With every new day brings the opportunity to change and grow.
The ability to drop old habits, beliefs, and thought patterns.
To become a better and happier you.
But it can be harder to do that when your skin is imprinted with reminders of your old self.
Individuals will also tattoo themselves with images or phrases that express themselves.
And sometimes these tattoos are images and symbols of hate.
Those who choose to renew their lives and rid themselves of this hatred, violence, and negativity will likely want to remove their tattoos.
But tattoo removal or coverups can get pretty costly preventing people from to fully put that life behind them.
That’s why tattoo shops and artists across the country are offering to cover-up racist and gang-related tattoos for free in an effort to help erase hate.
https://www.facebook.com/galleryxartcollective/posts/637024973829932
“Gallery X Art Collective would like to extend the offer to change your future in becoming a better person,” the Texas-based tattoo shop wrote on Facebook. “If it is hate-related, in any way, we will schedule you a day to come get it cover-up for free, at the artists choosing.”
https://www.facebook.com/galleryxartcollective/posts/651051379093958?__xts__[0]=68.ARBS5u2beluIP2qOysuZ5WyC18JqeTd_MxyDW0U2XG8LBlNSo_4lCsdo5if9b8lJwWt37C-pOwFZvmG3RqLym4Q17HmW31IE32Jdr3wmEMZFITOLQEYI7udHCbfKUjGM2QAYoHKqbVtH15VGG7M4zqn4CEykYWTtiZDGUpxA8WZ_jefFA-ibPu9Y-3INIIN4fZNLXMTLMZsjBTehWQuFNekzTrX_9Lm142R8R_n8xp6JfnlyU4BJgI0bYbe9oMEw1Gx-HFY56g9G3iaOFzKJ5Z8oy54_I1bGxPXZR8WRvVmJVPS03nMmSZqXyilPg3toiJsSbmK9FsuDmombiEsm5RI&__tn__=-R
“We have plenty of predawn designs and flash books, so if you feel it’s time to change your hate, or have been reformed but been too broke to cover your mistake of a tattoo, come see me you’ll get a class tattoo for free that can start your path to being the person you were meant to be.”
https://www.facebook.com/galleryxartcollective/photos/a.335446730654426/652486922283737/?type=3&theater
Co-owner Ryun King said his shop has been flooded with calls to have tattoos with Confederate flags and more removed.
He said he’s had parents call him asking to remove swastikas or an Iron Cross telling him they’ve been too ashamed to remove clothing in front of their children because of their tattoos.
King said he transformed one woman’s Confederate flag into Pickle Rick from Rick & Morty.
https://www.facebook.com/galleryxartcollective/posts/648779379321158?__xts__[0]=68.ARBaNGD5WxUd_LiHCi9zBLRqxJZ2emGCYzP7kui3zGantlSEFowF8PEQn4WPopNZcb9WSmG6AUVOmcp-dgLi_l96NLuY154rWC4Hw8ryVIa9RgGRN1dVeAoi6qKFQhKBsrW4mpRixFxV6CYGaKGpJIBiHVpvM02pPsqbbr0ybSBAJyXaAtdwR4idngs9oMQSS9yG4xm0iAg6PgWYfnJZAa-wDQdbU7m32jc1_a0fwWu5HumJAprrUoLIKuaBF81GjkGe4z3MPFCGE4Ad9CqzE8CUMsuMgk2nocvY6U22O1YgCFOi8PiZ5J6PelgfzudcshowjjGOzieCEPRrH7QgBzA&__tn__=-R
Tattoo artist Jenni Rivera of Tennessee made the same offer and says she is booked for the rest of the year doing one free tattoo a week and has 150 people on the list for next year and 300 more texts to go through.
