Miscellaneous

Well everyone knows you can't trust a guy with a beard

Houston's City Council is embroiled in a legal battle of epic proportions -- trying to keep up its ban on uniformed policemen having beards. There's a pending civil rights lawsuit by police officers who say that this ban is discriminatory again men who can't shave for medical or religious reasons ("Pseudofolliculitis barbae is a dermatological condition common among men with thick and curly facial hair. Shaving can cause irritating rashes, ingrown hairs, bleeding and scarring."). But City Council isn't going down without a fight, as it's authorized spending up to $150,000 to defend against the lawsuit.

This beard-ban has been around for 15 years and helps ensure, according to the city, that police officers look conservative, professional and proud of their appearance. Says the Mayor: "It meets the expectation of the public of what a law enforcement officer or member of the military, for that matter, ought to look like."

Word. I'm sick of all the fucking hippies too!

Full post as published by Quiz Law on June 12, 2008 (boomark / email).