# White Power Tattoos at Work



## SpaceDock (Dec 11, 2014)

I rarely start threads, but the people who work in the manufacturing area at my company have gotten progressively lower in class since the company hasn't increased the starting wage in 10+ years. I really try not to judge the vast array of freaks that parade through the place, but now there is a guy with white power tattoos all over. 

I am a open minded person, I'm sure everyone thinks that of themselves, and I could care less about how people live outside of work. This is just crazy to me though. 

I don't want to be a judgemental prick, but I really feel compelled to pitch a fit at HR. How can it be alright to have something etched on your skin that would get you fired for having on a shirt? Is it ever alright to have hatespeech on your body? Or am I a jerk for even questioning his free speech? 

I really don't know how to react, beyond disgust. 

Btw: he is not apologetic about it


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## celticelk (Dec 11, 2014)

SpaceDock said:


> I don't want to be a judgemental prick, but I really feel compelled to pitch a fit at HR. How can it be alright to have something etched on your skin that would get you fired for having on a shirt? Is it ever alright to have hatespeech on your body? Or am I a jerk for even questioning his free speech?



There's no constitutional right to free speech in the workplace. The First Amendment limits the ability of the government to take action against you based on the content of your speech, but it doesn't bind private actors (people, corporations, organizations). My advice would be to have a word with HR if it's interfering with your work environment.


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## possumkiller (Dec 11, 2014)

I have a Zyklon ninja star logo on my right forearm with a black band going around my arm and people seem to think it is some kind of neo Nazi club tattoo or something.


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## 7stg (Dec 11, 2014)

SpaceDock said:


> there is a guy with white power tattoos all over.
> 
> Btw: he is not apologetic about it



And they hired him because...

As celticelk said the workplace can govern speech at least to a degree. Due to the expression being accepted by the government as one of hate they could fire him on the spot without repercussion.

Are these tattoos something long sleeves don't cover? Not that he cares apparently. 


Sounds like its time to find a better place to work.


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## SpaceDock (Dec 11, 2014)

He has a swastika on his neck, one on forearm, white power on one arm, and 100% cracker on a hand. It is really distasteful.

You know I honestly don't think they have any standards for manufacturing workers anymore, it's more about hiring cheap. Hell, I know they hire felons now so they probably get some sort of government kickback for hiring these people. 

I am lucky thati do not work with them. I am in a different league entirely, however I started in the manufacturing area and worked my way up. It seemed like they used to have some standards.


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## 7stg (Dec 11, 2014)

SpaceDock said:


> They hire felons now





SpaceDock said:


> They get some sort of government kickback for hiring these people.




As I was off looking for over the top white power prison tattoos to add to my post. LOL

If they did not hire him straight out of the penn, where do they find them, recruitment efforts at kkk rallies job postings on skin head fourms. 

Does he got red laces in his Doc Martens or other type of boots.


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## SpaceDock (Dec 11, 2014)

Amusingly enough he dresses like a gansta wanna be.


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## possumkiller (Dec 11, 2014)

Nice to know us felons who paid our debts to society are well thought of...

I got trashed at a family party and was run over by my aunt in her driveway. I became a felon because I was loud and uncooperative in the emergency room and said some distasteful things to the policemen who followed me into the ER. I served two years of probation and got off a year early because I did what I was supposed to. I applied and qualified to have my record sealed. For the last four years I have been living off of government assistance and my wife has had to join the army so that our family can have insurance. All because I cannot even get a shit job due to my record. 

Not everyone with a record is a murderous piece of shit. A lot of people fvck up once in their life and you can take my word for it that the rest of their life is ruined because of it. It isn't much fun filling out hundreds of job applications and never getting a single reply. It definitely isn't fun to waste money you don't have to fly across the country for a job interview that could change your life only to find out that you were dropped because even though your record is sealed and you have the legal right to deny you have a record, all the employer has to do is google your name and they can find it.

Edit: On topic though... I definitely don't see how someone could get hired anywhere with tattoos like that. My record is enough to scare off the employers I talk to. Being covered in hate symbols seems like it would scare off employers also. I mean from an HR point of view it just seems like a bunch of complaints waiting to happen.


