Dreadlocks are distracting.

[HYHYBT]

Expanding on what you mean by disrespect, no matter how wordy you get about it, does not address the question. You're still just declaring it to be so, rather than answering HOW. (And, by the way, you've shifted ground: your original claim was that they're disrespecting *themselves,* not that other list you just put up.)

On what basis do you claim that wearing unusual hair means that a person is trying to make themselves the center of attention, to be a distraction, to disrespect the environment, or anything else beyond liking the look? Because it's not true. Nor IS it a distraction, generally, unless someone (such as, say, a teacher who has to enforce the dress code no matter how irrational it may be) makes a big deal of it.

[daleduke17]

And you have gone and answered your question by giving the reasons it is disrespecting themselves and the educational process.

Just the fact the instructor has to take time from the class to discipline a student in any fashion (detention, referred to the principal, etc) is taking away from instructional time and is disrespectful.

[MadMike]

It shows you are not respecting the educational process by being a distraction in the classroom by having multiple colored hair or non-naturally occurring hair colors (ie: blue, orange, green, whatever).

I'm sorry, how is wanting to be an individual "disrespecting the educational process?" If anything, I would think that resigning yourself to being a clone would be disrespecting yourself.

[Andara Bledin]

Just the fact the instructor has to take time from the class to discipline a student in any fashion (detention, referred to the principal, etc) is taking away from instructional time and is disrespectful.

It's the instructor's choice to make an issue of the dyed hair. By your reasoning, the instructor is at fault for calling attention to it, not the student.

So, I still call bullshit.

And I still state, without reservation, that rules such as those that punish people merely for not conforming, are precisely the reason we have such a problem with bullying. Because we're literally teaching children that punishing others for not conforming is not only OK, but the appropriate response.

[RedRoseSpiral]

I'm not talking any dyed hair, just outrageous colors. If you're doing it for Comicon, yes, dye your hair. Halloween, yes, dye your hair. For school or anything else, it just looks ridiculous. It shows you aren't respecting yourself enough to get a good education.

So my purple hair in high school negated my 4.0 GPA? Gee wiz, I wish I had known that then!

[Aethian]

When females need to worry more about how much upper/side boob they can get away with or how short they can get their skirts I can understand the disrespecting oneself. While they may think they look like a hot piece of ass that's going to be the ONLY thing they are remembered for. In my school the majority of the ones who dressed like that (and we had a few who more then pushed the boundaries) are now in jobs that have no hope of ever advancing or live on state aid.

The ones who knew how to still push the line but were more modestly dressed were for 75/25 in that some if them are now working on doctorates while the others are....poverty level.

[SongsOfDragons]

Could the proscription on hair colour be an uncanny thing? It's hair on a human head that not a normal colour. I think the oddness of that might lead to stares or more and that's where the idea of 'it's distracting' comes in. That's really the best reason I can think of for that rule existing, either that or some old fuddyduddy just deciding he doesn't like it.

[Cats]

Cats -

Here is a link showing some "gang related" clothing/emblems/images
http://www.gangsorus.com/gang_signs_and_symbols.html

Thank you! It's a heck of a lot more specific than one of my schools which was like, "yeah, you can't wear bandanas, they're gang related". We were freaking TEN. I doubt any of us had any affiliation to any gangs, which in all my years of living in the same town have never known any to distinctly exist, nevermind to associate a specific style with. Nevermind the ones that were were wearing were everywhere and a common fad at the time. There were some other things the school randomly declared "gang related", but it's been so long I can't remember. I'm pretty convinced they just used that reason as an excuse to ban something they simply didn't like.

Not that the school's rules were strict about dress codes anyway...the only one that comes to mind that even remotely caused any sort of minor stir was the "no hats" rule, but everyone had that rule. If you were covered and there was nothing offensive on your clothing, they mostly didn't care. Hell, there was a tend for a time where the girls wore SLIPPERS while at school, and no one gave a damn (we had normtal shoes to go to and from, and to put on for gym)

[Andara Bledin]

I think the oddness of that might lead to stares or more and that's where the idea of 'it's distracting' comes in.

