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General News: Gioia Ends Personal Protest

Rick Gioia before he cut his hair...
Rick Gioia before he cut his hair...
..and after.  He plans to visit a professional barber soon.
..and after. He plans to visit a professional barber soon.
January 22, 2009

If you see village trustee Rick Gioia around town, you may notice something different about him --- he has cut his long hair. He grew his hair in protest of the Bush administration policies and on Tuesday, as they stood on the Washington Mall watching the inauguration of President Obama, his son, Zach, cut off his father’s hair.

“For me personally, it is a dramatic arc that really culminated in such a beautiful way,” Gioia said as he recounted the moment. “My son did a ritualistic cut… and after I cut it I put it in a bag and people cheered. It was electric to be in the crowd.” In a video on YouTube, Gioia can be heard announcing, “The long national nightmare is over.” (Watch the video here.)

Trustee Gioia said that he started growing his hair in October 2003 to protest how Bush was “executing the administration, trampling the constitution, and acting with a disproportionate balance of power.”

He said that he never had really long hair before and found it a “pain-in-the neck” to deal with. “ It served its purpose because I had to deal with it every day and it was a constant reminder to me that I had to deal with this government,” Gioia explained in a phone interview after he returned to Cornwall-on-Hudson.

He says that his ponytail measured 20-inches long and he has sent it off to Locks of Love, which uses donated hair to create hairpieces for people who have lost their own hair due to illness.


Comments:

Such a great protest! And a new day for all of us.


posted by kate goodspeed on 01/22/09 at 5:56 PM

The real nightmare has just begun
Pat Bellayre


posted by pat Foody on 01/23/09 at 6:36 AM

The bottom line of any administration is "Are you better off than you were at the start of this administration?" For the reign of G.W. Bush the answer is a resounding, "NO". In four years, we will have the opportunity to evaluate our progress and assess where we stand. Let us all hope for Obama's success (unlike Rush Limbaugh, who openly wishes for his failure). For Obama's success is our own success. How anyone can wish for failure for our government is beyond me. Pointing out failure is very different from wishing for it.


posted by Catherine Paull on 01/23/09 at 7:29 AM

We are all ONE country no matter who is in office. We must all stand behind our leader! NO MATTER WHAT PARTY HE IS AFFILIATED WITH!!!


posted by D P on 01/23/09 at 9:07 AM

http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig5/young-andrew7.html


posted by P W on 01/24/09 at 8:59 AM

I will stand behind my President whether Republican, Democrat, Green, Socialist, or that other crazy Ross Perot party, as long as that President upholds and defends the Constitution of the USA. If (s)he does not, as 'w' did not, I feel absolutely no allegiance to a person who undermines my country. And what is the nightmare that pat Foody refers to? Cleaning yourself up after your President craps on you? (sorry, there is just no genteel way to put that)


posted by Kate Benson on 01/24/09 at 10:57 PM

?pain-in-the neck? to deal with."
Oh the irony!!!!!

Two parties created the mess we are in today, not one. Pledge your allegiance to this country not the president!!!!

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123258532378704477.html


posted by S Smith on 01/26/09 at 4:28 PM

Gioia you are a disgrace to the village of cornwall on hudson and a disgrace to the village board! The nightmare is over in the fact that horrible haircut of yours is gone...And i god aka obama was suppose to make everything better? he's swears in a sect of tresury that hasnt paid his social security taxes in years. Obama is a flop!


posted by Tom Murphy on 01/29/09 at 12:42 PM

ahem. learn to speekee zee eengleesh vefore you posts pleeze


posted by Kate Benson on 01/30/09 at 8:36 PM

Don't expect a quick fix to the incredible mess that we've gotten ourselves into. Reagan ushered this era in and it took this long to see just how much damage it could do. It will take years to recover.

A true Patriot never sits silently back. Our country doesn't need "Yes Men" - instead we need principled people with the courage to stand up and protest.


posted by Catherine Paull on 01/31/09 at 7:41 AM

Kate Benson, shouldnt u be keeping kids safe by being a crossing guard? You dont do sh*t for someone who runs her mouth so much


posted by Tom Murphy on 02/01/09 at 10:30 PM

Tom Murphy - you don't even know me. I did my time, Murph, old boy. Where were you? I did Girl Scouts and drama and chaperoned, I donated money and time and resources for all the stuff that my kids were involved in and some stuff that they weren't in. I froze my butt off at games and pit, I drove kids to practices, etc. etc. and on and on. My kids are almost out of school now but if anyone had ever mentioned to me that a crossing guard was needed and I was available I would have signed right up. You are just mad because I criticized your (witless) post. I don't usually get so rude, but, unlike you, I generally base my comments on fact. It is nice to see that you are semi-literate and have read a few of the other postings, though.


posted by Kate Benson on 02/03/09 at 11:27 PM

and, just to show you what a nice gal I am, I'll spot you a point and you can have the last word.


posted by Kate Benson on 02/04/09 at 12:17 AM

bahahaha i did my job, gettin you all worked up. Time to clean my spoon and get ready to stir the next pot


posted by Tom Murphy on 02/05/09 at 7:10 PM

free entertainment


posted by john buescher on 02/08/09 at 9:10 PM

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