![\"Anthony](\"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Anthony-Bauswell-300x175.jpg\")
<\/a><\/center><\/p>\nThis story is a few days old and today is a slow news day (I can only get local news on my snow-covered satellite dish and it’s all weather-related) so here’ the story of Anthony Bauswell, an Arkansas teenager who wanted to join the Marine Corps, but they tell him that his tattoo (pictured above) prevents him from enlisting, according to the Washington Times<\/a>;<\/p>\n When he showed the recruiter his body art, he was automatically disqualified from service. <\/p>\n \u201cAs soon as I said rebel flag on my ribs, he says DQ, just automatically, DQ,\u201d Mr. Bauswelltold local news station KARK 4. <\/p>\n The tattoo on his ribs shows a Confederate flag flying underneath a banner that says \u201cSouthern Pride.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cI felt pretty low. My own government wasn\u2019t going to let me serve my country because of the ink on my skin,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n The Marine Corps tattoo policy states: \u201cTattoos\/brands that are sexist (express nudity), racist, eccentric or offensive in nature\u2026 are prohibited.\u201d <\/p>\n Mr. Bauswell said he understood the stigma associated with the flag, but he didn\u2019t think his tattoo was a racist symbol.<\/p>\n \u201cI definitely don\u2019t want it to be seen as racism, which is 99 percent of the reason I got southern pride on it,\u201d he told KARK 4. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n I don’t have any tattoos, my body is beautiful just the way it is, so I don’t understand the motivation to go through the process. However, I don’t think the Confederate Flag, or the Battle Flag, or whatever you want to call it, is racist either. It’s just real popular to call it racist these days, because everyone is so butt hurt about every-damn-thing. However, if young Bauswell want to serve in the Marine Corps, he should get the tat removed and move on – which is more important to him, the tattoo or military service?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"