Understanding goes both ways

I am a heavily modified person, with both piercings and tattoos. One of those piercings is a septum ring. After reading her column, I was offended and distressed by the small-mindedness of Aubrey Donaldson ("Holes in Social Etiquette," Jan. 11). \nPiercings have been a part of mainstream American life for a very short period of time and to expect people to simply accept your piercing without prejudice is foolish of you. \nYou made a conscious choice to change your body; you no longer represent the social norm. \nPeople are going to ask you questions in response to this choice. Instead of treating people who ask you questions as a burden, why don't you take it as a chance to inform them. \nLearn some of the history behind the piercing you chose; there is deep rooted cultural significance behind the septum piercing. When people ask if it hurt, why be snide? I find it much easier to simply say, "It wasn't as bad as you'd think." You seem to be offended by the way you are judged by your appearance yet multiple times through your article you judge people by their looks as well. \nThe "can't we all just get along" attitude only works if you are willing to put aside your prejudices toward sorority girls, boys in visors and people who wear tight jeans. You should dress for you and only you; that includes any and all piercings or tattoos you may choose to have put on your body, but don't forget that others are only doing the same. \nIn a society which still treats body modification as something that only bikers and fetishists take part in, you have to accept that you are going to come up against a certain amount of resistance. Hopefully you will see that by putting out such an argumentative and condescending column you have created a wall around all the modified members of our community. A wall that people like me and many others I know have worked hard to try to break down, through educating, not intimidating people with different opinions than our own.\nAbi Rondra\nSenior