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Marines ban large tattoos?

Posted 29 Mar 2007 in Iraq, personal, stupidity, war

Ok, this one really pisses me off. And not just because of the slanted nature of the headline, either.

Marines ban big, garish tattoos

Five tattooed skulls stretch from Marine Cpl. Jeremy Slaton’s right elbow to his wrist, spelling out the word “Death.” He planned to add a tattoo spelling “Life” on his left arm, but that’s on hold because of a Marine policy taking effect Sunday.

The Marines are banning any new, extra-large tattoos below the elbow or the knee, saying such body art is harmful to the Corps’ spit-and-polish image.

Slaton and other grunts are not pleased.

“I guess I’ll get the other half later,” grumbled the 24-year-old leatherneck from Eden Prairie, Minn. “It’s kind of messed up.”

For many Marines, getting a tattoo is a rite of passage. They commonly get their forearms inscribed to remember fallen comrades, combat tours or loved ones, and often ask for exotic designs that incorporate the Marine motto, Semper Fi, or “Always faithful.”

Dozens of Marines from Camp Pendleton, the West Coast’s biggest Marine base, made last-minute trips to tattoo parlors in nearby Oceanside before the ban kicked in.

We’re at war in Iraq and Afghanistan against a foe who prays daily for the opportunity to saw off the heads of every American alive, and the top brass in the Marine Corps is worried that some leathernecks might get a buncha ink to commemorate their service?

F*ck that.

Let our servicemen display their patriotism and unit comraderie with pride! There’s already a ban on face and hand tattoos, and that’s fine. But other tattos won’t compromise the Corps’ image: Even full-sleeve tattoos will be covered while in full uniform.

There are WAY bigger fish to fry.

Posted by FullMetalPatriot
12th gen. American, Constitutionalist, Harley-riding Texan, gun owner & NRA member, blogger, illustrator, Florida Gator alumnus. #TCOT

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