I came across an Alternative Press article that discussed how the state of Arkansas passed a bill, banning certain tattoo and piercing procedures, specifically scarification and dermal implants. If you are interested in reading the article just click here! After reading the article, I became pretty enraged for multiple reasons, the number one being: who is the government to tell me what I can or cannot do to my body? Now, I am not looking to get any piercings or any more tattoos, but the idea of banning self expression highly bothered me. Because as mentioned in our country’s Declaration of Independence, we have “certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men….” The pursuit of happiness is the point I’d like to stress because if getting a tattoo or a piercing makes you happy, then why can’t you pursue your happiness? AND on top of this, the government is supposed to protect my right to pursuit happiness, and in the state of Arkansas the government is doing the complete opposite.
For those that are unaware, scarification is the art of creating designs in the body through the use of scar tissue and the process has been around for centuries, originating in Africa. It’s similar to a tattoo; however, the main difference is that no ink is involved in scarification. There are two types of methods: cutting and branding. Cutting is exactly as it sounds, one is cutting the skin to create a tattoo, and branding is also as it sounds, one is burning the body to create a design. And, dermal implanting is the process of embedding jewelry underneath the skin. The body then heals and one can see the design protruding out from the flesh.
janeenscharms.com L: Cutting R: Branding
tumblr.com Dermal Implant
Arkansas’ concern and reason for banning the procedures was increased infection resulting from such procedures. However, after doing some research, I’d have to argue that if Arkansas feels the need to ban certain tattoos and piercings then shouldn’t the state ban cosmetic surgery as well? Those types of surgeries: removing wrinkles, breast augmentations, and nose jobs are much more intrusive to the body and run an even higher risk for infection and something going wrong. And let’s be clear, tattoos are about self expression; whereas, cosmetic surgery is solely about appearance. So if you cannot get scarification in Arkansas why should someone else be allowed to increase their breast size?
After the public voiced their opinion, the bill in Arkansas, upon entering the House, was amended so that the specific ban on scarification was removed from the bill and is to instead be regulated by the State Board of Health, and dermal implants were more specifically defined to ban only subdermal implants, fully enclosed by the skin, rather than microdermal implants, which protrude. Nonetheless, in my opinion, there shouldn’t have been a ban at all, period.
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