Church of Body Modification

I am a student at the University of Tennessee at Martin with a major in political science. All of my tattoos can be covered up with pants and a short-sleeved shirt. However, there are some questions I would like to ask. Is any member of the Church involved in politics? If so, have your mods hindered you any? Or has the history of your mods such as people knowing you have them hindered you in any way?

Also I am having to testify in court come the beginning of October and only take my jewelry out when I am playing sports and that is for a safety issue which I am sure you can all understand. The judge was meant to be a family friend but with a recent election the judges got flipped and a new judge was assigned to the case. He will not even allow men to wear earrings in his courtroom as I had to go before him for a traffic ticket once about 3 years ago–I was not as spiritual with my mods then and just took out my 0gs. Now however, I have a septum that I almost always keep flipped up because of the deeper meaning it has to be (in the process of stretching to a 6g). I have snakebites and 2 stretched holes in each ear. I never take these out. What should I do in regards to the judge? When I was there almost 3 years ago this guy refused to take out his gold loop in his ear and the judge held him in content for 2 days. Thanks.

As an involved party. Kinda. I was down at the local outdoor mall one night when I saw my girlfriend at the time outside where she worked, she was with a guy friend of hers and she and I had needed to talk for a few days about something, so I get out and start talking with her. To make matters not so awkward on the friend that I was riding with he started talking to the guyfriend of my girlfriend. They began talking about hunting and everything and my friend showed him his hunting shotgun which was in the trunk. Video evidence shows that nothing was ever aimed at anyone but half an hour later we get pulled over by the cops and they inform us that my friend is being investigated with aggrivated assualt with a deadly weapon. Once the evidence was reviewed on the film that charge was dropped and he got a weapons possession charge which I have to testify on his behalf for. I am not exactly sure if I am involved though I know I am slightly more than a witness. The guyfriend is being charged with falsifying a police report–he did it because my (now) ex and the guy began dating about a week later. He was trying to get me in trouble. By the by, I have to go and testify as an eyewitness and as a character witness. As well as testify that he had been hunting earlier that day and that is why he had the shotgun in the car. Bunch of bullshit, but I still don't want to be forced to remove my mods, nor do I want to be held in contempt.

Your best bet will be to talk to the bailiff before the matter starts. In fact, depending upon whether this is being heard at the beginning part of the day or just after lunch, see if you can talk to the bailiff before anything starts for that session. Explain that you have heard that you have heard this judge may find modifications undesireable, and that you mean no disrespect by your appearance. Explain to the bailiff that you have a spiritual attachment to these modifications and cannot remove them. Make sure you convey that you want to make sure your modifications do not become an issue during trial. Most often, the bailiff will go talk to the judge right then and there and you guys can come to some sort of agreement BEFORE everyone is watching.

I became aware of a young man who wore a baseball cap instead of a yamika, and that covering his head was part of his faith. Once in the courtroom, the young man was asked to remove his baseball cap. Calmly and professionally, the young man explained his situation to the bailiff. The judge decided that, although he may not have any way of verifying the young man's statement, it was in the best interest of the young man's First Amendment rights to allow him to wear the baseball cap in court.

Judges may have hard-and-fast rules for their courtrooms, but being calm and professional in your communication may deliver your desired end.

Well first off that is exactly how I would deal with a situation like that in court. I would explain the significance of my piercings to the judge or bailif if need be. Then I would continue to explain separation of church and state and that my religious beliefs are not allowed to be discriminated during a court session because of how it is against my first amendment rights and therefore I should not be placed in content for wearing my piercings and using an anology of wearing a golden cross or star of david. Since you are a member of the COBM they have to recognize that they would be discriminating your religion if they placed you in content. Express this to the fullest.

As for politics, let's discuss wearing you piercings in the workplace without discrimination.

My cousin Jesse Ventura was the governor of Minnesota, and he has tattoos. Not visible though. And Eca's friend was a mayor of some small town in Minnesota and he has a two gauge PA.