What’s a firefighter for, anyway? To make political and social statements, or to fight fires? “Flap Over Muslim Firefighter’s Beard,” from AP, with thanks to Sparta:
PHILADEPHIA (AP) June 1, 2005 “” A Phliadelphia judge says a Muslim firefighter who refuses to shave his beard on religious grounds should keep his job for now while his legal case unfolds.
The Philadelphia Fire Department prohibits facial hair, saying it prevents a good seal when firefighters use respirators.Curtis De Veaux says he can get a proper seal with the respirators the city uses now. A city lawyer says in court papers that allowing De Veaux to have a beard with a respirator creates extreme danger for him, his co-workers and the public.
Great. So political correctness and spurious tolerance are now more important than the safety of the public.
De Veaux has been a practicing Muslim for about five years. He agreed to shave when he joined the department two years ago. But he says as his faith deepened, he decided he was no longer willing to compromise the point.
Got it. On what else is he now unwilling to compromise?