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## Hollowway (Dec 11, 2014)

MUST be an ex con. I don't think there's many places outside of prison that people are still getting those sorts of tattoos. But either way, that's just batty. Never mind him having offensive tattoos - a dude like that I'd be worried would steal my stuff or beat me up for looking at him wrong.

If you DO go to HR, make sure they don't let him know it was you, or call you into the room, and be like, "Mr. Klan, it seems that Mr. Dock is offended by your tattos. Dr. Dock, would you like to tell Mr. Klan how that makes you feel?"


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## 7stg (Dec 11, 2014)

SpaceDock said:


> Amusingly enough he dresses like a gansta wanna be.




no,no,no that would be like this






If he wants to be white power he's gotta do it right!

Here is where he should start. white shirt is common. Pants are to be blue denim or hitler brown fatigues. Notice the tough guy scarring.





if he earns his red laces and red suspenders they can be swapped in.

Here is how to dress it up a bit.





To dress up further a blue suit is the uniform.

Racist Skinhead Glossary | Southern Poverty Law Center

I of course, do not condone said philosophy on life.


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## 7stg (Dec 11, 2014)

possumkiller said:


> Nice to know us felons who paid our debts to society are well thought of...





possumkiller said:


> Not everyone with a record is a murderous piece of shit.



I was really commenting on the latter part of the latter. These days you can walk down the street wrong and get a felony.


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## skeels (Dec 11, 2014)

Is that one guy lobotomized? 

That's the ultimate tough guy scar- where they remove your brain.


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## possumkiller (Dec 11, 2014)

Yeah I didn't mean it to sound harsh. It's just really annoying for someone like me to know that from now on I am lumped into the same group as rapists, burglars, murderers and the like.


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## 7stg (Dec 11, 2014)

possumkiller said:


> Yeah I didn't mean it to sound harsh. It's just really annoying for someone like me to know that from now on I am lumped into the same group as rapists, burglars, murderers and the like.



And that's something that needs to change in society. So many things are a felony now and you loose so many rights because of it. When someones looking at a hundred applications and they need to start eliminating, a record just gives them a reason to reject, and that is sad.


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## SpaceDock (Dec 11, 2014)

Hollowway said:


> If you DO go to HR, make sure they don't let him know it was you, or call you into the room, and be like, "Mr. Klan, it seems that Mr. Dock is offended by your tattos. Dr. Dock, would you like to tell Mr. Klan how that makes you feel?"



Lol, I would be sure to call it in.


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## 7stg (Dec 11, 2014)

skeels said:


> Is that one guy lobotomized?



Well, considering the view he holds of others...


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## tacotiklah (Dec 12, 2014)

Well if you wanna get your point across that you don't like his tattoos, but don't want to come off as a snitch, start wearing gay pride or jewish symbols around him. Anything that will get him looking at you weird and making HIM feel uncomfortable. That forces him to say something about it, in which you can say "well since you have no shame in wearing symbols of hate, I have no shame in sharing symbols of love and tolerance."

Just a thought...


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## McKay (Dec 12, 2014)

tacotiklah said:


> Well if you wanna get your point across that you don't like his tattoos, but don't want to come off as a snitch, start wearing gay pride or jewish symbols around him. Anything that will get him looking at you weird and making HIM feel uncomfortable. That forces him to say something about it, in which you can say "well since you have no shame in wearing symbols of hate, I have no shame in sharing symbols of love and tolerance."
> 
> Just a thought...



Best solution.


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## metaldoggie (Dec 12, 2014)

I feel your pain.....we have the same here (I believe there are even people on nights that have ankle bracelet trackers.....yeah).

There are people that graffiti the bathrooms with swastikas (albeit backwards).

If you are Jewish then I think you would have a legitimate concern for your own well-being. If not I think it would be a little tricky (not that anyone else with a sense of ethics shouldn't be concerned) it's just that the symbols are not directed at your ethnicity/religion etc etc.

But at the end of the day, if they hired him despite of his views then it's really up to him to get himself fired. I agree with the above course of action, if you really are intent on getting rid of him. Personally I would just ignore it (that kind of thing really does offend me but at the end of the day I don't think you can really change anything by having him fired.....it just transplants that person to become somebody else's problem and doesn't stop him from feeling that way).

