When the Coast Guard was transfered into the Department of Homeland Security,
so was the Coast Guard Auxiliary. Now all auxiliarists have to be
fingerprinted, and if they want to volunteer as crew or for other jobs,

they
have to pass a security background and criminal check.

I know an auxiliarist
friend of mine who had long hair and was told to cut it. Does anyone feel
that
the government is going a little overboard for civilian citizen volunteers?

If the jobs for which the Auxiliary members are volunteering normally require a
person to pass a background and criminal check, there's not really a problem.
The Homeland Security Dept would want to make sure that a bad actor didn't get
access to places ordinarily secured against public access by volunteering for
the USCG Aux.

I know an auxiliarist
friend of mine who had long hair and was told to cut it.

Unless there are personal grooming standards that an auxiliarist agrees to upon
joining the organization, that's BS.

What were the circumstances of the order to cut hair? By what authority?


What about the auxiliarist who has been volunteering for the past 15 or 20
years? Is he or she a security threat?

Only if a registered Democrat. :-)

Maybe it is time to consider the U.S.
Power Squadron and tell the USCGAUX enough is enough! I hear that 60% of the
auxiliarists in my division will not submit to the fingerprinting.

Does anyone feel that
the government is going a little overboard for civilian citizen volunteers?

Reportedly, 60% of your organization does. That should say something, since
these are the people closest to the situation who can make the most accurate
judgment.

Agree. But how about doing ordinary safety patrols? I am not talking about
entering restricted channels where military ships or secrets might be, and I am
not talking about entering channels or buildings where nuclear power plants are
located. Just ordinary patrols!

My auxiliarist friend was ordered to cut his hair if he was to attend an
auxiliarist seminar at the Coast Guard Academy. Otherwise, he was told he would
not be welcomed to walk around the campus in uniform with the cadets.


"Listen to the live broadcast of 'Nautical Talk Radio' with Captain Lou every
Sunday afternoon from 4 - 5 (Eastern Standard Time) on the web at
www.959watd.com or if you are in Boston or Cape Cod set your radio dial to
95.9FM.

(Capt Lou) wrote in message ...
Agree. But how about doing ordinary safety patrols? I am not talking about
entering restricted channels where military ships or secrets might be, and I am
not talking about entering channels or buildings where nuclear power plants are
located. Just ordinary patrols!

My auxiliarist friend was ordered to cut his hair if he was to attend an
auxiliarist seminar at the Coast Guard Academy. Otherwise, he was told he would
not be welcomed to walk around the campus in uniform with the cadets.

As someone who chose the handicap of a ponytail over 35 years ago, I
say that you have to deal with it. Sounds like he can go to the
seminar, they just want to keep some sort of unifomity to the cadets.
Dad told me at the age of 12 that "if you want to wear your hair long,
there will be folks who will not accept you because of that" (I
decided to grow it anyway of course, and have also cut it several
times over the years when the situation called for it such as a job or
event where it may cause problems, or out of respect for an event or
other situation. Like I say, long hair is a choice you make, and like
all choices, you have to live with the concequences, or cut it off!
The worst thing you can do is cry about it, that just reinforces the
stereotypes.
__________________________________________________ ______________________
Sometimes you can't hear em' talkin', other time you can. Those same
old cliches', "is it a woman or a man"? But you always seem
outnumbered, you don't dare make a stand...
__________________________________________________ ______________________
Scotty, turn the page...




"Listen to the live broadcast of 'Nautical Talk Radio' with Captain Lou every
Sunday afternoon from 4 - 5 (Eastern Standard Time) on the web at
www.959watd.com or if you are in Boston or Cape Cod set your radio dial to
95.9FM.

On 13 Jan 2004 16:47:00 GMT, (Capt Lou) wrote:

Agree. But how about doing ordinary safety patrols? I am not talking about
entering restricted channels where military ships or secrets might be, and I am
not talking about entering channels or buildings where nuclear power plants are
located. Just ordinary patrols!

and what is an 'ordinary' safety patrol? what if we are on patrol and
an incident happens? do we bow out, saying that we ONLY volunteered
for the regatta/yacht club aspects of the auxiliary, and that, when
our nation needs us, it can go to hell?


My auxiliarist friend was ordered to cut his hair if he was to attend an
auxiliarist seminar at the Coast Guard Academy. Otherwise, he was told he would
not be welcomed to walk around the campus in uniform with the cadets.


no, he wasnt told to cut his hair. there's no one in the auxiliary
with the authority to do that. sorry.

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On 13 Jan 2004 15:20:05 GMT, (Gould 0738) wrote:

When the Coast Guard was transfered into the Department of Homeland Security,
so was the Coast Guard Auxiliary. Now all auxiliarists have to be
fingerprinted, and if they want to volunteer as crew or for other jobs,

they
have to pass a security background and criminal check.

I know an auxiliarist
friend of mine who had long hair and was told to cut it. Does anyone feel
that
the government is going a little overboard for civilian citizen volunteers?

If the jobs for which the Auxiliary members are volunteering normally require a
person to pass a background and criminal check, there's not really a problem.
The Homeland Security Dept would want to make sure that a bad actor didn't get
access to places ordinarily secured against public access by volunteering for
the USCG Aux.

absolutely true. can you imagine the complaining if an auxiliarist
were found to be a security threat ex post facto?


I know an auxiliarist
friend of mine who had long hair and was told to cut it.

Unless there are personal grooming standards that an auxiliarist agrees to upon
joining the organization, that's BS.

What were the circumstances of the order to cut hair? By what authority?

looks like an urban legend.


---------------------------
to see who "wf3h" is, go to "qrz.com"
and enter 'wf3h' in the field