October 2
The American Flag Tattoo Story

This last week* has seen a rash of stories in the media--print, television, and radio--about dimwitted superpatriots who are rushing out to get big American flag tattoos. Talk about knucklehead gestures. Not only is it money the fool could have donated to the Red Cross or something, it also renders the lamebrain ineligible to donate blood for a whole year.

I listened and read and watched these stories day after day until I cracked and sent the following emails to the four local television stations and the Seattle Times:

Saints celebrating feast days today include Saint Eleutherius, or Saint Leodegarius or Leger.

Sting was born on October 2, 1951, in London, England.

"When you are covering the incredibly stupid "patriotic" gesture some people are making by having an American flag tattooed on themselves, be SURE you also mention that getting a tattoo means a 12-month wait before one can again donate blood."

HOW PATRIOTIC IS THAT???

Here is the link to the Puget Sound Blood Center's information page with the facts:

http://www.psbc.org/programs/marrow_guidelines.htm

Almost immediately after sending the emails, this came from Channel 7, KIRO Eyewitness News Assignment Desk:

"Thanks, but we don't do tattoo stories; that's for the lame dorks at KING or KOMO or KCPQ."

P.S. About that picture...click on it to go to the guy's homepage.

*This was written about three weeks after 9/11.

On to October 3
Back to October 1
Back to the Farm

© Marilyn Jones 2000-2007