“If you can understand the inner life, then you can wear the uniform, the tattoos, or whatnot and realize that the things that are different about us become superficial.” — Ethan Hawke, American actor, “Dead Poets Society,” 1989.

Economists have noted a rise in the birth rate, attributable to people working at home during the pandemic. Media has heralded the news as the beginning of a new cohort, Generation C, that will be defined by marketers for consumption patterns and other prognosticators for social behavior. Analysis and opinion will be based on the observation of the collective reaction to events and change during the generation’s life cycle.

A question that will be on the minds of great-grandparents, grandparents, and parents, of Generation C is will they be tattooed? Associated with gang bangers, jail birds, and juvenile delinquency, body art has come out of the shadows, and there is a need to understand that stick and poke is skin deep; ignorance and prejudice are not. In an article titled, “Old vs. New School Tattoos, What’s the Difference?” on the webpage Tat Ring, Jaclyn Popola describes the difference in tattoos as “Old School versus New School.”

Those labeled as the Silent Generation (1925-1942) survived the Great Depression, served the nation in the victory of World War II, and watched Jackie Robinson take the field for the Brooklyn Dodgers. According to Pew Research, only 6% have been inked, and the tattoos they chose reflect old school pride in being duty bound and patriotic. Though independent in mindful ways, the generation next, known as the Baby Boomers (1943-1960), had but an inkling more of desire to be tattooed, with 13% of them with at least one. People in this generation were subject to conscription to fight the Vietnam War and old enough to remember watching the last all white Crimson Tide football team on color television.

The new school of tattoos began to flourish with 32% of those in Generation X (1961-1981) having at least one. The themes became introspective, with a willingness to be personal and open about experiences, emotions, relationships, and opinion. The historical backdrop for their growth years was the rise of the LGBT movement — 583,298 died of AIDS from 1981 to 2007. At 47%, Millennials (1982-2000) have the most tattoos — in 1994, the New York Times described “millennial thinking” as an outsized appreciation for new technology. A good deal of attention is directed at Millennials — they are the largest labeled group.

The debate on education is as important an issue as it ever gets — schools develop our understanding of the past, explain the present, link the past to the present, and build a bridge to the future. Tattoos are markers of how generational differences define the debate, the old school’s faith and pride in tradition, versus a new school willingness to embrace change.

Our community has important decisions to be made on election day on Nov. 8, and it is our responsibility to base our decision on what is in the heart and on the mind of the candidate, not what is on the forearm.

“Tattoos are a very strong message because they change our skin in a very visible and unambiguous way and they are indelible and remain with us for the rest of our lives. Tattoos are stigmata, sigils, and seals.” — Agnieszka Nienartowicz, Polish artist who paints hyper-realistic portraits.

Tom Brindley grew up in Iowa, and studied journalism and accounting. He is a retired controller from Alpena Community College and has been active in local nonprofit organizations. Reach him at bindletom@hotmail.com. His column appears here on the first Thursday of each month.