Paul D. Shinkman, wtop.com
WASHINGTON — Last week we talked about men who fail at growing out their whiskers. This week, we look at moustachoied men who win because of their defiance.
As I’ve slowly worked to earn the respect of others with moustaches — a part of my fundraising through “Movember” — I’ve quickly realized I have a lot to learn to stack up against the nation’s elite.
I headed to the seat of the people’s government, Capitol Hill, to learn more from the heavy hitters about what I’m getting myself into.
Quickly, I realized I was outmatched.
Rep. Roscoe Bartlett, R-Md., has served 10 terms as the congressman from rural Western Maryland. He first grew out his whiskers in the mid-1950s while teaching at the Loma Linda School of Medicine in California as an affront to those who discriminate against moustachioed citizens. It was a time when any kind of facial hair was a “no-no,” particularly for those who sought public office.
Moustaches indicated “something was wrong with you,” Bartlett says. “You were a deviant and weren’t going to be accepted for public office.”
“For someone who was kind of a nonconformist, it was kind of a symbol of rebellion,” he says. “I thought these discriminatory things were silly, so I thought, ‘Grow a moustache’ and show I can be a respected member of the community and still be a deviant.”
The upper lip accessory also “distracts the eye from a broken nose and deviated septum,” says the second-oldest member of Congress, behind Texas’ Ralph Hall.
Many of the nation’s founding fathers and distinguished leaders, like Abraham Lincoln, wore facial hair, he says, and looked all the better for it.
Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., first started growing his beard in the 1960s, then opted for the sleek moustache after marrying his wife in the mid 1970s. The congressman is unapologetic amid a culture of presenting a flawless appearance.
“I am what I am,” the two-term congressman states, despite the regular public scrutiny that accompanies public office. “I’m not going to (change) for any political reason.”
“It’s become a trademark,” he says. “I’ve been in local office now for 17 years. People recognize it.”
“Frankly, I think the public is more than OK with my growing a moustache.”
As for his colleague across the aisle and the Maryland-Virginia border, Connolly has this to say: “(Congressman Bartlett) has had his for a long time, too, and he’s been here for a long time. Hopefully moustaches will bring me the same good luck he’s had in his career.”
Bartlett responds: “God put (moustaches) there, why should we interfere with His intended purpose?”
Both agreed men have to know when to call it quits on attempting to grow out this symbol of greatness.
Wait…what?
Just when I thought I was done, a guest to the Hill reminded me I’ve only begun.
Billy Mitchell, from the Mojave Desert region of Lucerne Valley, Calif., was in Rayburn House Office Building Wednesday to testify before Congress about new policies toward ranchers. The barritoned man in cowboy boots and hat walked with a rangy gait that hints he’s come across first-timers like me before.
Gulp.
“My grandfather had one,” Mitchell says when asked why he decided to grow his impossibly thick upside-down horseshoe number. He adds this advice for green horns:
“Ride bulls and saddled ‘broncs.’ Buy a ranch in the Mojave Desert, then come to Congress and have these people help you out.”
I’m growing my moustache in remembrance of my father to raise funds and awareness for men’s health, particularly prostate cancer. Check out my Movember profile page here. Please consider donating to this cause.
Check out the gallery at right to see how the professionals do facial hair on Capitol Hill.
Learn more here:
- It’s beginning to look a lot like ‘Movember’
- Mournal Entry #1: Why I’m growing a moustache for ‘Movember’
- Mournal Entry #2: Why can’t I grow a moustache?
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