FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO PAY FOR TATTOO REMOVAL

FOXNEWS ^ | By Kelley Beaucar Vlahos

[justkillingtime]

Federal Government Paying for Tattoo Removal in Congresswoman's District Friday, January 11, 2002 By Kelley Beaucar Vlahos Respond to Editor Email this Article WASHINGTON

[justkillingtime]

Capps spun the pork project as a job search assistance program for former gang members. DONT YOU JUST LOVE THE DEM SPIN MACHINE ON THIS ONE??

[Keyes For President]

Unbelievable! What ever happened to the Republic the founders fathered? (or is it fathers founded?)

[Aurelius]

THEY HAVE TO MAKE WAY OR THE MANDATORY PATIOTIC TATTOO

[SMEDLEYBUTLER]

Tattoo Removal

[justkillingtime]

oooops sorry im new to this i read free republic every day and didnt see this anywhere that was my first article posted hopefully ill get better with time

[Aurelius]

TATTOO II

[Aurelius]

THEY HAVE TO MAKE WAY FOR THE MANDATORY PATIOTIC TATTOO

[airedale]

Actually it's something that's needed. It isn't porkbarrel spending.

The tattoos that are being removed are gang tattoos which make it very hard for the individuals who have them to get jobs and to stay out of the gang lifestyle. They may want to get out and stay way from the gangs but no matter where they go the tattoos say gang member and they get dragged back into the lifestyle. This is a very positive step for them and the rest of us. For links to various articles see

http://www.metroactive.com/papers/metro/02.13.97/tattoo1-9707.html

http://www.ci.slc.ut.us/police/tattoos.htm.

http://www.plastic.org/xtattoo.html.

[diefree]

In his book "Life at the Bottom" Theodore Dalrymple recommends tattoo removal. He believes that tattoos hold people back and that their removal can help toward the rehabilitation of criminals.

His book is very critical of social workers, social programs, bad schools, bad housing and the reasons they are the way they are.

[ValerieUSA]

Can the gov't help me get rid of these freckles?
How about liver spots on older people looking for jobs? Age discrimination happens at least as frequently as tattoo ostracisation.

[NMFXSTC]

Tell the disabled vets this story...they can tell you how f**ked up the VA is and how the gov. uses a vet like toilet paper.

And you care about a dude who CHOSE to get a gang tatoo?

A lot of vets damn well didn't chose to be disabled!

[airedale]

I'm not disabled, but, I spent 2 back-to-back tours in Viet Nam 69-71 and 21 years in the Navy with all of it in units attached to the RDF and I agree with this program. They got involved in something when they were young and foolish. As long as they are still marked with the tattoos it's very difficult for them to really get out of that mistake.

Taking care of disabled vets is important also but to support one doesn’t mean you have to eliminate the other..

[Gelato]

To be eligible for removal in the program, which is run by San Luis Obispo County, participants must show that their tattoo is gang-related, "anti-social" and interfering with employment or "daily life." They must also agree not to get any more tattoos and complete 16 hours of community service.

I dunno . . . the bespeckled can always get a job for the NBA. Tattoos there are almost mandatory!

You can thank Dennis Rodman for this tattoo trend, by the way. Maybe it'll take tax dollars to get all of his tattoos off. :)

[stumpy]

The government paid for my tatoo removal also. But that was by a Navy Doctor, praticing his surgical skills in a clinic where no surgery was supposed to be performed, and my platoon sgt. had no sympathy with me having lots of stitches so I did P.T. like everybody else.

[Hildy]

I believe that there are private organizations that provide this kind of service. And it's a good one. Any kid who stupidly gets Gang Tattoos can be ruined for life. It's a very good thing to provide. However, the money should be privately raised.