Where does it end?

[Mithlomwen]

Link

Article:

A new bill that passed overwhelming in the Arkansas Senate, will ban “non traditional body art”
Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Note: Thanks to our diligent readers who called the state senate to determine that this bill was killed in the house, at least for the time being.  However, the fact that the government is attempting to pass laws like this in the first place just provides another example for government tyranny.

By JG Vibes
Intellihub.com
August 20, 2013

ARKANSAS — Every day the government is making new attempts to take control of various areas of our lives, from our financial lives to our personal choices.  In one recent case, the Senate in Arkansas just passed a bill that would ban certain types of body art and piercings.

Fox 16 reported that:

    The Senate passed a bill that would ban non-traditional body art and skin implants.  The bill’s sponsor, Senator Missy Irvin of Mountain View, AR, wants to limit body art procedures, particularly scarification and dermal implants.  By a 26-4 vote, the Senate moved to outlaw scarification, a procedure involving the scarring of the skin using heat to form a tattoo without ink, and implants that place ornaments under the skin.  The bill now goes to the House.

It is very alarming that something like this is even being considered and taken seriously, and even more alarming that it passed by a landslide vote.  Regardless of health recommendations and popular opinion, an individual has the right to do whatever they wish with their body so long as they aren’t hurting anyone else.

Propaganda would lead many to believe that the American government, or any government encourages free speech and freedom of expression.  However, if individuals aren’t allowed to live free and pursue their own path in happiness than this is obviously not the case.

Since this news was released the bill has been stalled for some reason, but is still active and still awaiting another unscheduled vote.  Even if this bill were to be killed, there is still a heavy push to regulate this industry, which is already over regulated as it is.

Please comment below or email us if you have any more information on the progression of this legislation.

READ THE ACTUAL TEXT OF THE BILL IN PDF FORMAT HERE

As if trying to regulate what a woman can and can't do with her own body isn't enough, Arkansas is trying to regulate what sort of body art people can and can't get. 

What. The. Fuck? 

Government has no business in people's personal lives, and what they do or don't do with their own bodies.  How is it even constitutional that a law like this could pass?  How is it possible that people even WANT to pass such a ludicrous bill? 

I would think that they have way more important things to worry about.  Little things like health insurance, national debt, the supposed 'war on terror'.  Not exactly sure how Jimbob wanting to get dermal implants rates so highly on the list.   

[Callie Del Noire]

Well for one. .it's a very very conservative state.

I'm sure some morally upright (pronounced uptight) conservative state senator thought it was the right thing to do. .Of course a few years back I think a senator in West Virginia tried ban Barbie dolls.

[Moraline]

I must be missing it... Where does it define as the differences between traditional and non-traditional body art?

Either way, I'm assuming that I'd probably have to move out of that state if I lived there. Thank goodness I live elsewhere.

*edit*

I think - I could be wrong - but I think what the bill is for is to prevent non-skilled trade persons from performing body art on people. It doesn't look to me that the bill in the link is saying "no to body art." I think the reporter is misreporting the subject. That or I'm just completely misunderstanding the bill (which is possible.)

*double edit*

I totally just don't understand that bill. It doesn't seem to be saying anything to me.

[Callie Del Noire]

I must be missing it... Where does it define as the differences between traditional and non-traditional body art?

Either way, I'm assuming that I'd probably have to move out of that state if I lived there. Thank goodness I live elsewhere.

Well I would say (in the instance) it's the uptight WASPs that set this law into place. Or some 'moral authority' that they feel trustworthy. (Like a bunch of uptight WASPs)

The only thing I see this doing is driving the industry underground or to the borders of the state. You can't slap a person a fine for having any of these things.. only the person DOING it. So, I figure they will lose some income from these sorts of businesses and the states next to them will see a jump in licensing fees to those jobs.

[Moraline]

I just edited my post twice. After reading the bill, I don't really know what the hell that bill is trying to say. It looks more like a laundry list then anything else.

[Callie Del Noire]

I just edited my post twice. After reading the bill, I don't really know what the hell that bill is trying to say. It looks more like a laundry list then anything else.

My take? It's a carte blanche for the morally uptight to ban anything up to and including more than one earring per ear. It all is on the spin.

[Moraline]

That's funny. I've got 7 facial piercings plus 3 more in each ear... That doesn't include the rest of my body and tattoos.

Does anyone want to go visit Arkansas with me?! I wonder if they'll have border metal detectors to check the rest of my body for metal and/or do a strip search to check me for tattoos? It could be fun.

[Callie Del Noire]

That's funny. I've got 7 facial piercings plus 3 more in each ear... That doesn't include the rest of my body and tattoos.

Does anyone want to go visit Arkansas with me?! I wonder if they'll have border metal detectors to check the rest of my body for metal and/or do a strip search to check me for tattoos? It could be fun.

Moot point at this time. It only passed the SENATE, not both houses or been ratified by the Governor. Not a law yet. And from what I've read it's mostly pointed at the people GIVING said changes. Not the person themselves. How could you legislate that? Next time some big artist shows up for a concert he/she gets hauled off for violating the 'body sanctity' laws? Political suicide.

[Mithlomwen]

It seems like to me, it'll probably have a couple of repercussions. 

People will go out of state to get the body art done.  And I'd be willing to bet, that some folks who normally wouldn't have, will go and get the 'offensive' body art just to make a statement. 

So Arkansas is really just shooting itself in the foot. 

[Oniya]

I couldn't find any part that banned scarification - it was defined in the 'types of body art', but not listed under 'Prohibited practice'.  This part was, though:

An artist licensed by the Department of Health shall not perform or attempt to perform the insertion of a subdermal implant.

It actually appears to be aimed at preventing non-physicians ('artist' is defined as 'any person other than a licensed physician who performs body art on a human) from inserting subdermals.

[vtboy]

It seems like to me, it'll probably have a couple of repercussions. 

People will go out of state to get the body art done.  And I'd be willing to bet, that some folks who normally wouldn't have, will go and get the 'offensive' body art just to make a statement. 

So Arkansas is really just shooting itself in the foot.

I think you may be reading too much into this.

The Bill appears to comprise proposed amendments to parts of an existing statute which regulates body art. It is pretty clear the Bill would have imposed more onerous licensing requirements on body artists, brought scarification within the regulatory compass of the statute, and prohibited body artists from inserting subdermal implants. I suspect this last practice is probably legal in Arkansas if performed by a licensed physician or surgeon.

Though it is impossible to be certain without reading the existing statute, it does not seem body art is currently prohibited in Arkansas or that the Bill was calculated to criminalize it.