Justice Stevens wears a bowtie. When he was in private practice, an opposing attorney implied that lawyers who wore clip-in ties could not be trusted. Stevens famously stood up and untied, then retied the bowtie without saying a word.

I like bowties. Democrats and Republicans alike have worn them – Teddy Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Paul Simon (IL), Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., all wore bowties.

People from all walks of life wear them. Comedian PeeWee Herman, rock band star Andre 3000, anchor Charles Osgood, designer Karl Lagerfeld, Cincinatti Bengals linebacker Dhani Jones and many others.

Even women wear bowties! Kylie Minogue, Marie Osmond, Cameron Diaz, Julie Andrews, Avril Lavigne, Annie Lennox, to name just a few.

Tucker Carlson once noted that a bow tie can seem “like a middle finger protruding from your neck” and I wondered what he was talking about.

Then I realized, it is not about the bowtie! The innocent bowtie is just different enough to stand out a bit. When people are engaged in partisan politics, which manifests as petty and immature name-calling and finger pointing, and a raft of deliberate dishonesties of all kinds, the poor bowtie simply becomes a target.

Partisanship clouds our judgment, causing us to disregard facts that do not fit into our world view. It divides our country into “us” and “them.” It prevents us from working together to effectively address the threats we face as a nation.

Perspective is by definition limited. There is the undeniable certainty that you do not have the truth completely surrounded, that you are, in fact, wrong about at least some of your beliefs and ideas, and the other side is, in fact, right about some of theirs.

If you can consider that truth perhaps your commentary will be less likely to raise the ire of other partisans and more likely to provoke a considered and thoughtful response.

Had to stop wearing the Panama hat, though. Friends said they were embarrassed to be seen with me.

You might as well go around in a top hat or a French beret. It makes you look bad.

I have since retired to the northwoods, and have on occasion worn a bow tie on snowmobiling adventures. The guys in the bars do not seem to give a damn what I have on my neck. They are far more interested in my machine and its performance. Like Dumbo’s feather it seems to have lost its powers.

I commend your desire to learn how to tie a bow tie. At the risk of appearing elitist, I must say that clip-ons lack a certain … authenticity (sort of like clip-on four-in-hand ties).

Here’s a good set of directions with a diagram. Link.

Here’s a short video. Link.

The key is the first loop (the “zig zag” in the diagram). This differs from the way people usually tie shoe laces and is critical to tying a bow tie. The rest of it is adjustment. With practice, you’ll be able to do it quickly and without a mirror–which tends to impress the uninitiated.

I guess that person doesn’t realize that those so-called elite schools are where their liberal mindview is regurgitated.

BTW, where can I get a bow tie, and how do I tie it? I always used the clip-on…