I did not know July 17 is “National Tattoo Day” (“National” because there is “only one country in the world…”) nor that  World Tattoo Day is March 21.  I only learnt of this because of a religious motivated murder in the news.

Joshua Davies was reportedly a very popular and friendly man in his Milwaukee community. On June 17, 2023, he was out with friends at a wine bar where an ageing religious fanatic, Kevin Sehmer, began to harass Davies, “screaming about god and tattoos”.  Davies attempted to avoid the confrontation, but Sehmer followed Davies and assaulted the latter man.

Davies suffered severe brain injuries when he fell and hit the concrete ground.  He died on July 12, turning a battery charge into murder.  For absolutely no good or justifiable reason.  You have to wonder if Sehmer was a trumpkin, motivated by the same ideology and violence.  If he believed in leviticus, why was he drinking alcohol?

Father dies following brutal attack over his tattoos, Wisconsin family says

Loved ones are mourning the loss of a Wisconsin man — a “son, brother, husband, father, relative & friend to so many” — after he spent weeks in the hospital following a brutal attack.

Joshua Davies, 39, was attacked over his tattoos outside of Tabi’s Lake Country Wine & Bar on June 17, WISN reported. Friends told officers he had been trying to leave the bar to get away from someone who confronted him.

But Kevin Sehmer, 64, followed Davies outside while “screaming about God and tattoos,” according to WISN. The witnesses said he then punched Davies to the ground, leaving him unconscious after his head hit concrete.

A group of people flagged a Hartland police officer down at about 11 p.m. that night, according to a July 13 news release from the department.

The officer found Davies “lying on the sidewalk going in and out of consciousness,” police said. He was rushed to a hospital with critical injuries.

Sehmer was arrested the next day, police said, then charged with a felony count of aggravated battery.

Over the next several weeks, Davies was treated for a traumatic brain injury, his mother Patti Pearson said on Facebook.

“The suffering and pain my brother endured for the last 26 days was not his fault,” sister Jamie Davies told FOX6.

He died of his injuries at 2:19 a.m. Wednesday, July 12, police said.

Do I have any advice on tattoos, since I have eight of my own?  Of course.

Get your design done in henna first.  This will last a few weeks before wearing off.  If you can’t live with a pain-free colouring that long or realize it will be embarrassing, don’t get a tattoo of it. Don’t follow trends.  The least regrettable will be those that have personal meaning.

Never get a text tattoo in a language you don’t speak. You don’t want to end up like Ariana Grande did, repeatedly getting redone in a VERY painful place to cover a mistake. Famous Latin or Classical Greek phrases might be the exception because there are long lists and books of them.  You can check the spelling and meaning to get it right (e.g. “Alea Iacta Est”, ” Ἀεὶ κολοιὸς παρὰ κολοιῷ ἱζάνει”).

Being tattooed hurts about as much as being cut or a deep bruise.  It’s not as painful as tooth pain, but more painful than a bumped toe.  The difference is, you’re experiencing the pain constantly for an hour or two.

If you can’t endure pain for that long, consider temporary tattoos applied with water.  To remove them, rub baby oil slowly with your hand or a loofah sponge.  Expect to take 30 minutes to remove a 100 sq. cm. temporary tattoo.  Give the skin a day to rest if it’s difficult to remove, don’t make yourself bleed or bruised.