Civic Duties


Good morning, ModBlog, and happy election day to the Americans among us! Let’s kick things off on a patriotic-ish tip today — reader Sarah Glasgow sends in these tattoos by Rachael at Genuine Tattoo Co. in Bloomington, Indiana. We’ve got Sarah’s favorite amendment (maybe), after the jump.

66 thoughts on “Civic Duties

  1. both awesome tattoos!!! i love guns and love my country! and, im from the bloomington area! what a coincidence! ive often considered getting a tattoo homage to the second amendment myself.

  2. I don’t really understantd why American prople are so into “being proud” and so on……I’m not “proud” of my country…but it doesn’t mean that I’m ashamed of it either. I’m French just because my parents fucked there….period

  3. if you’re not proud of where you live, then what are you doing? Just because you were born somewhere doesn’t mean you’re stuck there. That is the beauty (and the downfall) of america; that anyone can just waltz in and become an american.
    As far as guns go, if you haven’t shot one, you mos def should. Its an experience and a half.

  4. If you were to ask my opinion (which nobody is, but I’m going to share it anyway) it’s because America is such a new country, it feels it must be more proud to make up for that compared to many other nations.

    Which is to say, America is still finding itself, and as such, does everything more so.

  5. a proud, 2nd amendment supporting american; with a tattoo of a russian assult-rifle – personally i find the irony quite ammusing…

  6. R4av3n : I ENJOY where I live, which is enough to me….. Does “being proud” makes you feel something special? Could you CLEARLY explain WHY you are proud except what’ you’ve been told since your early age? If so..you could also tell me WHY you may be ashamed of it…

    Example :
    French wine is the best in the world => yeah, that could make me proud of being a
    Petain helped out the Nazi for deporting the jew => yeah, that makes me feel ashmed that is one of the reason I favor kepping “being proud” to myself

  7. In my opinion there’s a fine line between patriotism and nationalism, and an even finer line between nationalism and racism, so I stay the fuck away from being proud of my country (Sweden).
    The vikings were gay anyway xD

  8. Shouldn’t that flag/eagle tattoo say something like “100% European”? Or is s/he a really pale native?

  9. r4v3n-Actually there are quite a few prerequisites for just a applying for U.S. citizenship, followed by a test that many natural-born citizens can’t even past.

    The obsession with firearms stems from the controversy of gun control. Those who support it want to regulate who the guns go to. Those who oppose fear their guns being snatched from their fingers.

    I see no problem with being proud of your country or where you came from, so long as you aren’t deluded enough to see perfection.

  10. Klem – I hear ya on the French thing. I´m proud of my heritage, I think France is a beautiful country, and I whip out the French card more than the Canadian card because I was brought up that way, but I am in no way patriotic nor nationalistic..

    Back to the nation of the stars and stripes… I still don´t understand why having guns is a right, but free health care and a good education is a privledge..
    That´s “freedom” for you, I suppose. And then there´s forcing an eight year old French girl to pledge allegiance to a flag that isn´t hers when she´s clearly stated she does not want to…

  11. … and Pidge posted that as I was writing! Still doesn´t answer why the right to basic health care and a good education isn´t considered as such in the states.. something about free handouts?

  12. dear all those concerned:

    i am proud of my country because:
    i have not only the legal right, but the choice to worship God; speaking my mind/opinion is not punishable with jail time; i have many underappreciated luxiuries including but not limited to: electricity, food, places to live, jobs with decent wages, and some of the best public schooling available; i have a say in who runs my country, my state, and even my local city/town whatever; if i cant afford school, i can get loans, and thus dont end up peddling diluted crack in the projects; within the US, i can go where i want when i want; i can walk across town without wondering “will that car explode? will i get ambushed by guerilla militants?”; i have all the basic rights that foreign countries attriubute to being “stupid american” qualities [like owning guns], and so on.

    i am not proud of my country because:
    people who arent from here demand extra rights and we sheepishly succumb; the economy is in a precarious state; foreign countries think we are the laughing stock of the world [this relates back to the first reason about being a pushover, legislatively]; i have to watch the news about criminals and murder and robberies and think “boy, i hope the soon-to-be president elect doesnt take away my personal protection and give the delinquents the upper hand”; we get criticized for “policing the world”…well? nobody else is going to step up to the plate. on the bright side of that, having my country take the heat for shutting down oppressionin outweighs the negativity exuded by other countries. in the words of dave chappelle: “oh, wait. you dont have an army! then i think you should shut the #### up! thats what id do if i didnt have an army.”

    also, if it werent for america, the eastern hemisphere would speak german.

    post scriptum: an eight year old french girl should only have to recite the pledge of allegiance if she is an american citizen, in which case she would then be an eight year old american girl. america is the great melting pot, remember? MELT!!!!!

    ok now ive got to go study for my molecular exam.

    yours truly

  13. Didn’t anyone stop to think that arming bears might be dangerous? These are impulsive, wild animals we’re talking about, I’m not sure they should be toting around firearms.

