Here’s The Tattoo That Got This Teen Disqualified From Joining The Marine Corps

by Terresa Monroe-Hamilton | September 12, 2017 10:54 am

A teenager from Greenbrier, Arkansas decided to join the Marines. I wholeheartedly support that move. However, he ran into a snag. When they got a look at his tattoo, they told him he couldn’t enlist. The Marines disqualified him from joining because of his Confederate flag tattoo. Now, this kid got that tattoo because he’s proud of coming from the south. I doubt there is any racism involved there whatsoever. But even the Marines have gone politically correct these days and wouldn’t accept him over it. I think that is just wrong.

First off, they could have just told him to remove the tattoo and come back. But even then… have you seen some of the tattoos that guys where in the military? Everything from naked women to horned demons. So, I don’t get this at all. Anthony Bauswell, 19, said that after he told a recruiter about the “Southern Pride” tattoo, he was told the enlisting process would not go forward, KARK reports. “As soon as I said rebel flag on my ribs, he says DQ, just automatically, DQ,” Bauswell said.

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The tattoo is of a Confederate flag with ‘Southern Pride’ on it. “I felt pretty low,” Bauswell added. “My own government wasn’t going to let me serve my country because of the ink on my skin.” This kid graduated in 2015. He knew the stigma that was associated with the tattoo, but just wanted to show his pride in his southern upbringing. I think it was a poor choice given that it is permanent, but I would not have seen this coming and neither did he. “I definitely don’t want it to be seen as racism, which is 99 percent of the reason I got ‘Southern Pride’ on it,” he told the media.

Joining the military was a big part of this kid’s plans for his life and now he’s not sure what to do. The answer is obvious to me… if you really want to be a Marine, have the tat removed and go reenlist. The Marine Corps officially forbids tattoos with “racist, sexist, eccentric or offensive” content. The Marine Corps is expected to update its policy in order to provide clarification for service members, The New York Daily News reports.

But I think the interpretation of that rule is subjective to say the least. This poor kid did the wrong thing at the wrong time and paid a price for it. “Having talked to them, I don’t think most Marines understand what the policy is,” Commandant Gen. Robert Neller told the Marine Corps Times on Jan. 20th, according to The Daily News. “I don’t think they understand what they can do,” he added. “They just know they can’t get a sleeve.” As I said, it depends on the recruiter and the tattoo. I good rule of thumb is to hold off on tats until you are through with the military. First things first. I still think this case is wrong though and over the top.

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Source URL: https://rightwingnews.com/military/heres-tattoo-got-teen-disqualified-joining-marine-corps/

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