This is a letter to the editor I published at the Daily Advance. Posted here for posterity, since they have no online archive:
A recent letter criticizing the Currituck Board of Commissioners’ decision to relax zoning restrictions on tattoo parlors serves as yet another reminder of how quaintly behind the times we are here in northeastern North Carolina. This parochialism and xenophobia is sort of cute and endearing in its naivety; however, it is also detrimental to our area’s youth, who must grow up with such intolerance.
The letter writer suggests that tattoo parlors are sexual in nature because people can have their privates pierced and tattooed. If this is a reason to zone them differently, then we must similarly zone clothing stores for selling thongs, theaters for showing R-rated movies, and convenience stores for selling condoms. Perhaps we should establish a red-light district to shelter the puritanical members of our community from impure thoughts?
The letter writer affirms that people have the right to tattoos and piercings, but wants it hidden away in the community where no one can see them. This implies an attitude that people who have tattoos and piercings comprise some sort of counter-culture that threatens community values. I am college-educated, professional, and a contributing member of the community. I also have my tongue pierced and more than 30 hours of tattoo ink on my body. My body art is not a dramatic lifestyle choice, but merely reflects my sense of style, which includes a fine appreciation for eccentric artwork like many other members of my generation.
We are not abnormal, we are Generation X.