I will admit that not everyone can pull this look off, and those with grossly uneven growth may want to reconsider. I also draw the line when facial hair gets weird — soul patches, goatees and beards that are long enough to be braided are just not my thing; although I’m sure there are some ladies out there who are into that.
I sincerely hope that as a result of last week’s column no boy shaved off his bodacious beard. Males need to know that the lumberjack look can certainly be attractive. A close friend of mine has even admitted that a good beard turns her on (and I’m not afraid to publicly share this sentiment).
Lisa Derry
senior, marketing major
At a recent San Francisco fundraiser, Obama said that small-town Pennsylvania voters who are bitter over their economic circumstances “cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them” as a way to explain their frustrations.
To better understand the context of Obama’s sentiment, we should ground ourselves in practicality rather than the child-like habit of, say, believing an opinion piece featured on associatedcontent.com. The author of this hyperbole balks, “how can one even begin to analyze the elitism, the condescension, the almost god-like superiority inherent in Senator Obama’s feelings toward the people who he expects to vote for him?”
Hmm…Obama, who has dedicated much of his adult life to upholding civil rights and alleviating economic disparities, and who grew up in meager conditions, is an elitist? Doesn’t it make perfect sense that Obama looks down on the very people he’s dedicated his life to serving? It would if you take the quotations out of context in order to skew them towards personal biases, that’s for sure.
Barack Obama is a straight-talking candidate. Why slam him for being in touch with and expressing the difficult realities that we face as a country? My hope is that voters will exercise clear thinking to separate the typical politicians from the wise and the sincere ones.
Danny Lampton
sophomore, political science major