“I don’t really care about the backstory,” Rivera told TODAY. “I don’t want to ask them why they were hateful. I just want to get the ugly stuff off.”
https://www.facebook.com/galleryxartcollective/posts/651678125697950?__xts__[0]=68.ARBs3oEkbAdVBpjkjf97wdag4ETwQWivgCgzZgnyymSkJKFXLpyuWX1RuzALWum12vN0fH3UY3m1Gp52HFhSGCcKE3HIhQtVsTJ6sy1BEXcbkVYWUn1WyhHsadVHzepTdo_Hm3rw3VrODlo1TpD6zriI3BBMKQJZx5mRnFX11GU5V4qbpUsG6DW122O83BQChtx7MFviqfgnARD5OCRwiseF-I-g5_VjiCaKV8WVwB0p4aG2T49pR3OEwbvA45T174yvD9a3PHyLrPZfJ1J_oncKQBxZVR9XDe3lxn9zYbLQphiPcfWD1D1xD083nccL_5zG89vczjKPVXtXMMg&__tn__=-R
Rivera and King are asking their fellow tattoo artists to step in and help out to ensure that as many tattoos can be removed as possible.
“There’s people out there risking their lives protesting, and people who have been living with (racism) their whole life,” King said said. “What’s a couple months of work for me? I finally get to do a part, so I’m going to do as much as I can.”
https://www.facebook.com/galleryxartcollective/posts/647187882813641?__xts__[0]=68.ARDwZ-8jgk29gEUwEyV1Ts3K1dNOdcDboYoxrg6zZrq7VViJo_RtAS78JZAgOSvQyhGo_3XnUifiEJjNvEDzu26nZzY0qw53ae-zDLeZmmuqwU6S3hrXAibZZYtqG9ESuTZOrAuCLLW6ArIAJysx7_c0W70laOB9w6uE8pVuP9x9wA0O8sm4OVx40QLGMlrE6IpUzdS-mdF6L5vmPEJXvz_hWI0IbpjP39txDqNWGLGp-71eUoDdgiU0VBNEUpNpiK_RTQN8VJJFzLWP4qVxhJpLJSsC5fQBKNE0vYp9_iygzpxivxe5u5dCBPs9OYW6CaWDofaBMFMj34yS7WJjs9hibev3CGQt-fJia-IWEcJaXz7JdENKBamnJR9xjv6RCLiSHg5oWqYeTfLM8vD-guRnWI6C95h7pepWScrSCdeI&__tn__=-R
Sacred Art Tattoo shop in Seymour, CT is doing their part to fight systemic racism with needles and paint.
Owner Steve Murzin was inspired to join the “erasing the hate” campaign, also known as the “cover the hate,” by other tattoo artists.
He recalled reading a story about a man who joined a skinhead gang and got a tattoo that he wanted to remove when he was older after realizing the error of his ways.
https://www.facebook.com/SacredArtSeymour/photos/a.435042473286592/1787953107995515/?type=3&theater
“I guess you become a recluse, when you want to change as a person and you can’t because you have these marks. And I think there are people out there like that everywhere,” Murzin told Valley Independent Sentinel.
What’s even sadder than that is that Murzin has been asked to tattoo racists designs on would-be customers and says he has always refused.
https://www.facebook.com/SacredArtSeymour/posts/1807186939405465?__xts__[0]=68.ARBNdsbseYFaslfBzRo9R7NOHSt0UCapIQRBoUKekHQJ4-vOPdjxPzpBqTVB3rAGjHgBL6EETZFi0hbdxpm-KqglejAZMCDznvf38rllB9vyHD2W6Skonej143g0arCyakjb70O2mWC3TtNA9I4bVpTT59ZfTOkMPuvvFMFubapZixGVmH0s-E7cZS0tg67ucxy21kc9j2AR_mF4N0-wwcg3WWH6gg2E2sTYP7oG0cxfy9cgEQFBRZR0B_jggh8jvt5JJQMIa4_j9SjvWgDpqQEoDZS7aw15yr9MG6z_37ARvlcCbq4PqMPkzNVxjuonP5ReTP3dVH7NI2NYW3Tk-f9QUuPv47x4mUjrvzW_IcGm9K4&__tn__=-R
Murzin says he’ll cover up and white supremacist, anti-religion symbols, or anything else that is hateful towards something someone can’t change.
“If me covering that tattoo for you for free helps you become a better person in society, I’ll do it,” he said.
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