In ancient China, getting a tattoo was a very unusual and harsh punishment for crimes committed. In some tribes on the borderland of ancient China, tattooing however was regarded as a symbol of dominance and religion. In Japan and Taiwan, where I grew up, people who are in the gangs usually love to get different tattoo figures. This way, they could show their power and influence. As a result, tattooing was given a criminal, savage and negative image in Chinese history. Even at this moment, the twenty first century, there are still so many Chinese, especially the generations of my parents and grandparents, who think getting a tattoo is a bad movement.
             Eric, who is my cousin and a basketball player in his high school, tried to get a tattoo about two years ago. Everybody in my family strongly opposed him, except the younger generation, like me. This event caused a huge quarrel between him and his dad, who is the oldest uncle of mine. His dad didn't want to hear his reason and grounded him for three months, even though Eric hadn't gotten a tattoo yet. Eric was so mad because his dad couldn't understand him and wouldn't let him explain. During the next three months, Eric tried to let my uncle know why he wanted to get a tattoo. My uncle just would not talk to him. About four to five weeks after his punishment finished, Eric brought home one of his best friends. He was also a basketball player and had just gotten a tattoo a few days earlier. Then, his friend showed his tattoo, which was a pretty nice figure on his upper arm, to my uncle and told him that many players on their team had also gotten tattoos. He explained that these tattoos represented their courage, personalities, and team spirit. They players thought that if they could endure the pain, it meant they were courageous because they could tolerate something that most people couldn't bear. In addition, the players believed that if they got tattoos, it c...