No confusing barber poles

It has been brought to my attention that there is some confusion about the difference between a barber and a cosmetologist and the use of the barber pole.

Use of the traditional symbol known as the barber pole, which is composed of a vertical cylinder or pole with a ball on top and alternating stripes of any combination, including red and white, or white, red and blue, which run diagonally along the length of the cylinder or pole, or any likeness thereof, misleads the public to believe that barbering is being practiced in or, that a licensed barber is employed in an establishment.

Therefore, displaying a barber pole means there are barbering services being rendered. Besides the cross, the barber pole is the oldest sign displayed in towns.

Any four-year-old can tell you the difference between a male and female. They will tell you Santa Claus is the one with the beard and Mrs. Claus does not have a beard.

To help clarify the difference between a barber and a cosmetologist, the word barber means beard, while the word cosmetologst means cosmetic.

In addition to hair cuts on male and females, a barber is taught to shave. To take the state boards in most states, you must do a shave and a clipper taper haircut. To take the state cosmetology test, you do not have to own a pair of clippers or have a male model to shave.

Additionally, people were killed with razors long before they had guns, and all the damage done to our country on 9/11 was done with three box cutters. Now that alone is a reason to license people that use razors.

Charles Kirkpatrick, of Arkadelphia, Ark., is the executive officer of the National Association of Barber Boards of America.