Ever since the unfortunate events in Charlottesville, Va., last week, acute attention has been paid to the neo-Nazi phenomenon on the rise in the United States. One of the clichés of that far-right racist movement is the so-called “Nazi haircut,” characterized by short hair on the sides and a longer combover on top. If you’re familiar with the pop music artist Macklemore, you’ve seen one of these cuts.

Joshua Witt was attacked by a man who believed him to be a neo-Nazi simply because of his haircut. (Photo: Facebook)

A man named Joshua Witt has had firsthand experience with just how far that haircut’s association with Nazis has come. Witt took to social media this week to share the bloody results.

“Sooooooo apparently I look like a neo-nazi and got stabbed for it … luckily I put my hands up to stop it so he only stabbed my hand…. please keep in mind there was no conversation between me and this dude I was literally just getting out of my car”

He described more of the incident later to the New York Post: “All I hear is, ‘Are you one of them neo-Nazis?’ as this dude is swinging a knife up over my car door at me,” said Witt. The man proceeded to attempt to stab Witt, who defended himself, suffering a slice to his hand. The encounter could have been deadly, Witt said. “The dude was actually aiming for my head.”

The association of the haircut is not unearned. For example, one of the more notable proponents of both racial discrimination and this hairstyle is Richard Spencer — one of the new generation of white supremacists in the news.

White nationalist Richard Spencer sporting the “neo-Nazi” hairdo. (Photo: Getty Images)

Regardless of the hairstyle’s repugnant associations, attacking someone simply for sporting a particular hairdo is not a smart strategy, no matter what side of the political spectrum you land on.

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