Tattoos: What's the problem?

Tattoos I love them everything about them from the story behind them to the talent , time and detail that goes into them. But back in the day they were frowned upon and you were thought to be a criminal if you had any. But now decades later everyone and there mom has one. So why are you still getting discriminated against if you have one? I mean some places won't even hire you if you have one. They treat you like a second class citizen not even good enough to take out there trash. Me I have three tattoos one on my wrist , one on my ankle and one on my stomach but the one on my wrist is the one everyone can see. I was a manager at a retail store they had no problem with it or any of my other co-workers art. I was professional and customers even came up to me telling me how pretty it is and asked who did the work (which is me yep I did it myself) so of course I was proud and loved telling people about it. I did my job well but unfortunately in this economy I am now looking for a job and even though I have the experience and skills for the jobs I am applying for I get the "I really like you....you are exactly what we are looking for but.......because you have a tattoo we can not hire you" run around Bull S@#!.  I just don't understand it's 2012 we have like five reality shows based on tattoos. Almost everyone has one I mean my grandpa had one from the navy god rest his soul... I mean it doesn't define me or hinder my ability to do the job so what is the problem and it's not like a nice long sleeve blouse couldn't cover it. It's a shame that after so long there's still this medieval ideal about what you should look like to be considered a valuable person to society. I am an upstanding citizen who has never been in trouble with the law. I'm a happily married mother of two who loves the art known as tattooing. I should be judged by how well behaved my kids are who are on the honor roll , my work ethic, and my please everyone attitude not by if I have a tattoo or not. There's a saying that goes

"The only difference between a person with tattoos and a person without tattoos is that the person with tattoos doesn't care if your tattooed or not"

Well said and so sadly true.