  14. r4v3n, it sounds to me like your reasons for ‘being proud’ of your country are more a list of things that make you luckier than someone born in a poor country, which is all down to chance, if you ask me. They have nothing to do with pride.

    As for the reasons you are not proud. I wonder where any American would be if all the immigrants hadn’t been welcomed in when the country was emancipating itself from the British. I know it’s cliche but every American has a foreign heritage. it’s easy to accept the immigrants you need and rejects the ones who need you.

  15. America certainly isn’t the only place where people have the freedom to bear arms. Seems like the issue of guns arises less about the firearm itself and more as an excuse to vent a general dislike for America and Americans. Same with being proud of any country and heritage…it only sucks if you’re an American doing it.

    I don’t understand why some countries practice certain customs, eat certain foods or hold dear things I don’t.
    But it doesn’t make me want to voice, at every hint of their country, how I disdain those people. Or belittle them,
    Or maybe some non-Americans simply live in such a utopia that they have time to point fingers and toss off some condescending remark or stab.

  16. #23, Yes America is a nation of immigrants. So why are people so quick to isolate them? We are your blood.

  17. #24 I don’t think that’s fair. Reacting to what was said or to remarks from Americans doesn’t mean we wouldn’t do the same for the same comments comming from people from other countries. Or even our own countries. I’m French and I have the same disdain for French nationalists who think they are entitled to everything just because they were lucky enough (by their standards, not by any other country’s standards :p) to be born French and deny the simplest and most essential rights to immigrants.

  18. I didn´t at any time insult Americans, I just don´t understand why every other developped nation in the world gives the right to free healthcare and education, even to immigrants, but the American government (and most Red Americans) deny that again and again to their own citizens.

    r4v3n:
    If I hear that German excuse one more time, I will projectile vomit. Technically, we´d all be speaking Russian. And even at that, I could throw at you “America would be British if it hadn´t been for Lafayette”, but your highest ranking public school system in the world always seems to omit that from the curriculum.
    Also, I was never an American citizen. I was never going to be an American citizen, which is why this situation was even more bizarre I was only there for a few years while my Mother worked. The first chance she got, she left.
    “Melting pot”. So, abandon all cultural traditions your family might have to worship a piece of cloth and a hate and fear inspiring God? No, thank you… I don´t live in my home country, and probably never will again for personal reasons.. I live in another country, where I think I¨ve “melted” pretty well, but you´d never see me get all teary eyed over the Argentine flag, permanent resident or not!

  19. r4v3n – true you have a huge army, and spend billions and squillions on it each year (even though the age of conventional warefare is pretty much over) but, speaking as a non-american, i just see your country looking for excuses to flex its millitry mussle ~ to a man with a hammer, every problem looks like a nail….

    HereKittyKitty ~ your certainly not the only country having the right to bear arms (Canada and Switzerland spring to mind here) but you are the one with the disproportionally high gun crime/death rate…

  20. America.. fuck yeah!

    one of the things i really don’t like about america is 8 hour work days. wtf is that.. 8 hours? seriously, its just money.

    are there any countries with like 6 hour work days? i want to live there.

  21. Actually, Pidge: The obsession with firearms stems from the controversy of gun control. Those who support it want to regulate who the guns go to. Those who oppose fear their guns being snatched from their fingers , really did enlighten me. I had never looked at it that way, but you´re right that it doesn´t answer my question.

  22. just saying…
    Holland..
    ftw
    mhm, no bears with guns, no eagles with green eyes.
    right there.

  23. C’mon people where’s the love?
    I am a second generation American. I am proud of my heritage as well as being an American. I am mostly proud of the life my family and I have made for ourselves. I think that is where the pride to be an American comes from. It is pride in what you do and how you get to your goals and the hard work that goes along with it. I am not saying that people from other countries cannot enjoy the same, but I do know that if my grandparents were asked what they were (nationality wise) they said American everytime. I think to understand the pride that Americans have you have to be an American.

  24. Wow. Is America a great country? No. Is it a good country? Yes. Has our government and Bush fucked things u seriously? Yes.

