Today I was watching a History Channel documentary on the popularity of tattoos in sideshows and their historical relevance in the military.

The traditional tattoo of the US Marines is called a "meat tag." A meat tag is a tattoo of a soldier's personal information (name, ss number, blood type, religion) that he (or she) gets on his (or her) ribs. It serves as an identifier if such soldier is ever blown up and his body is destroyed beyond recognition. Apparently, the ink is on the ribs because that part of the body is the most resilient and remains (mostly) intact in explosive instances. The fact that it is called a "meat tag" is grotesque. The title dehumanizes the body of a soldier. It makes soldiers seem like disposable animals who are no more important than the beef in your meat locker.

It is both scary and honorable how some people can acknowledge the possibility of a very painful and gory death.

-Ali