What is going on with all of those tattoos out there?

Marte Jones, Las Vegas

Tuesday, April 5, 2011 | 2:01 a.m.

My concerns about the big fad of people tattooing their bodies may not seem important to some, but I see a real danger. It’s a waste of money and even a bigger waste when many realize what a mistake it was and want it removed. Removal can cost nearly three times the amount to have one applied and it’s very painful.

I’ve only asked a few whom I’ve seen with tattoos how much it cost them to have them poked into their skin. The answer is usually several hundred to a thousand or more dollars. They also tell me it’s a form of art, expression and identity.

I have observed many with tattoos and I have yet to pause and say to them: “My. Now that is a work of art.” It typically looks like a jumbled mess of ink.

As far as identity is concerned, we are all unique in our outward appearance. It’s the inside that needs some work. If you want to get creative, take a magic marker and circle a birthmark or a freckle, and you can say “This makes me unique. It’s a part of me and it was God’s creation.”