I found this image with a simple google search, but I personally know quite a few people who have tattoos similar to this one. They all chose to get the pink ribbon tattooed on them after a family member was diagnosed or defeated breast cancer. In our society, we have grown accustom to know that when October rolls around, athletes and organizations wear pink to express that they are a part of the good fight against breast cancer. Former Pittsburgh Steelers running back, DeAngelo Williams, keeps his dreadlocks pink year round after his mother died to the disease as an honor to her.
We as a society have grown so used to seeing pink and immediately relating it to breast cancer awareness, but how did we get to this point?
Social stigma. Its a norm.
Those who choose to possess pink ink and express their fight against breast cancer see no risks, and honestly neither do I. If a person wants to tattoo their body to express that they are a part of the fight or victory against breast cancer, then that should be their right.
I think that a person would want to engage in this form of self-stigmatization because cancer is a nagging devil that is present and active in so many people’s lives. Whether it is an image of accomplishment or hardship, a person would want to take part in this form of self-stigmatization to show that they were a part of the fight against breast cancer and be a part of a growing norm and social stigma in society.
Thinking Rhetorically at GCSU 