Originally posted by: mugs
No, you're judging anyone who has a negative opinion of him because of his tattoo. You believe that a person should not be open to criticism about the way they decorate their body, because it's his body and he can do what he wants with it. I would venture to say that most people would not agree with that. I would venture to say that you would not even agree with yourself if you thought it through. The way a person decorate's their body, like any other form of expression, is open to criticism. Using my previous example, if someone tattooed "death to all n!ggers" on his forehead, I doubt you would not think to yourself "you know, I really don't agree with that." I really hope you'd think something like that.
I've never called the OP a racist because of his tattoo. I'm merely saying that your assertion that a person "should not be open to ridicule" over the way they decorate their body is absurd. If a sports commentator went on TV and said "Jew agents are ruining professional sports, I wish all the Jews had died in the holocaust," don't you think he should get fired? Free speech is not free from social repercusions.
No one has suggested that the OP should be denied his right to have that tattoo, but you want to deny them their right to criticize him for it. I think your judgement is clouded by your personal opinion on the flag.
No, what I am saying is that the OP should be allowed to put whatever he wants on his body without fearing the risk of ppl trying to tell him what it means, or is supposed to mean.
When this thread started... the OP showed off his tattoo... there was a few ppl who automatically decided what the confederate flag meant to them, automatically assumed that it meant the same to the OP and jumped to conclusions about the OP.
I am saying that is wrong.
Not only should the OP decided what he wants as a tattoo... not the general public... but he should not be denied his right to have it mean, to him, what he feels in his heart about it.
Just because of the % of the population sees the confederate flag as meaning slavery to them does not, and should not, make that symbol mean nothing else to everyone else.
I do not think it is right for those who see it as ONLY slavery to critize him if it does not have that meaning to him. If it has a historical and heritage meaning to him, that has nothing to do with slavery, then why should he be called a racist? Because it means slavery to someone else?
Perhaps I am explaining my POV unclearly. But i think that if someone makes it plain that he is racist and thinks slavery is a good thing, so paints the confederate flag everywhere... then it should be his views that are open to critism. But if his beliefs that the confederate flag are historical, then he should not be painted with the same brush by those who choose to see the confederate flag as a symbol of racism.
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