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To be fair, the long hair is only part of the equation, there's also the beard and the turban. The tenets of his religion prevents him from complying with military grooming and uniform regulations. The part I can't understand is that the policy doesn't seem like it's being applied consistently. The articles I've seen about this talk about exceptions having been made for other Sikhs, so not sure why the same exception hasn't been made for this case. Would have to know more about what the other exceptions consisted of. But either way, either you make the same exemption for anyone that falls into the same category (Sikhs, in this case), or you make the exemption for nobody.
Frodo
God Save the Queen!
Good to know that the Queen is more longhair-friendly than here in the USA! Growing up with an ex-Navy father, I can attest to the complete obsession that former US military men have over short short super-short hair on men, ESPECIALLY if serving in the US Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marines -- it's almost like a "religion" for them!
Even as a kid, I can remember a 5th grade history teacher sharing the fact that in England, Scotland, and Ireland modestly longer hair on boys was more acceptable on the other side of the Pond than in North America - go figure!
- Ken
I can verify that crewcuts were considered American. And then, during the '60s, crewcuts became associated with skinheads, who in turn were linked with football (soccer) violence and neo-nazism. It was not until the '90s that such a haircut even became considered to be acceptable, and even than it is hard to understand anyone thinking so who ever met a skinhead. When I first came to the US I automatically scanned the room for the exits whenever I saw a crewcut.
So, of course, before longer hair came in, short haircuts were the thing, but never shaved heads, which even before the skinheads were strongly associated with convicts. Think in terms of Dickens' portrayal of the escaped convict in Great Expectations. The idea of shaved heads being associated with the military or with law and order remains foreign to me. Probably the only reason I don't run away screaming when stopped by a traffic cop is that they are wearing a hat!!! They, of course, cannot understand that.
I would agree, like in the rest of Europe. Here is how I was allowed to have my hair when I was 16 (in 1975).
My parents and school were much more tolerant than in the 1960's when I was still having to get a short back and sides.
Very short hair started coming in during the 1980's and 90's, undoubtedly due to American influence. I noticed it in France. I went along with that until my last haircut in September 2013. I notice the tendency of going even shorter. This is the French military Saint Cyr cut which is used by a lot of civilians:
In the space of a couple of weeks, I have seen two young men with the St Cyr cut, but with the hair on the top left a little longer and a tiny tail on the top of the head - hideous.
As of late, I find French and English people much more tolerant of long hair than what I have heard in some parts of the US.
Anthony
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My blog
Here's another chilling image, this time of a right-wing conservative cleric (in a violet cassock in the foreground), apparently in Poland:
The other young men in this liturgy seem to have more "normal" short styles.
Even in my maddest days, I never went that short! I would love that lot to see me in a cassock and my flowing hair! Priests often had long hair until the mid 19th century, and sometimes more recently. Now I'm bringing it back!
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Hi Anthony,
I see similar-looking extremely idiotic short hairstyles occasionally in San Francisco's gay community as well - go figure. To my eyes, these hairstyles are as ugly as ugly can be. I don't "get" it.
More off-topic...
I find churches with an extreme amount of gold ornament and statues, etc., to be very off-putting. I can understand exceptions being made with some of the more architecturally famous cathedrals, synagogues, and mosques that tourists like to see in many cities of the world; but as a general rule, too much opulence inside a church I find to be anything but feeling very "spiritual" or "inspiring".
- Ken
I too like a much plainer style of churches. For me, I prefer the Arts & Crafts movement of about 1890 to 1914, which reacted against the opulence of the Victorian era to produce something influenced by medieval aesthetics in the wake of the Romantic movement. Look up "arts and crafts" on Google and you will see the spirit of what I mean.
Our long hair also reflects Pre-Raphaelite aesthetics, at least for me, in that our hair is natural and not something that has to be "100% under rational control". I very much feel that I am a product of Romanticism and not of the rationalist-technological culture.
That probably seems a mouthful, and many men grow their hair for different reasons and according to other cultural references. But, this is mine. The kind of stuff we see in our cities beats me! I have also grown tired of the old baroque rationalism after having been in quite a "camp" seminary.
Anthony
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My blog
Now we see this:I don't want to seem to be succumbing to Godwin's Law and comparing everything with Nazism, but the comparison is chilling all the same.Long hair certainly marks our distance from the spirit of totalitarianism, and is a symbol of freedom.Anthony
My blog
Follow Ups:
Here's another example... [PIC] Ken in SF 06:53:20 11/20/14
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[ Men's Long Hair Hyperboard ] [ FAQ ]
Now we see this:I don't want to seem to be succumbing to Godwin's Law and comparing everything with Nazism, but the comparison is chilling all the same.Long hair certainly marks our distance from the spirit of totalitarianism, and is a symbol of freedom.Anthony
My blog
Follow Ups:
Here's another example... [PIC] Ken in SF 06:53:20 11/20/14
(0)
CLICK HERE TO REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE
[ Men's Long Hair Hyperboard ] [ FAQ ]
Now we see this:I don't want to seem to be succumbing to Godwin's Law and comparing everything with Nazism, but the comparison is chilling all the same.Long hair certainly marks our distance from the spirit of totalitarianism, and is a symbol of freedom.Anthony
My blog
Follow Ups:
Here's another example... [PIC] Ken in SF 06:53:20 11/20/14
(0)
CLICK HERE TO REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE
[ Men's Long Hair Hyperboard ] [ FAQ ]
Now we see this:I don't want to seem to be succumbing to Godwin's Law and comparing everything with Nazism, but the comparison is chilling all the same.Long hair certainly marks our distance from the spirit of totalitarianism, and is a symbol of freedom.Anthony
My blog
Follow Ups:
Here's another example... [PIC] Ken in SF 06:53:20 11/20/14
(0)
CLICK HERE TO REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE
[ Men's Long Hair Hyperboard ] [ FAQ ]
Now we see this:I don't want to seem to be succumbing to Godwin's Law and comparing everything with Nazism, but the comparison is chilling all the same.Long hair certainly marks our distance from the spirit of totalitarianism, and is a symbol of freedom.Anthony
My blog
Follow Ups:
Here's another example... [PIC] Ken in SF 06:53:20 11/20/14
(0)
CLICK HERE TO REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE
[ Men's Long Hair Hyperboard ] [ FAQ ]
Now we see this:
I don't want to seem to be succumbing to Godwin's Law and comparing everything with Nazism, but the comparison is chilling all the same.
Long hair certainly marks our distance from the spirit of totalitarianism, and is a symbol of freedom.
Anthony
My blog
From Wikipedia, after Googling "LGBT stereotypes", here's a more modern-day example of what are some common hairstyles you'll see in the gay community (in this case, this photo is from Albany, New York)... not a longhair in sight!
I would also add that if you go into many of these churches in the big city you'll lots of ornaments, statues, expensive fobes, etc. while just a few feet ouside the doors of the church you'll
find numerous homeless and hungry individuals. And that becomes even more evident when you have frigid cold days (i.e. below zero with a biting northwest wind), the homeless shelters are filled beyond capacity, and the homeless are not allowed into the churchs. Jesus preaches in the bible thousands of times
about helping the poor, while those same poor are outside the church freezing to death. I've never understood that.
And there was another side to this too. During the church abuse scandal the catholic church was complaining it couldn't pay the damages the sex abuse victims were seeking while the vatican was sitting on many billions of dollars in riches.
Ken, I served 20 years in the Navy, and obsessed with short hair I'm not. I know several longhaired veterans, and while many vets I know wear their hair above the collar, it's not the "super-short" you refer to. There are some that stick with the buzzcuts, but nowhere near all.
Frodo