I was covering a college football game several years ago, and in trying to make a point that the school in question was located in a tough town I noted that even the cheerleaders had tattoos.
A sharp-eyed editor called and asked if I really wanted to go there.
"Everybody has tattoos," he said. "You're going to look stupid."
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Well, it wouldn't have been the first time (nor the last), but I took the line out of that column because, as you may have noticed, everybody has tattoos. Maybe not everybody - I don't, yet - but plenty of people do. And now Hillsborough County sheriff's deputies can join the fun.
Sheriff Chad Chronister announced the other day that he was relaxing the department prohibition against tattoos, prior marijuana use, and the requirement of at least an associate's degree or the equivalent of 60 hours of college.
He did that because the department needs to hire 185 officers for patrol duty and 134 more to keep order in the jails.
There was a little pushback on social media about the change, but let's think this through, shall we?
Change No. 1: Tattoos.
I know a lot of people who have tattoos. They range from a longtime friend who was a paratrooper in the U.S. Army Rangers, to a woman who I nicknamed "angel voice" for the incredible way she sang in my church.
Oh, both of my sons have tattoos. My wife has given me "that look" when I offhandedly suggested a couple of times that I might get one, just because. It might be easier to apologize than get permission.
Back on point, having one (or 12) doesn't interfere with an officer's ability to inform perpetrators that they have the right to remain silent. And if I'm in a tough spot and need assistance, I couldn't care less if he or she chose to ink it up.
Move on.
Change No 2: Associate's degree not required.
That's become a bit of thing lately all over as more people have begun to realize there are people capable of making great contributions to society who don't have degrees. Don't get me wrong; college is important. But it's also expensive, and it's okay for people to decide they need to go in a different direction.
Change No. 3: No penalty for prior marijuana use.
No, I don't want an officer toking up while on patrol. Bad form.
But just because someone might have inhaled (sorry, Bill Clinton) some weed at a party or in the privacy of their home in the past, who cares?
Here is what I do care about.
Does the deputy handle stress?
Have good judgment?
Know when it's time to defuse a potentially volatile situation, or when it's time to use the adult voice to get something under control?
Working in law enforcement isn't for everybody.
The hours are long. The night shift, especially on weekends, can be especially hazardous.
It should go without saying that even a routine traffic stop can turn deadly. Officers are the ones who take the beach as the first line against such horrific things as child abuse, homicides, and drunken fools trying to hurt themselves or someone else.
Officers witness things they can't unsee.
They have to get rough sometimes, and when that happens there is a chance they will go viral on YouTube.
The lifestyle is hard on their families. And sometimes, they don't come home at all.
It takes a special person to handle all that with the grace and patience society demands of those who choose the profession.
With all that on the table, let me ask you: Is it important whether someone has a tattoo?