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Army's ban on dreadlocks, other styles seen as offensive to some African-Americans
CNN ^ | 8 Apr 2014 | Halimah Abdullah

Posted on 04/08/2014 4:31:07 PM PDT by mandaladon

Washington (CNN) -- The U.S. Army's new ban on many types of ethnic hairstyles has African-American women who wear their coifs in dreadlocks, braids and cornrows in a twist.

The Army's regulations stipulate such guidance as hair "must be of uniform dimension, small in diameter (approximately ¼ inch), show no more than 1/8 (inch) of the scalp between the braids." Dreadlocks "against the scalp or free-hanging" are banned. "Unkempt" or "matted" braids and cornrows are also considered dreadlocks and "are not authorized," according to the regulations that were updated this month.

It's that type of language, words like "unkempt" and "matted," that read to some African Americans, as code for racial bias.

"These new changes are racially biased and the lack of regard for ethnic hair is apparent," Sgt. Jasmine Jacobs of the Georgia National Guard wrote in a White House petition she started in late March asking the Obama administration to reconsider the policy. Currently, the petition has more than 13,000 signatures. White House petition

"We feel let down," Jacobs told the Army Times. "I think, at the end of the day, a lot of people don't understand the complexities of natural hair. A lot of people, instead of educating themselves, they think dreadlocks and they think Bob Marley, or they see women with really big Afros and they think that's the only thing we can do with our hair."

(Excerpt) Read more at us.cnn.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: army; boofrickenhoo; dreadlocks; military
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To: Secret Agent Man

Barber, they’ll all have High and tight...and like it.


21 posted on 04/08/2014 4:53:43 PM PDT by tet68 ( " We would not die in that man's company, that fears his fellowship to die with us...." Henry V.)
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To: Redcitizen

Right you are! And try washing pepper spray out of long, matted hair...you get burned all over again.


22 posted on 04/08/2014 4:55:37 PM PDT by ryderann
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To: tet68

yup. treat them ALL EQUAL. one haircut for ALL.


23 posted on 04/08/2014 4:55:49 PM PDT by Secret Agent Man (Gone Galt; Not averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: Secret Agent Man

The NY Yankees get away with the short hair rule.

Why not the army?

God,I’m sick of the whining.

.


24 posted on 04/08/2014 4:57:00 PM PDT by Mears
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To: mandaladon

High and tight for every swinging, uh, soldier.


25 posted on 04/08/2014 4:57:45 PM PDT by jwalsh07
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To: mandaladon

Hate to say it, but there’s no way I’d recommend anyone go into the military right now. It may take more than a change in presidential leadership before that would change. The damage done is immeasurable. It’s not all during this presidency, but a lot of the crap Clinton put in place lasted through two more presidencies without being fixed. Now, it is a social experiment under this president.


26 posted on 04/08/2014 5:00:03 PM PDT by ilgipper
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To: mandaladon
Trying to "keep it real" instead of...



The Perpetually Offended


27 posted on 04/08/2014 5:02:37 PM PDT by rollo tomasi (Working hard to pay for deadbeats and corrupt politicians.)
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To: Mears

I call them turdlocks.


28 posted on 04/08/2014 5:04:39 PM PDT by Psalm 144 (FIGHT! FIGHT! SEVERE CONSERVATIVE AND THE WILD RIGHT!)
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To: Mears

sick of the whining AND the race card.


29 posted on 04/08/2014 5:06:14 PM PDT by Secret Agent Man (Gone Galt; Not averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: ilgipper

I would NEVER join now.

This was it for me.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/nov/26/rules-of-engagement-bind-us-troops-actions-in-afgh/?page=all

.


30 posted on 04/08/2014 5:08:48 PM PDT by Mears
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Heads completely shaved should be the only style.

Thanks mandaladon.


31 posted on 04/08/2014 5:09:39 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: ilgipper

I recommend every conservative young man go in and tough it out.
Staffing the military with people who will obey the constitution over their command if it comes to that outweighs every negative.


32 posted on 04/08/2014 5:10:22 PM PDT by MrEdd (vHeck? Geewhiz Cripes, thats the place where people who don't believe in Gosh think they aint going.)
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To: Redcitizen

Espcially if they go against Vomiting Agent lol


33 posted on 04/08/2014 5:13:12 PM PDT by SandRat (Duty - Honor - Country! What else needs said?)
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To: mandaladon

Aw screw it. Tie dyed jeans and sandals for everyone!


34 posted on 04/08/2014 5:17:21 PM PDT by Brooklyn Attitude (Things are only going to get worse.)
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To: mandaladon

Everybody is so offended these days. What part of uniform do these people not understand?


35 posted on 04/08/2014 5:18:33 PM PDT by Vermont Lt (If you want to keep your dignity, you can keep it. Period........ Just kidding, you can't keep it.)
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To: driftdiver

Then go to jamaica mon, you buffalo soldier


36 posted on 04/08/2014 5:18:57 PM PDT by ronnie raygun
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To: doc1019

Once when out on field duty in Grafenwoehr a white guy in my unit got fed up with all the brothers walking around with “do rags”. He decided that he could be a cool one too. It went all the way up to the battalion SMG - who ended up banning it from everyone. As he should have.


37 posted on 04/08/2014 5:19:50 PM PDT by glorgau
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To: glorgau

Use to be a chart outside of the ships barbershop showing acceptable hairstyle/cuts for both white and black sailors. Anything else would not be allowed. Worked great.


38 posted on 04/08/2014 5:33:22 PM PDT by doc1019
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To: SandRat

“Bet they can’t get a proper seal on an NBC mask with one.”

There are some idiots that I would hope will (but likely will not) learn a valuable lesson from that very thing.


39 posted on 04/08/2014 5:45:53 PM PDT by Antihero101607
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To: doc1019

Afro’s would be legal under this rule - as long as they are not more than 2” in length.


40 posted on 04/08/2014 5:59:33 PM PDT by Pikachu_Dad (Impeach Sen Quinn)
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