The rule is there for the sake of conformity. And back when nearly everybody went into industrial jobs where following the rules without question could mean the difference between life and death, it wasn't that bad an idea. But we've been an 'information economy' for more than a couple of decades, and conformity for the sake of conformity is no longer a particularly desirable trait for most of the nation.

Also, it's only distracting the first time. After an exposure or two it just becomes the new normal.

Plus, the sooner we teach people how to react to different that doesn't involve punishment, the better able they'll be to handle more extreme - and less personal choice - differences, such as people in wheelchairs or missing limbs. Different should be something that happens instead of something bad to be punished and discouraged.

[hinakiba777]

I'm not talking any dyed hair, just outrageous colors. If you're doing it for Comicon, yes, dye your hair. Halloween, yes, dye your hair. For school or anything else, it just looks ridiculous. It shows you aren't respecting yourself enough to get a good education.

So my purple hair in high school negated my 4.0 GPA? Gee wiz, I wish I had known that then!

I went to school with many people who had "oddly" coloured hair. I myself even had part of my hair dyed blue during eighth grade. (The only reason I didn't colour my hair in high school was that I was in the Royal Canadian Air Cadets, and as a military organization they had very strict regulations.) Many of them were excellent students who were very polite and involved in extra and co-curricular activities. Some even had part-time jobs outside of school, while maintaining their GPAs and activity schedules. They did not distract their classmates. I never found myself in a course staring at my best friend's pink hair SO enraptured that I couldn't do my work. She had pink hair, so what?

Now please explain how they were disrespecting themselves?

[SongsOfDragons]

Andara, once again you've managed to nail it more succinctly than I XD It was my best attempt at coming up with a rational reason for the rule.

The 'no hats' one is a bit weird, though, come to mention it. Public school (er, that's old private schools in the UK) uniforms often include boaters, and state schools did not too long ago. And hats in summer? Required to keep living in Australia. I'm hoping they mean indoors rather than completely.

[hinakiba777]

I'm hoping they mean indoors rather than completely.

I know that at my school it just meant when you were indoors. You just weren't supposed to wear hats inside the school. Winter was annoying at times because you got in and you were wearing your toque (Stocking Cap?) and you'd walk into school and sometimes a teacher would be like "NO HATS" and the students would be be like "I have literally just stepped into the school lobby. Give me like 30 seconds. You are aware that it is like -25C outside right?" Though usually there was some understanding. It was if you were in the halls with your hat still on.

I'm not sure about other dress code violations but hats had a special rule. If you were caught wearing a hat indoors, the principal would take it and keep it in his office until the end of the month. Unless is was very close to the end of the month, then he would keep it to the end of NEXT month.

[violiav]

At my high school it was no hats AT ALL. Cuz, you know, gangs.
After I graduated they added no "olde English font" to the list. One of the teacher thought the rule was stupid and issued suspensions for the kids that wore letterman jackets, which had their names written in "olde english font".

[HYHYBT]

And you have gone and answered your question by giving the reasons it is disrespecting themselves and the educational process.

Nope. I did nothing that even approached any such thing. Nothing that even could be *twisted into* disrespect for *themselves,* unless you deign to EXPLAIN for once instead of either repeating the non-explanation you've given already or pretending that the question has been answered for you.

Just the fact the instructor has to take time from the class to discipline a student in any fashion (detention, referred to the principal, etc) is taking away from instructional time and is disrespectful.

No, see, that's cheating. The question is about the action itself, in the context of whether the rule is needed; a result that only occurs because the rule happens to be in place does not even properly address the issue at all.

[Nekojin]

In other words - if the rules about conformity aren't in place, how is "being different' being disrespectful to oneself or the establishment?

Daleduke, you're making a circular statement here. You're saying that it's against the rules, therefore it's disrespectful. And because it's disrespectful, there should be a rule about it. This isn't good-faith debating, it's just a tailchaser.