Patriotic American Tattoo Designs: Patriotic Tattoo Placement, Pattern and Motive
Monday 09th of February 2009 04:29:15 PM [Add To This Article]
Patriotism is defined by many different people in many different ways. For some, patriotism is supporting one’s country or one’s elected officials. For others, it involves dedication to the success of one’s troops abroad. For still others, patriotism is a devotion to the higher ideals upon which a country was originally founded. Regardless of what you personally believe about patriotism, it is, by nature, an extremely strong emotion. As with many things closely linked to powerful emotions, patriotism is often best expressed without words, in deeds. For this reason, patriotic tattoo designs are some of the most requested tattoo designs out there, and tattoo artists and recipients alike are constantly designing, refining and re-designing the myriad of patriotic tattoo options to fit the growing demand for them in the United States.
While patriotism is deeply personal, it is also inherently a public display of support in addition to a private dedication or emotion. As a result, while people literally can find patriotic expression in just about anything from American flag tribal art tattoos to extremely sexy Lady Liberty tattoos, patriotic tattoo designs do have several things in common. First of all, they are highly symbolic and tend to incorporate at least one if not several national symbols or objects of pride. For example, American eagle tattoos, American flag tattoos and national landmark tattoo designs, such as the Statue of Liberty tattoos, Mount Rushmore tattoos or the Brooklyn Bridge tattoos are all popular expressions of national pride. In addition, patriotic tattoos, which spiked in popularity hugely after the tragedy of 9/11 and have not fallen off significantly since that time, are often used as a method of conveying a message not only about the person who owns the tattoo, but about that person’s views on how patriotism should be dealt with and displayed. For example, Twin Tower tattoo designs and memorial tattoos from September 11 bearing the words “Freedom is not Free†or “Never Forget†not only let you know that the person with that patriotic tattoo design is still actively aware of the danger of the nation, but also that he or she believes that our nation will lose something of itself and its unique freedoms if we forget that terrible incident. Patriotic tattoo designs also tend to be more visible than other tattoos. While many people have a covert butterfly tattoo on their hip, a fraternity letter tattoo discreetly located on their ankle or the now-classic lower back tattoo hidden beneath that tailored shirt and belt, patriotic tattoos are generally more publicly placed, and they are generally more publicly and professionally acceptable. This may be in part because we are generally raised to believe that patriotism is a noble sentiment and partly because most people feel that it is important that patriotism should not be hidden or sacrificed for the sake of conformity. As a result, they are more willing to “buck†the conventional professional dress code which tacitly discourages visible body art for the sake of their convictions, and the workplace and the world at large are both more likely to view the display of a patriotic tattoo as admirable rather than reprehensible given the nature of the feelings behind the display – pride in country, support for troops, desire to improve the lives of people at home and abroad, etc.
People get patriotic tattoos for many reasons, and these tattoos are not always as serious as you might expect. There are many darkly humorous patriotic tattoo designs out there, such as an American eagle sitting on a stool grimly filing its talons or an American eagle in full military regalia bearing the words, “Let’s roll.†These tattoos express an intention as much as a sentiment of pride, and incorporate many patriots’ desire for action and even revenge on the countries and groups of people who have attacked and threatened the patriots’ country. While in the United States we often tend to view patriotism as a uniquely American trait, patriotic tattoos are actually prevalent signs of national pride in many countries. Australians in particular have a great deal of national pride and there are many patriotic Australian tattoo designs to choose from if you happen to hail from that country and continent. However, all patriotic tattoo designs, regardless of country of origin, evince and evoke a deep feeling of pride and resolve when the wearer and hopefully the viewer look at them. As more and more people throughout the world are affected by the ambiguous and often hidden threats fought in the United States’ war on terror, it is likely that the number of patriotic tattoo designs in all countries will continue to rise. Patriotic tattoos are a constantly visible way to express your support for your country and your love for its ideals.
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