If you have to work directly with this person on the other hand then I would absolutely express your concerns to HR and tell them that you don't want to work with someone like that when it is in your face.


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## Edika (Dec 12, 2014)

tacotiklah said:


> Well if you wanna get your point across that you don't like his tattoos, but don't want to come off as a snitch, start wearing gay pride or jewish symbols around him. Anything that will get him looking at you weird and making HIM feel uncomfortable. That forces him to say something about it, in which you can say "well since you have no shame in wearing symbols of hate, I have no shame in sharing symbols of love and tolerance."
> 
> 
> Just a thought...



While I agree people like these are not well in the head, tend to be violent and vengeful. You know the type which think everyone else is the problem and why they have a shitty life.

I would recommend a talk with HR having the discussion confidential. It might sound like the less brave thing to do but it'll just save you potential trouble.

To possumkiller, that is nuts. You got run by a car and went to jail for being loud in ER? I have no words man!


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## metaldoggie (Dec 12, 2014)

possumkiller said:


> Yeah I didn't mean it to sound harsh. It's just really annoying for someone like me to know that from now on I am lumped into the same group as rapists, burglars, murderers and the like.



That is not a good situation and the job market is very unfair that way.
Like someone said earlier, any reason they can find to thin the applicants they will take it.
My advise would be to give them a compelling reason not to pass over your resume - whether that is because you are the best at what you do, education, experience etc. If your skill set is in a job market that is saturated with workers, then the best thing you can do is diversify your education/skills and try something else.
I obviously don't know your situation but, just trying to help.


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## Rev2010 (Dec 12, 2014)

If you don't work directly with the guy I'd probably just keep my mouth shut. If it really bothers you that much I would say leave an anonymous letter on HR's desk. Sounds cowardly and I'm personally not afraid of others, but point is people usually do find out if you go talk in person. Either someone sees you go in or come out and then ties it to you or whatever, the information often does come out. Or he might think it's you right off the bat if he's noticed you eying his tats. The only reason I think this is something to be concerned about is possible retribution. You have no idea how nutty this guy might be. What if he got canned as a result and showed up at your house at 2am with some guys and bats or whatnot.

I dunno, I see you're uncomfortable but again, if you're not working directly with the guy I'd probably just ignore it or go about complaining about it as covertly as possible just to not have any chance of big problems as a result.


Rev.


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## Noxon (Dec 12, 2014)

Space Dock, I would be uncomfortable too. I mean, the dude does have a right to be an ignorant asshole, I suppose. But, you also have the right to not be okay with it. I would follow The Rev's advice. Anonymity is key. Who knows what the guy may do? 

I just can't believe that this kind of person still exists in modern times.


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## Chokey Chicken (Dec 13, 2014)

They hired him with the tats, so it's likely they don't care. Because the guy's on the low end, he's expendable too. It's always a possibility that if your company is being cheap, they're trying to offend the higher paid folks enough to complain and either quit or fire them when they refuse to work with said colorful individual. Sounds stupid, but I've seen it happen before.


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## Captain Butterscotch (Dec 13, 2014)

What if he's one of the best workers there?


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## Overtone (Dec 13, 2014)

Are workers in his position able to wear long sleeves, or are there safety reasons preventing that?


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## ghost_of_karelia (Dec 13, 2014)

And I can't get a job because I have long hair.


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## scottro202 (Dec 13, 2014)

I say try to go into work and scare him by dressing like a ghost. All you need is a sheet! Wait... that may give off the wrong idea.

But, in all seriousness, like Rev said, anonymity will most likely be your friend here if you decide to complain.


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## tacotiklah (Dec 13, 2014)

Also keep in mind that if he's a felon, those tats might likely be due to the whole racial segregation thing in prison. I'm not condoning it, but everyone is expected to stick to their own race while on the inside, and to show proof of that, some of the guys get 1488 and other racist tats. 

Sometimes the person has changed, but ink is always there. If he remains unrepentant as you say, then yeah, totally troll his ass with pics of gay black jewish guys going at it.


