“On Pins and Needles Defending Artistic Expression” What would one expect the viewpoint of an American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts’ (also known as ACLU) lawyer and journalist to be regarding tattoos as a form of artistic expression? Carol Rose is the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts. Being a lawyer and journalist, Carol has spent her career working for and writing about human rights and civil liberties, both in the United States and abroad”(Rottenberg 36). Because of her eminent profession, one would naturally assume that Rose leans more towards a liberal point of view. In regards to tattoos, that assertion would be correct. The purpose of Carol Rose’s article, “On Pins and Needles Defending …show more content…
Tattooing has been around for nearly as long as humans have been. For example, the oldest revelation of tattooed human skin was found approximately 6000 BC on the upper lip of a Chinchorro culture mummy from South America. The oldest direct evidence for tattooing in Europe is the body of Ötzi the Iceman, which dates back to the late fourth millennium BC. The argument makes a claim of value, because she firmly states her opinions in defense of body art. The essay was written on the 6th of April in 2010. It is important to note the time frame, because throughout time tattoos have greatly been embraced by millennials. According to surveys, more than one-third of Americans under age 30 have tattoos (Rottenberg 36). Equally important, Rose also claimed tattoos are ubiquitous with young adults. Ironically, tattoos were recently illegal in many states although wildly popular. Historically, many people did not understand the art of tattoos. The general population held tattoo parlors in disrepute. Few people wanted tattoos. The restrictions were later decriminalized by a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts