Via the always delightfully surly Rock Creek Rambler, we learn that the proud Navy town of Norfolk, Va. has lifted its 56-year ban on tattoo parlors within city limits.

Sixty years ago, Norfolk’s East Main Street was world famous for its tattoo parlors, taverns and burlesque palaces. In 1945, there were about a dozen parlors to choose from.

That ended in 1950 when the City Council approved a citywide ban on tattoo parlors. Tattoos were branded unsanitary and generally undesirable, even “vulgar and cannibalistic.”

And isn’t that just the thing about cannibals. They’re always flaunting their so-called “alternative lifestyles” in our faces by getting garrish tattoos, no doubt in order to advertise themselves to other cannibals so they can run off and meet in dark alleys to consume human flesh together. It’s madness!

Of coure, RCR has a more optimistic view of the end of the ban:

Increased accessibility to tattoo parlors will likely lead to an increase in the number of tattoos among Norfolk residents. This presents a boon to the young men of Norfolk, who will now be able to easily identify slutty girls by the presence of their tramp stamps.

An intriguing point, to be sure. When weighing the harm to society of wanton displays of cannibalistic behavior versus the ability of women everywhere to more easily identify themselves as, well, easy, we probably lean more towards sluts’ rights. If the sexual revolution taught us anything it’s that sluts just wanna have fun.