SUPPORT OF CITY COP "NO BEARD" POLICY=NO COMMON SENSE BY CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS
By Paul F.Bennett

Announcement to New Majority readers: The ensuing tale is an example of the sort of story angle which often times is not presented in mainstream (White) media. Therefore, it is imperative that if you spurn the solitary presentation of news, that you support The New Majority with your advertising dollar. If not, then Paul Fitzgerald Bennett will be forced to go back into the belly of the beast. Now, let's play HARDBALL!

The recent unanimous decision by Houston City Council to spend up to $150,000 on attorneys to defend the Houston Police Department (HPD) "no beard" rule can be described in a single word: RETARDED!

In November, four African American HPD cops filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city, claiming that the no beard standard is discriminatory against people who have a condition which leads to extreme razor bumps.

According to the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology (AOCD) website, "Pseudofolliculitis barbae (razor bumps) is a common condition of the beard area occurring in up to 60% of African American men and other people with curly hair. The problem results when highly curved hairs grow back into the skin causing inflammation and a foreign body reaction. Over time, this can cause keloidal scarring which looks like hard bumps of the beard area and neck. Shaving sharpens the ends of the hairs like a spear. The hairs then curve back into the skin causing pseudofolliculitis barbae. A 100% effective treatment is to let the beard grow."

Just in case our city leaders are hard of vision, the AOCD website reads that "A 100% EFFECTIVE TREATMENT IS TO LET THE FREAKIN BEARD GROW" (okay, the word "freakin" was added).

Police departments in Arlington, Dallas, and San Antonio have a written beard policy similar to HPD. However, police spokespersons in Arlington and San Antonio told The New Majority that officers are allowed to wear beards if they have a medical clearance from a doctor.

Now, it comes as no surprise that non-African American city council members who are not familiar with pseudofolliculitis barbae and its affect on African American men would view the no beard policy as one which seeks uniformity among those who serve and protect us (although it is hoped that they did some research on the matter before this stupid decision was made). But the words of Houston Mayor Bill White in the May 29th edition of the Houston Chronicle are just plain ignorant.

According to Mr. White, "Many in HPD have a lot of pride in their appearance. 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."

Because I believe in taking people at their word, Mr. White's diatribe indicates: 1. People who have beards do not take pride in their appearance.

2. The mayor of Houston "ought to look like" a fat Latino with a head full of hair (remember, Houston is considered the "FAT" capitol of America, its largest ethic group is Latino and most people on Earth have hair) and not the bald headed, skinny White man who currently occupies the middle seat of The Knights of the "Wrong Table."

3. And just in case Mayor "Unawareness" is not privy to this information: The U.S. military does allow beards for people who have PSEUDOFOLLICULITIS BARBAE!

But as much as Mr. White's total dismissal of a legit medical condition is bothersome, the support of Black city council members of HPD's beard policy is totally disturbing. Council members Ron Green, Jarvis Johnson, Wanda Adams, and Jolanda Jones should be ashamed of themselves.

"...We're basically saying we want new police officers, but we don't want police officers with beards," said Mr. Green in the Chronicle story.

So to Hell with the medical condition that shaving produces for some, right Mr. Green? After all, bravery, honor, and the willingness by many who wear the badge, risking their lives helping others should be determined by a new age metro-sexual mindset which seems to be telling our men in blue in the words of transvestite singer RuPaul (and apparently Mr. Green), "YOU'D BETTER WORK!"…without a beard that is.

But Ms. Jones is probably the biggest wonder of all in this symphony of nonchalance. One of the reasons the newly elected at-large 5 councilwoman was victorious in November is because many view her as an in your face type who won't continue the political shuffling currently and historically displayed by many Houston Black politicians.

"I'd love to see a policy change," said Ms. Jones to the Chronicle.

Really? Then why would you vote to have the GOD DA (sorry Jesus) policy defended?

Meanwhile, Councilman M.J. Khan told the Chronicle he wants to TALLLLK to Chief Harold Hurtt about the policy.

"If something is discriminatory in nature and is part of our policy, what kind of message are we sending about Houston to the rest of the country?" Khan asked.

The underlying message? This decision smells of the sort of backroom deal made popular in Houston by Black political leaders during the early days of the American Civil Rights movement. But at least the stakes in the 1950s and 1960s were major. Folks, we're talking about people who want to serve and protect us being told they can't, because they wear a beard which they say (and can be proven through medical documentation) causes medical harm!

Not only do you have council members who all but acknowledge that the beard policy is DISCRIMINATORY, but these SAME characters decide to support the SAME wrong policy. Hopefully, the plaintiff's attorneys have saved all newspaper clippings and television sound bites. What a way to put the proverbial foot in your mouth by almost guaranteeing that the city of Houston will lose a case which it deserves to lose.