Ethics of the Tattoo Artist (What? We have those?)

In this day and age I'm not surprising anyone by saying that tattoos are more easily accepted as a part of our culture and that tattoos are not just for bikers, convicts and sailors. I am tattooing more and more grandmothers, skilled professionals, and clergy in addition to the young guys and gals who want to rebel against their parents or be different just like all of their friends.

But what am I tattooing on them? Aha! It's not often that it happens, but it does happen. An ethical dilemma. There are those tattooists who will tattoo anything on anyone and consider no consequence. The client signed the waiver, they're of age, it's their body. This is a business and it's here to make money.They make no consideration that besides ruining someones life, they may be ruining their own reputation as well and for what? An extra sixty bucks?

Wikipedia defines ethics as this:

Ethics is a major branch of philosophy, encompassing right conduct and good life. It is significantly broader than the common conception of analyzing right and wrong. A central aspect of ethics is "the good life", the life worth living or life that is simply satisfying, which is held by many philosophers to be more important than moral conduct.

In other words, it's not just about being a law abiding citizen, it's about being able to live with yourself knowing you did the right thing. The high- school cashier who can't count gives you too much change? (When did they stop teaching kids how to count? Seriously.) You could keep it, knowing it's no fault of your own that this kid is an idiot or give it back, knowing that it's not your money to keep and that most people wouldn't. Your buddy's wife makes a pass at you? You refuse her advances of course. But do you tell your friend that his wife, the mother of his children whom he is madly in love with, is a whore, knowing that this might not only start a fight but ruin a home? An ethical dilemma can be solved as easily as choosing to walk away or staying to fight the shitstorm to come. Either way it's all about looking at yourself in the mirror and liking what you see.

So what does this have to do with being a tattoo artist? Like the tattoo itself, it's mostly about personal choices. There are some things I absolutely refuse to tattoo on people, and there are other tattoos that I refuse to do given the circumstance. Examples:

White power, swastikas, third reich. Anything that has to do with racial supremacy is my absolute no-no. I have refused these tattoos more often than I would like to think possible. I have heard the argument "It's a free country and it's my body. I can believe what I want and do what I want." Yes you can, but not with my tattoo and my name. All it takes is one of those tattoos to be seen by a person who would ask "Hey, where did you get that tattoo?". And when they get their answer I am no longer a tattoo artist. I'm a bigot lacking in moral fiber and once word gets out that I'm doing those kind of tats then there goes a third of my customers. I respect this great country and it's freedoms even if what people want to believe is something I find abhorrent. But not only is refusing these tattoos good ethics, it's good business.

I also won't do anything that involves Satan worship or any tattoo that denounces God. This is my choice. It's not a general practice of ethics but rather personal choice.

But what about tattoos that have nothing to do with morals but rather just doing the right thing? Once a 19 year old came looking to get "FUCK LIFE" tattooed on his knuckles. I explained how I will not be responsible for him never being able to have a job ever again. He shrugged his shoulders and left without incident. Another young man wanted to get the word "Glory" tattooed across his throat. After asking him what he wanted to do with his life he told me about his plans for law school. I couldn't see him getting hired at any law firm to pick up lunch, let alone an important case. He got the tattoo somewhere more discreet, problem solved. But then...

A few years ago a young lady of 18 going on 8 and a half wanted a tattoo of her boyfriends name. I learned long ago that name tattoos outside of blood family are a mistake. But I also learned that people will always be stupid enough to get them and I have stepped down off of my soapbox on this issue. If anything I will get twice the business by doing these tattoos since eventually most of them will need to come in and get that name covered up with another, more expensive, tattoo. More for me. But on this day, with this girl, I had to refuse the work. While she was waiting her turn for her tattoo she was arguing with the boyfriend on her cell phone. She would call him an asshole, hang up and call him back if he hadn't called back already. This went on for a while. When I finished with my previous client she was ready, pant leg rolled up and a big smile that still had braces, very excited about her new tattoo. I approached her gently and explained how I don't think now is the time for this tattoo. The braces disappeared with her smile. I offered her a tattoo of something else. That's not what she wants. I told her about how I heard her fighting with the guy and that I couldn't, in clear conscience, put this tattoo on her and if they were still together in a year come back and I'll do it for free. She started mother-effing me left and right. I called 3 other shops in the area to see if they could do her tattoo for her. Two of them refused and one said they would do it but would still tell her she's being stupid.

She said "I don't understand. I'm giving you the money. You're still making the money." I said "I could make money selling drugs too, but that's not the point." I'm not certain if she was able to see my point through the steam of her teen aged angst. But I was trying to be ethical. Ethics can be a gray area when it comes to the taboo world of tattoos anyway. I'm certainly not trying to become some patron saint of tattoo heaven. I've tattooed pictures of lots of things on lots of people that some might consider low brow. I guess it comes back to personal choices. Maybe I did that girl a solid by refusing her tattoo. And maybe I could have just shut up, done the tattoo and made a young girl happy with a permanent reminder of her asshole boyfriend.

And maybe as long as I'm not overly focused on weather it's going to make me richer or poorer at the end of the day I'll be able to look at myself in the mirror and keep eye contact. Maybe. Until the day comes that I could really use an extra sixty bucks.