Confederate Flag Tattoo - opinions?

nhughes100

Once I get my dragon finished tomorrow by Sean in the Vibe Mullingar, my thoughts will change to my next one, been doing lots of research on colours for the Dragon on my back and seen loads of other Tats in the meantime. One of the foremost contenders is a confederate flag tattoo, I really like the one attached in both presentation and location. One thing thats holding me back a bit is the controversy that this symbol presents to many people.

Let me explain first that I'm a huge American civil war buff and am well versed in the history surrounding the Confederate states of America and the many origins of the civil war, unforttunately the "rebel" flag has become hijacked by extreme organisations such as the KKK and Aryan nation, my angle on it is that it represents a willingness to fight for what you believe in and not to be dictated to by big government. Many people think that the flag represents racism and more fundamentally slavery due to a mis conception that the American civil war was fought over the right to have slaves, my research and opinion is that it was fought over the rights of individual states/nations verses the rights of the federal governement and the federals right to interfere with the desires of the individual state. something that happens to this day with the EU(yes I know it's not a federal body but the principal is similar).

Apologies for the history lesson but I think I have to give this some context so people will know where I'm coming from. On many sites people have advised those wanting confederate flags to get them in discrete places and some even said you better hope you never get an African American boss.

I've also given some thought to maybe getting a Confederate soldier carrying the flag or maybe a battle scene with flags present(although I don't think my back would be up to it lol) I know it's my skin at the end of the day but I'd be interested to see if others have a view on the matter.

Molberts

Hi NHughes100

This is just my opinion, but you did ask for opinions so here goes

IMO, getting a potentially offensive tattoo isn't the best idea. I love my tattoos and love showing them off, I'd hate to think some of my art was offensive to someone, albeit unintentionally.

As you said this flag has been "hi-jacked" by organisations you say yourself you don't want to be associated with. The swastika wasn't originally a symbol of evil but now it is, and probably always will be, the original meaning has been tainted now.

If you're really passionate about the subject matter maybe another more impartial image would be more suitable?

Again, this is just my opinion. It's your skin like you said so its entirely up to you

Good luck with the dragon tattoo anyway!

Molberts

dlofnep

There are alot better symbols you could use.

Wexler12

Its a hillbilly/racist symbol in the south of America

Raze_them_all

I'm of the belief if your not from the area the flag represtents then you shouldn't have it

Sofaspud

A lot of chippers have them on snack boxes, could it really be that offensive?

Gauge

Like Molberts mentioned, it's kind of like the swastika (except the swastika is probably a lot more controversial). Swastika tattoos are getting more and more common, there's a lot of people seeking to 'reclaim' it and reinstate it as the symbol of peace that it once was - see here for examples. There's one guy in particular who has a HUGE amount of swastika tattoos but his name escapes me so I can't find pics.

The people who get swastika tattoos for this reason are definitely not getting them because they support Nazism but a lot of them will say that they get a whole lot of grief from the general public because of how the symbol is conceived.

You know yourself how most people perceive the confederate flag, so it's up to you to decide whether you want to get it done and know yourself what it means, and to be ready to face the assumptions from whatever percentage of people see it as a racist symbol.

Comedy option: Tell people you're from Cork :pac:

brianthebard

Trying to reclaim the swastika is a nice sentiment imo, since it had such positive meanings for so long and still has in some cultures. The confederate flag is a solely political symbol imo, it has very little value unless you are connected to the south in some way. Plus do you really want to have to try and give a big explanation every time someone sees it op?

Sofaspud wrote: »

A lot of chippers have them on snack boxes, could it really be that offensive?

Another good reason not to get it-would you really want people associating your tat with a snack box/pulling the piss asking for orders?

Diceicle

You're already aware of the connotations involved with getting this flag tattooed on yourself, but at the end of the day if its something you want I say go for it, just be prepared to do alot of explaining if and when people see it. However, if you're planning to get it tattooed somewhere like your shoulder-blade, or at the top of your thigh area, somewhere the thats not going to be visible the vast majority of the time then I dont see any big problem in getting it.

nhughes100

Molberts wrote: »

Good luck with the dragon tattoo anyway!

Molberts

thanks, the outline hurt and I imagine the colouring in will be worse but can't wait to see how it turns out.

dlofnep wrote: »

There are alot better symbols you could use.

Like?

Wexler12 wrote: »

Its a hillbilly/racist symbol in the south of America

I can see my point has been lost on some already.

Raze_them_all wrote: »

I'm of the belief if your not from the area the flag represtents then you shouldn't have it

Well officially the area (CSA)doesn't exist, would you object to George Mitchell getting an Irish flag?

brianthebard wrote: »

Trying to reclaim the swastika is a nice sentiment imo, since it had such positive meanings for so long and still has in some cultures. The confederate flag is a solely political symbol imo, it has very little value unless you are connected to the south in some way. Plus do you really want to have to try and give a big explanation every time someone sees it op?

I disagree that it's a political symbol but your point of having to explain it everytime is not appealing in the slightest

Diceicle wrote: »

You're already aware of the connotations involved with getting this flag tattooed on yourself, but at the end of the day if its something you want I say go for it, just be prepared to do alot of explaining if and when people see it. However, if you're planning to get it tattooed somewhere like your shoulder-blade, or at the top of your thigh area, somewhere the thats not going to be visible the vast majority of the time then I dont see any big problem in getting it.

