Summary
According to a story on MSNBC , an officer in Philadelphia Pennyslvania was pulled of his beat and put on desk duty for having 'corn rows' in his hair. The officer served in Iraq, survived two different explosions when his Hummer hit roadside bombs, he comes from a long line of police officers in his family. According to his coworkers, he is the kind of guy you'd want by your side if something bad going down. The one and only reason this officer was penalized was for wearing his hair in corn rows. Thomas strain is the officer referenced in this story, according to others questioned in his precinct, there are atleast a dozen other officers in that precinct with corn rows, so what is it that makes Thomas Strain stand out from the other corn rolled officers? Thomas Strain is the only one of them that is white.
Response
I think that this is something that is becoming more and more common in this country. I think that in trying to develop an ethnic sensativity to compensate for the sins of our fore fathers, we have actually only accomplished reversing racism in this country rather than abolishing it. I think the whole idea of socially acceptable hair and clothing styles differing based on race or color is completely and totally one hundred percent an example of racism. I personally think that in many businesses and industry's attempts at ethnic sensativity, they are being unfair to one(or more) race and insulting one(or more) in the process. Equality is really quite self explanitory. Anything that singles out a race whether it's beneficial or harmful for that race, the fact that there is a singling out based on race, makes it wrong. I believe that our nation has come along way towards equality in the last sixty years and definately in the last one hundred and fifty years, but I think that we have gotten down a wrong path in our good intentions, and we still have away to go in creating an atmosphere of equality for all.
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What a twist at the end of that story. I've thought for a long time that the scales on the racism issue have seemed to tip the opposite way instead of balancing out as it should. And of all things, hair being such a big issue? We hear about crazy stories like this, and it makes you wonder, will there ever be an act so crazy that it really gets Americas attention? We are all created equal but unique at the same time. If we were all created exactly the same then this world would be a pretty boring place.
ReplyDeleteAt first I thought maybe that it was a policy to not have corn rows and I didn't really feel sorry for this guy. He should have followed the rules. Then I read that there were others with the same hair that still had their position and I thought wow. I can't believe that this issue is still going on. You would think that we would have learned by now.
ReplyDeleteThe whole concept of equality is just still that to some a concept. Racism and discrimination will never go away permanently because some people are still biased to this day and can't look past go and have a happy and fulfilling life without making others miserable. To each is own is not a concept in this case. We are still not created equal no matter what they say. I was a military police officer in the U.S. Army years ago I served in Operation Desert SHield and Storm and it wasn't equal then and it still isn't now. When will it ever end?
ReplyDeleteRacism and equality are always going to be an issue in the “melting pot” we call the US. I agree with you that we have made great progress compared to 60 or 150 years ago. I think there is always room for improvement.
ReplyDeleteI am shocked, to be honest i thought that maybe it was against the rules to wear that particular hair style, then to read that the other officers have the same. Can they do that? Something is not right, and i agree we still have a long way to go in learning our country or equality and there is racism all over. I just dont really see it happening to be honest which is sad.
ReplyDeleteDid anyone stop to think that this might well be as easily seen as racism against those of African descent as racism against whites? After all, wasn't the white officer held to a higher standard of complying with dress code rules than those who aren't white? Seems to me that that implies that those who aren't white cannot be expected to meet the same standards.
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