Beards are a divisive topic, as a bunch of Swedish dudes found out this past weekend. The Swedish chapter of the "Bearded Villains"—a group of beard enthusiasts around the world—had the police called on them at a photoshoot because an onlooker thought the club's flag resembled that of ISIS.
The group were meeting at some ruins in Sweden to take photos with the group's flag—it's tradition for the flag to be passed around the many chapters of the Bearded Villains—only to have the cops show up an hour later. If you take a look at the flag, it's not that much of a stretch, but if you're driving past and see it from the highway, as the person who called it in did, are you really that certain of things to loop in the authorities? Listen, don't call the cops on these men because you think their flag looks a little bit too much like a terrorist organization, call the cops because they're grown ass men in a beard club.
Okay, fine, they're just some peaceful, hairy dorks kicking it. They even shared a laugh about the whole ordeal afterward. But it is always an important lesson to never judge a book by its cover. It's like the chapter's co-leader John Ekeblad said: "It's one of the foundations of our brotherhood, that you should not judge others before you know the facts. It's the same with beards – each and every day you hear someone say you are a terrorist." Actually, on that note, might I recommend a shave? Oh yeah, and taking the word "villain" out of your club's name?
