unibrow. You're right, I probably won't make it into my 60's..most likely I'll never take care of my unibrow and it will eventually grow to suffocate me in my sleep.
#44 Posted by emmylopez on July 28, 2008 at 10:15 a.m. (Suggest removal)
seeandfree re: #51, the use of latex gloves does not secure proper hygiene either in or out of a hospital. Good handwashing is key. Naturally any object which breaks the integrity of the skin should be sterile to help assure no infection results. Follow up instruction as to the care of the fresh tattoo is also critical.
Gutta1, I think Emmy has some valid points. As far as sarcasm goes, well, it is hard to get that across in a plain type. Perhaps if there was a way to highlight the words to get the irony across, but there isn't. I have been misinterpreted in the past, too, so please don't become defensive.
Regarding your perspective on law enforcement: what I see you doing is what you accuse others of doing based on your own description of yourself. I have strong connections to Chicago. Some of the things I saw in my younger years do not paint authorities in the best of light. I saw crooks and cops being "good friends". From what I see in the news, not a whole lot has changed in Illinois politics; especially in Chicago. However, I don't judge every LEO for what I knew in the past. Not every "cop" is a bad guy, in fact the majority are really good people who want to honestly protect and serve. We all are guilty of stereo-typing people. We want to place them in categories so we can deal with them. We often do this by simply judging their outward appearance and seldom look beyond. Even the most "liberal" minded folks I know do this. I believe it is an unfortunate part of human instinct. Now just because this could be at our core, doesn't mean our intellect can't overcome these biases.
I am of mixed race. I have native American blood and probably African blood, too based on some research my wife has done on our family histories. Most of my ancestors are European. I look completely Caucasian.
When I worked doing field research and investigations (health related), I worked with people from all walks of life, all socioeconomic levels, races, ethnicities and philosophies. I learned NOT to look at the package. In order to do a good job, I had to see beyond language, attitudes and more.
I agree with emmy; she is quite a wit and insightful young woman. I wish you the best Gutta1. Meet us half way and lighten up. There is a good group online here. Many of us enjoy humor and debate.
#45 Posted by BlueTonguedVole on July 28, 2008 at 10:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Agreed BTV, I think this blog lacks diversity and I wish Gutta would step up to the plate and give us a little taste of what life is really like for him. His intelligence is overshadowed by his "shocking" (to most) statements.
I am a mut, I couldn't even tell you what heritage I am. I'm married to a Puerto Rican man and standing next to him I look like casper the ghost. I'm fairly stereotypical Caucasian girl..no rhythm, nerdy and super clumsy. My husband is stylish, smooth and can make friends in a nano second. I've learned how different the world really is outside of Naples through him. He was born in Jersey City and he's had a gun to the back of his head while being robbed on the street.
My point being...I understand the importance of having an appreciation of your polar opposite. I think that Gutta could really enlighten quite a few people, and to be honest..it sort of pisses me off that he doesn't run with it. Thats a fairly powerful thing he could have, and he's throwing it away.
#46 Posted by emmylopez on July 28, 2008 at 11:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I totally agree with emmy.
Tats can be tasteful. (I too go see Jill). I have 3 that can be hidden and I love them , I get a lot of compliments.
#47 Posted by wonderwoman78 on July 28, 2008 at 11:55 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Gutta1, we have called you. C'mon and talk to us. Life it short and we all need to gain a much better understanding of other view points if we want to really see positive change in this rather crazy world.
Funny, I think a lot of women are getting tattoos, my wife has given it serious thought and I do think they can be rather sexy. I like the Chinese designs and some of the flowers and feathers. Never know you might see her on a Miami Ink episode!
Gutta1, where are you?
#48 Posted by BlueTonguedVole on July 28, 2008 at 1:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)
No Gutta1, I call you a pig because your "big-man / 20 year old" response to one of the articles regarding the murdered Ft. Myers police officer was basically "So what, everyone dies."
Sorry, I'm only a few years older but I find that disgusting and no matter what is said after that point it is still disgusting.
#49 Posted by jim09091 on July 31, 2008 at 4:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)
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