Legalizing Tattooing in South Carolina Essay - 1155 Words

What is tattooing? Tattooing is the art of marking the skin with indelible patterns, pictures, or legends by making pricks and inserting colored ink. The word itself has its origins in the South Pacific. The art had been referred to as pricking, scarring, or staining until explorer Captain James Cook encountered the indigenous peoples of Tahiti. (Wilkinson 6) Tattooing is not just a recent fad. Tattooing has been around for a very long time. The current first proven incident of a tattoo dates back 4,000 years B.C. a traveler was found in Italy near Austria, preserved in the permafrost of a glacier. Carbon dating and arte facts found near him suggest that he is over 5,300 years old (Tattoos and Design). Tattoos have been used†¦show more content†¦The station later aired the film, landing White in jail under Section 16-17-700 of the S.C. Code of Laws, which makes it illegal for someone to tattoo another person. The only exception allowed for in the statute, which is listed in the Offenses Against Public Policy section of the code, is a licensed doctor, and only if the doctor believes it is necessary when performing cosmetic or reconstructive surgery. Tattoos have become increasingly popular recently according to American Academy of Dermatology stating In fact, the number of tattoo studios has grown from 300 to over 4,000 nationally in the past 20 years. From tribal art to cartoon pictures, more and more people are getting decorated with ink. There are mixed feelings about whether or not South Carolina and Oklahoma should legalize tattooing. Most arguments against legalizing tattooing are irrelevant. South Carolina could gain much by legalizing the art form and therefore should. Some people that are against tattooing argue that it is a permanent marking. They argue that if someone changes their mind about their tattoo, they are still stuck with it forever. All too many teens make the decision to be tattooed or pierced based on misinformation. Others simply lack important knowledge about the procedures (Reybold 38). Since most humans change their