Do you judge people?

If you saw this man above, what would you think? Would you just go on your way not noticing? Would you admire his tattoos? Would you snicker and think to yourself, "oh my god, look at all of those tattoos!"? Would you be scared of him?

Tattoos have evolved a great deal since the beginning. Tattoos used to be seen as a marking for motorcycle gangs or other gangs in general. The popularity has increased over the past few years when it became trendy to get a little rose tattoo on your ankle or a butterfly on top of your foot.

What about someone like this who has a lot of tattoos? Do you judge people based on tattoos? Would you not give this guy a job even though he is well qualified because of his tattoos? Would you make comments about him to your friends? Would you be nervous if he came up beside you in a store?

Tattoos are an art form to some. Some people get tattoos just to be trendy and look "cool". For others they are a way to release their emotions and memories by having them etched into their skin permanently. Why do so many people stereotype someone just because they have tattoos? Does getting a tattoo suddenly take away brain cells? Does getting a tattoo instantly make you a "thug" or a drug dealer? Are people really that closed minded to believe things like this?

Guess what? That man in the photo above is my husband! Yes, he has a lot of tattoos! Does that mean he is a bad person? NO! My husband is caring and kind. If he sees someone pulled over on the side of the road he will stop and offer his assistance. He love animals. He is a great husband and an even greater father to our children. I can't tell you how many times he has been discriminated against due to his tattoos. He has been followed around in stores by employees making sure he doesn't steal something. He has been turned down for jobs because of his tattoos. A lot of employers aren't afraid to say that tattoos are a reason for not hiring him. Oh, he might be able to do laborous jobs in the back but he wouldn't be allowed to deal with the public looking like that. Why is that? It's because people are so closed minded and bigoted that they will judge someone based purely on appearance and companies are afraid of losing business! Isn't this 2007? The last time I checked it was! However, people still judge others on appearance whether it be tattoos, piercings, being overweight, being too skinny, having nappy hair, anything at all. Anything that is not considered "normal" is usually shunned. Isn't it a shame that people are not allowed to truely express themselves the way that they want to because of other people's judgmental minds? I honestly don't care what other people think. People that I don't know are not important to me. The only opinions I care about are of my family and friends. If you are going to judge me or my husband based purely on how we look or dress then we don't want you in our lives anyway!