Haircutters should be allowed to operate in New Jersey (Opinion)

Welcome to New Jersey, where your dog can look better than you do. Gov. Phil Murphy in his infinite shutdown wisdom has decided that dog grooming is essential in New Jersey, but those who cut your hair are not.

Now who's shaggy?

I can see no reason if it's done with precautions, such as both you and your cutter wearing a mask and gloves, why getting a haircut should be a problem. You can limit the number of people in the salon or even allow haircutters to go to your house. They can even cut your hair outside, if that makes you feel more comfortable.

These haircutters and salons are mostly cash-flow businesses. They rely on their regular customers for a large part of their income, plus any new business. There's no reason why they shouldn't be allowed to earn their living by providing a service that we so desperately need. If you don't believe that, look in the mirror.

Murphy talks about battling social distancing fatigue. One way to do that is to feel good about yourself. A haircut would go a long way in the mental health department, which is something the governor just doesn't seem to care about.

Instead of just shutting everything down, I wish the governor had taken more time to examine every business on a case-by-case basis and asked, "could they operate safely? Should they be allowed to?" If he had done that with haircutting, he would have gotten a yes on both counts.

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