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## vilk (Dec 15, 2014)

possumkiller said:


> I have a Zyklon ninja star logo on my right forearm with a black band going around my arm and people seem to think it is some kind of neo Nazi club tattoo or something.



Well, I mean, the band is named after the Nazi's gas that they used for killing Jews in concentration camps... so... it's not the farthest stretch?


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## stevexc (Dec 15, 2014)

vilk said:


> Well, I mean, the band is named after the Nazi's gas that they used for killing Jews in concentration camps... so... it's not the farthest stretch?



Allegedly not:



> Despite Samoth having been in a previous Emperor side project called Zyklon-B, the two are not related; Zyklon B is the name of a lethal gas used by the Nazis during the Holocaust; "Zyklon" is, according to Samoth, a play on the word "cyclone", since the word is spelled syklon in Norwegian. The cover of the band's album "Aeon" features an image of a tornado, also known as a cyclone.



If that counts for anything


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## Konfyouzd (Dec 15, 2014)

"Freedom of speech" doesn't make you free of the consequences that may result from said speech. Further, if he doesn't wish to have to deal with any of those consequences, it's probably best that he keep that sort of thing at least covered when he's at work.

I know plenty of black ppl at work that have some less than progressive attitudes toward white ppl. They have the good sense to keep their damn mouths shut in mixed company, though. 

Not that the way they feel is in some way justified or better bc they hold their tongues. I simply seek to demonstrate that there are assholes on both sides and it seems that some just choose to use a bit more tact when it comes to their own ignorance...


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## SpaceDock (Dec 15, 2014)

And......he already got fired, I don't think he even lasted two weeks.


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## Konfyouzd (Dec 15, 2014)

Dayum... What was he fired for? Do they not disclose that? Watch it be something completely unrelated to race.


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## narad (Dec 15, 2014)

Edika said:


> While I agree people like these are not well in the head, tend to be violent and vengeful. You know the type which think everyone else is the problem and why they have a shitty life.



I think as long as he's doing the job, best to ignore and leave it at that. Hate comes from many sources, but being stuck without work and having an even shittier life is not going to help anything, and could even result in him lashing out. I mean, everyone deserves a shot at redemption, and you don't know when that one act or event might come along and change someone's perspective. You do know that it's unlikely that it'll happen if he's in a shitty apartment brooding by himself about the world not understanding his believes and putting him in that position.

It just sort of reminds me of all the wacky social policies in play in some of Europe and especially Scandinavian countries. You put policies in place that help people escape bad situations and they do, but you start taking away rights, more of the American way, and people push against it.


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## 7 Strings of Hate (Dec 15, 2014)

Try this: IGNORE IT!

You cant change every asshole out there, and they might as well do their part since we are stuck with them anyway. You can bitch and moan about it, or talk shit, or wear your own shirts saying counter statements.

OR, you could do the mature adult thing and just ignore it. Its not worth it. Just dont invite that guy to your bbq.


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## asher (Dec 15, 2014)

Konfyouzd said:


> Dayum... What was he fired for? Do they not disclose that? Watch it be something completely unrelated to race.



Maybe someone else complained first


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## Pat_tct (Dec 16, 2014)

since he is fired it is not really relevant but i thought: leave it be.
if he just works there and does his job - ignore him.
as long as he not bothering anyone...

you can never know what he might have been through. maybe he was a nazi once but left the group and just tries to re-socialize.
and removing those old tattoos cost a fortune so he might not had the chance.

but yeah...

everyday on my to work i see a guy who works on a construction site. he takes the same bus as me. he has some tattoos as well. but he never bothered anyone. i don't know him personally and i am not offended by him. he just does his job everyday like everyone else.

no need to spread rumors or hate or anything.


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## aesthyrian (Jan 21, 2015)

Are there really assholes like that in Colorado? Dude needs to get on that recreational cannabis and love more.


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## Explorer (Jan 21, 2015)

I'm not surprised the dude is no longer there.

The OP posted that the dude was unapologetic, which often translates to "in your face."

If someone was trying to change a lifestyle, and recognized that white power tattoos would affect how others perceived such tattoos, such a person would cover them.