    But seriously, Stop hating on all of the United States because Bush was a giant asshole. Eventually, The ignorant redneck parts of the US will wise up and get it together.. but since that isn’t happening instantly.. Lets start with a big step of awesome, Electing Obama. 😀

  25. Chill out dudes! It is only a tattoo, HIS (or HER”S) tattoo and not a national insult. Anyway, I always thought it was the right to BARE arms, (short sleeves).

  26. did anyone even notice how badly drawn the eagle is? It looks like a pigeon with talons!

    FFS, give up on the anti/americanism thing and discuss the tattoo….

  27. My post was meant to be @ 35.. I dont know whats going on here.. the page is lagging for me or something. My earlier post still hasn’t shown up.

  28. Just because they’re posted on Modblog doesn’t make them awesome tatts. They’re both crap. That AK looks like shite!

  29. @ 36 … I looked at the site and you are right. It was a very interesting read. And I am happy to say that at 6:15 this morning; I voted for McCain.

  30. i am an american citizen, yes, but beyond that i am a world citizen. i live in the south, so i see plenty of american flags, even more confederate flags, and proud gun owners every day of my life. i just dont get it. its great to be proud of who you are, but land doesnt make a person. to be compltely honest, i am greatly ashamed of what ‘my’ country has done not only to other counties but to citizens of our own country. i think people that need to have that good ol american pride are the same people that ignore the truth because its just easier that way.
    and as far as guns, i have shot a gun once and it was the scariest and most humbling moment of my life. i never plan to do it again and i wish i hadnt have done it the first time. but thats what we get peer pressured into doing in the south, i guess. and this doesnt need to be turned into a big second ammendment rights debate, but in my personal opinion, the only point to a gun is to kill. plain and simple. so…why would anyone want to own one? i just dont get it… i guess if you have a small penis, a big gun makes you feel more of a man…
    but on the plus side, i really like the style of the first tattoo, it was executed well, altough i think the letters are a bit far below the image for me.

  31. To clarify: The second amendment does not guarantee the right to wear short sleeves. It guarantees the right to “bear” (as in, “carry”) guns.

  32. “if it werent for america, the eastern hemisphere would speak german.”

    HA!! good try, move on

    just quietly, craptacular tatts

  33. Totally with Klem on that one.

    C’est pas un lieu commun celui de leur naissance
    Ils plaignent de tout coeur les pauvres malchanceux
    Les petits maladroits qui n’eurent pas la présence
    La présence d’esprit de voir le jour chez eux
    Quand sonne le tocsin sur leur bonheur précaire
    Contre les étrangers tous plus ou moins barbares
    Ils sortent de leur trou pour mourir à la guerre
    Les imbéciles heureux qui sont nés quelque part
    Les imbéciles heureux qui sont nés quelque part

  34. i am american and i think this country blows across the globe like a low pressure cold front. i also think voting is lame as a game and that guns are pretty freakin boss for defending yourself against the govt

  35. ps i heard obama has a similar tattoo as the top one but his says 50% American (because his dad is from africa). just kidding he is 100 per cent american, just like american football and mcdonalds apple pie

  36. Well, this is pretty dumb to “compare” 2 coutries…this is not a big dick contest…..I just feel that you should ALWAYS keep a critical eye on your country, and not think that what it offers you is necessarily the best. Travelling is a pretty good thing to do….and when you come back to your motherland, you can realize that( some of its specificity suxass, even if its painful to admit…

    Just my final 2 cents on the topic

  37. I don’t really understand it either.
    Different countries have different laws and general ideals but I don’t understand why one would be so proud of their country, it’s just dividing us as humans. I am not an American, never been to America actually, so I am not singling out the US. I’m talking about countries in general.
    I am very proud to be the human being that I am. Perhaps our past as humans doesn’t match the personal ideals that we have now but shouldn’t we just be proud of ourselves? It’s all very well to be proud of what your country has achieved but wouldn’t it be more productive to find pride in what connects us rather than the fact that there is water that separate us?

    I may not have a whole lot of knowledge of history, or be very educated at all. But to me, the above makes sense…

  38. free health care and long waiting lines! but hey, at least if you get shot, you won´t bleed to death filling out insurance forms.

  39. Cat : I love that the most brought up argument about “socialized medicine” is “long waiting lines”…
    Sad but true

  40. America is the greatest without a doubt. How many times has America saved France? Why is it that Canada and Mexico, and pretty much half the world has no need for a military? America. Face it, you can hate us all you want, but without us dumb rednecks and our guns you wouldn’t be living the life you live today.

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