[Luvvarkansas]

Originally Posted by strumpeace

I think people should follow rules that are just. Is there some compelling, just reason for the school district's rule? Is there demonstrable, quantifiable evidence that a little boy having his hair grow long is detrimental to his or others' studies? If not, then the rule is unjust.

Following unjust rules without question or protest has led to lots of bad things in the world. I don't think following this particular rule would lead to a bad thing in the world, but the principle is the same.

Some of the comments below the article addressed this....here is what I thought was a well-thought-out one:

I'm all for individuality but what are the lessons being taught here? It seems like the parents are not putting their child first. They're putting their own viewpoints out in the open...which I'm not against...but they're using their son as the poster child and this is the harm is being created. We need to have a structure to our society and rules are put in place to assist that structure. This is one of the many ways that we learn. But if public opinion feels that a change needs to be made to a rule, then we go through the process to get it changed. In the mean time, show your son that rules matter and cut his hair. If the rule is changed...then he can grow it long again.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by strumpeace

I think people should follow rules that are just. Is there some compelling, just reason for the school district's rule? Is there demonstrable, quantifiable evidence that a little boy having his hair grow long is detrimental to his or others' studies? If not, then the rule is unjust.

Following unjust rules without question or protest has led to lots of bad things in the world. I don't think following this particular rule would lead to a bad thing in the world, but the principle is the same.

Questioning is a good thing, I agree. Asking why is another, which of course in questioning, but to deliberately go against a rule isn't teaching a child anything except to re-enforce they do not have to obey them if they don't want to...

Nita

[hotair2]

Originally Posted by nmnita

Questioning is a good thing, I agree. Asking why is another, which of course in questioning, but to deliberately go against a rule isn't teaching a child anything except to re-enforce they do not have to obey them if they don't want to...

Nita

I think it is a stupid rule. Maybe Rosa Parks should have moved and just gone along with the rules. To change a rule sometimes it needs to be challenged.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by hotair2

I think it is a stupid rule. Maybe Rosa Parks should have moved and just gone along with the rules. To change a rule sometimes it needs to be challenged.

I think it is a stupid rule also, and I wasn't referring to Rosa Parks, I was referring to teaching kids to obey rules. Eventually they will become adults and hopefully will be able to decide what needs changing, but at 5 or 6 years teaching them they do not have to follow school rules is a bad idea in my mind.

Nita

[strumpeace]

Originally Posted by hotair2

I think it is a stupid rule. Maybe Rosa Parks should have moved and just gone along with the rules. To change a rule sometimes it needs to be challenged.

Beautiful. That's absolutely the kind of thing I was thinking about when I wrote my last post.

I have a first grader. If he is subject to some random, arbitrary, unfair rule that has neither rhyme nor reason, you can bet I'll explain to him that it's a stupid rule and why and then we'll protest it together. I'm raising my child to be a leader, not a spineless follower. We have enough of those already.

[Luvvarkansas]

Originally Posted by strumpeace

I have a first grader. If he is subject to some random, arbitrary, unfair rule that has neither rhyme nor reason.

The trouble is, the school system may have a good reason for requiring certain hair lengths or dress codes, and you may think it's random, arbitrary, or unfair, but maybe it's not. To disobey a rule without totally understanding why it was made or following the proper channels is not the way to go. If everyone did that, we'd have anarchy.

[DC at the Ridge]

Originally Posted by Luvvarkansas

The trouble is, the school system may have a good reason for requiring certain hair lengths or dress codes, and you may think it's random, arbitrary, or unfair, but maybe it's not. To disobey a rule without totally understanding why it was made or following the proper channels is not the way to go. If everyone did that, we'd have anarchy.

While I can understand dress codes, hair lengths are another matter. If girls can wear their hair long, why wouldn't boys be allowed to do so?

[nan5623]

Originally Posted by DC at the Ridge

While I can understand dress codes, hair lengths are another matter. If girls can wear their hair long, why wouldn't boys be allowed to do so?

I agree with you 100%.

[Luvvarkansas]

Originally Posted by DC at the Ridge

While I can understand dress codes, hair lengths are another matter. If girls can wear their hair long, why wouldn't boys be allowed to do so?

I don't know....but just disobeying the rule right off the bat is not the way to teach children to be responsible adults.

That's my opinion, and there's no need for me to keep repeating it, so I'm done here.

[strumpeace]

Originally Posted by Luvvarkansas

The trouble is, the school system may have a good reason for requiring certain hair lengths or dress codes, and you may think it's random, arbitrary, or unfair, but maybe it's not. To disobey a rule without totally understanding why it was made or following the proper channels is not the way to go. If everyone did that, we'd have anarchy.

The problem is that it is random, arbitrary, and unfair. Until the school system can produce verifiable, quantifiable data showing that boys having shoulder length hair has negative effects on students' behavior or performance, then it's random, arbitrary, and unfair.

We should not teach children to be goosesteppers.

BTW, the Mesquite school district has a long history of making random, arbitrary, unfair rules. All rules imposed on the public by politicians (in this case, school board members and school system bureaucrats) should be firmly supported by good public policy. Underlying all good public policy is verifiable, quantifiable evidence.