If someone is out and proud, then it's a matter of, You don't like my pride? Then fvck you!

I like the two earlier posts from the same poster (but not the OP), one post about how people misjudge his tattoos, and the other where it turns out that one of the tattoos has the poster putting the name of the gas used by Nazis to kill Jews in the death camps on his body permanently. 

There is definitely an error in judgment there on someone's part.


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## Spaced Out Ace (Jan 21, 2015)

Nevermind; assjack mcasshat is already fired. Good riddance.


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## Overtone (Jan 21, 2015)

possumkiller said:


> I have a Zyklon ninja star logo on my right forearm with a black band going around my arm and people seem to think it is some kind of neo Nazi club tattoo or something.



I think that just means this:







with a black band, and not the actual word "Zyklon".


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## fenderbender4 (Jan 23, 2015)

Damn. Got to love business. Claim to be efficient and offering solutions to everything. Yet millions of qualified people are unemployed or underemployed and the ones who get hired are white supremacists who get fired in two weeks.

I am sorry to hear this situation happened at all.


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## MaxOfMetal (Jan 24, 2015)

I know this situation has passed, but I'm drinking which means it's time to put my two cents in. 

I'm of Jewish decent, non-practicing atheist though, and I don't care if he had the most antisemitic thing ever tattooed on every square inch of his body. Applying these "right to not be offended" policies is way too slippery of a slope for me to be comfortable with. 

What's next? Firing folks with gay pride tattoos because some will be offended? 

Exiling them from society is not how you take care of the racism problem. 

My


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## Explorer (Jan 26, 2015)

It's not that there is a right to not be offended. 

It's a right to be free from harassment in the workplace. 

So if someone wore a T-shirt which stated that a German employer was therefore supportive of the Nazi genocide of the Jews, that would probably be a problem for the employee. 

If someone put up a sign that said "Kykes are a problem," that could be seen as problematic. In fact, a lot of those employee manuals which people get in their orientation in different companies actually outline that this is not acceptable behavior. 

If you have someone who insists on displaying a sign, that is reasonably interpreted as an attempt at intimidation. They're not only gone, but get no unemployment benefits because it's for cause. 

----

As far as I know, there are no "gay power" groups which have embraced violence. I therefore think you've made a questionable attempt at finding an equivalent.

Also... I do know people who cover really horrifying ideas which they once thought were worthy of aggressively inking on their skin.

Why do they cover them up?

Because they want to be part of the diverse society they once rejected. 

If you're being in-your-face with that stuff, as the white-power-tattoo guy was in the OP's stories, that person isn't attempting to fit in.

And if someone doesn't care about others, it doesn't matter how much you might want to make them part of society. That's like a woman who keeps forgiving her husband and giving him more second chances after he's beaten the tar out of her more than once. Forgiveness and reconciliation only happens when the person who is being forgiven actually wants to change. 

Proudly displaying those tattoos doesn't indicate change. 

*Quick, before you sober up... do *you* think him actually displaying that stuff meant he wanted to change?*


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## ThatCanadianGuy (Jan 29, 2015)

Explorer said:


> It's not that there is a right to not be offended.
> 
> It's a right to be free from harassment in the workplace.
> 
> ...



Here's an interesting question. If he was trying to change, would you even care? Or would you let preconceived notions of what HIS ink means to YOU colour your view of him?

What ever happened to being the bigger man?

On a slightly related note, I usually walk around with a shaved head and visible tattoos. I was approached once by a man who had a lot of prison ink. (Head and neck covered) He liked my tattoos, so I started telling him about them. He said he had gotten away from everything gang and drug related, and was trying to start his own business. Also admitted he'd never get rid of the ink because it was a part of his life once. Uses it as a reminder how shitty it was. Nice guy, wish I could get in touch with him.

The point is, you're literally judging a proverbial book by its cover, and I haven't seen anyone on this site come out about how offended they are about Cain Velasquez's "Brown Pride" tattoo.


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## Explorer (Jan 29, 2015)

ThatCanadianGuy said:


> Here's an interesting question. If he was trying to change, would you even care? Or would you let preconceived notions of what HIS ink means to YOU colour your view of him?
> 
> What ever happened to being the bigger man?