Again the explanations are not tempting but as you correctly point out if it's not visable it doesn't really matter except for the person with the tat, but part of the fun of having tats is showing them off!

Thanks for the opinions, I think I'll keep looking for some sort of ACW symbol that is less troublesome,PS I found a tattoo artist in Gettysburg during my internet travels - Should be going there next year, might get a tat on the way. There's an idea.

Diceicle

You could always go for a less "controversial" tattoo and get something like a Stonewall Jackson portrait, just a suggestion. Also the colouring for your dragon should be less painful than the outline as the voltage is usually set a bit lower for shading than it is for linework, theres some good news for ya.

nhughes100

Thanks, My back feels better already. I'll keep you posted regarding the Confederacy - One thing that just came into my head was the episode of South Park when Cartman dressed up as General Lee, don't think anyone would be offended by that?

PeakOutput

Wexler12 wrote: »

Its a hillbilly/racist symbol in the south of America

no its not its all over america in the north and south states there are those that use it as a symbol of racism but iv never met any of them whereas iv met alot of people who use the flag for the reasons the op stated

i think its a bad idea for a tatoo but thats personal opinion

on london ink yesterday one of the customers got a geisha with a swastika pattern on the dress it naturally had nothing to do with hitler just like the ops tatoo will have nothing to do with racism............it'l just look crap

pixiestix

dude, if it makes you happy then do it, who cares what others think it means, its what it means to you that counts, i have a tattoo of a snail doing a sh1t on my arm, people look at it and think i am some sort of an attention seeker or that i am just plain stoooopid, but it reminds me of good times. tattoos are a great way of bookmarking a time in your life, or a memory, or something meaningful, i hope your tattoo turns out well, and if people give out to you bout it, just whip out your balls, it will make them forget how offended they were about your tattoo....problem solved

nhughes100

Diceicle wrote: »

Also the colouring for your dragon should be less painful than the outline as the voltage is usually set a bit lower for shading than it is for linework, theres some good news for ya.

Nope, it was mega painful especially after 3 hours of it and it still isn't finished but it does look very cool, fk me back is red raw. Back to the legs for the next one I think.

zoemax

Don't Cork (or some other county with red in their colours) GAA fans use confederate flags at their matches? i have a vision in my head of hundreds of them in Croke Park on match day and nobody seems to get offended.

Lab_Mouse

its a flag that has been and is used by white supremist orgs in the state,doesnt matter what it originally stood for.Dont get it it could just cost you grief.

I have a tat of a crucified skinhead on my back which again has been hijacked by nazi skins.The skinheads braces are done in a black/white chechered pattern (representing two tone skinheads).20 odd years on I still get dirty looks when i go swimming!!

By the way the civil war was all about slaves,southern states had slave labour,the north didnt.Southern states economy would of collapsed(and it did)when they had to start paying people in the cotton fields,

my 2 cents anyhow,

Labmouse

nhughes100

Lab_Mouse wrote: »

By the way the civil war was all about slaves,southern states had slave labour,the north didnt.Southern states economy would of collapsed(and it did)when they had to start paying people in the cotton fields,

my 2 cents anyhow,

Labmouse

Sorry but not all Confederate states had slavery, the war was about the right of secession and the power of federal VS individual states, I've read and researched extensively on the subject and have found nothing to say that the war was exclusively about slavery. Lee didn't keep slaves and Jackson told Jefferson Davis to issue an emancipation proclamation before Lincoln(who did so AFTER the war had started)

Their economy collapsed due to the war effort and the naval blockade which blocked exports.

But I'm leaning towards agreeing with not getting one, maybe a civil war commemeration but not just a Confederate flag on it's own.

mikemac

zoemax wrote: »

Don't Cork (or some other county with red in their colours) GAA fans use confederate flags at their matches? i have a vision in my head of hundreds of them in Croke Park on match day and nobody seems to get offended.

Yep, they use Empire of Japan flags too.
And nobody minds at all.

Can't see why anyone would get offended

nhughes100

I really wouldn't want to be confused with a Cork supporter to be honest

zoemax

I really wouldn't want to be confused with a Cork supporter to be honest

I'd rather be branded as a white supremist bigot than someone think I was from Cork

AARRRGH

I really like that flag (the rebel aspect of it) and I'm certainly no racist.

The politically correct thing to do would be to not get that flag as a tattoo, but political correctness is for morons.

Get the tattoo!

mac123

nhughes100 wrote: »

unforttunately the "rebel" flag has become hijacked by extreme organisations such as the KKK and Aryan nation.

well unless your a racist thats enough of a reason right there! why would you want people to look at you as if your some white supremist? not worth the hassle..

Kinetic^

Do what you want with your body.

zoemax wrote: »

i have a vision in my head of hundreds of them in Croke Park on match day and nobody seems to get offended.

If by them, you mean cork people, then yes I am very offended when they are in Croke parK! :pac:

Gauge

Ahhh go away you langers