First off... I get the impression that you didn't read what information was given in the very first post of this topic. 

Talking about being the bigger man in the context of someone who was apparently unconcerned about the niceties seems odd.

The fact that the person was let go also makes your comment seem odd. 

However, for what it's worth, I've talked with interviewees in my capacity as an HR rep, including our rules about tattoos when we have to interact with customers. No business wants to alienate customers, and as much as someone might want to argue for freedom of expression on one's own time, one doesn't have that freedom of expression on the business' time. That's why you get paid, instead of doing the job in your "free time." 

I also outlined, from an HR perspective, how one needs to take the health and security of one's employees into consideration. If I have an employee who says, "I don't care how my white power tattoos might be perceived by other employees," that can reasonably be used to establish attitude problems when defending a firing for cause in a potential future lawsuit.

I've hired people with tattoos. I've worked with people with tattoos. 

Somehow I don't see white power tattoos in the same way that I think of a encircling wrist/hand tattoo of a plant of the same name as the person's recently deceased grandmother (a real example). 

----

I do think it's interesting to argue that one cannot use what one has chosen to put on one's skin as a clue to one's attitudes at some point or another. I'm assuming that you're saying, with the "book/cover" idea, that one can't make *any* assumptions about a clearly stated idea held in a tattoo. 

When you combine a tattoo with a defense of displaying that tattoo, that also gives clues about where that person is coming from, and those clues are just from the cover the book actually chose, but from continuing to show that cover. 

Both getting particular tattoos, and then defending the need to show something no matter who such tattoos might denigrate, are *behaviors*. They're not the color of that person's skin, or their sexuality. They are choices the person makes. 

At least that's my understanding of how tattoos arrive on a person's skin. What's yours?


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## ThatCanadianGuy (Jan 29, 2015)

Explorer said:


> First off... I get the impression that you didn't read what information was given in the very first post of this topic.
> 
> Talking about being the bigger man in the context of someone who was apparently unconcerned about the niceties seems odd.
> 
> ...



You obviously aren't getting the point. They aren't your tattoos. Until those tattoos jump off his skin and assault you, you don't have a right to be offended.

EDIT: If you let words and secret meanings define something's danger, there will be a day where free speech won't be an option. Think about this, and think about this hard... Should we perceive words as weapons, or as what they really are, jumbles of letters?


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## Explorer (Jan 29, 2015)

ThatCanadianGuy said:


> You obviously aren't getting the point. They aren't your tattoos. Until those tattoos jump off his skin and assault you, you don't have a right to be offended.
> 
> EDIT: If you let words and secret meanings define something's danger, there will be a day where free speech won't be an option. Think about this, and think about this hard... Should we perceive words as weapons, or as what they really are, jumbles of letters?



Actually, I have a right to be offended, but I don't have the right to curtail someone's display of those tattoos in public. 

And the one displaying said tattoos has a right to do so, but doesn't have the right to freedom from criticism. 

(Oddly enough, you seem to be using a right to be offended to argue that others don't have a right to be offended. )

You completely skipped the point about it being in the workplace, and then went off into some defense of freedom of speech... which makes it seem that you're worried that the government is the one who is clamping down on such freedom. 

I like that you're arguing that one has a right to support bigotry, but not to be intolerant of bigotry.


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## ThatCanadianGuy (Jan 29, 2015)

Explorer said:


> Actually, I have a right to be offended, but I don't have the right to curtail someone's display of those tattoos in public.
> 
> And the one displaying said tattoos has a right to do so, but doesn't have the right to freedom from criticism.
> 
> ...



I'm not so worried about the government curtailing anything than I am idiots trying to report people to a higher power for existing. Help the guy find a job in a warehouse where he doesn't have to interact with customers, and then you have a right to pretend you're better than him.

When he tells you he's racist, then you can hang him from your holier-than-thou crucifix. 

Dicky, out.


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## Dana (Jan 29, 2015)

wow. Babies.... get back to work


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## Explorer (Jan 29, 2015)

ThatCanadianGuy said:


> Dicky, out.



On the plus side, I now have a shorter name to type in reply than CanadianGuy....


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