NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #31/NN_1992_31.iso/spool/alt/rushlim/12853

Text File | 1993-01-03 | 3.0 KB | 60 lines

Newsgroups: alt.rush-limbaugh
Path: sparky!uunet!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!usenet.ucs.indiana.edu!psygate.psych.indiana.edu!nate
From: [e-mail] (Nathan Engle)
Subject: Re: Discrimination
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Organization: Psych Department, Indiana University
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Date: Sun, 3 Jan 1993 17:29:33 GMT
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[e-mail] (A.P.K.) writes:
>[e-mail] (Jim Shirreffs) writes:
>> Get your hair cut, get damn job, and don't brother us
>> until you can make these tuff decisions for yourself.

>     Actually, this isn't a tough decision, excepting as it
>conflicts legally and ethically with all other forms of
>discrimination.  Why should males be forced to conform to
>certain standards which no one anywhere else is forced to
>conform to such standards.  It'd look rather funny if all women
>were suddenly forced to get their hair hair cut short, not
>allowed to wear makeup, forced to only where suits and
>ties, no jewelry allowed except weeidng bands, etc...

    I'm afraid that I find your moral dilema less convincing when you try
to justify it on those grounds. Males are *not* the only ones who are
'forced' to conform to standards. Certainly the standards are different
for different groups and under different circumstances, but that *can't*
be what's bugging you unless you're one of those people who tries to use
a screwdriver to hammer in nails.

>     Personally, I'm flexible on the issue.  I had to be if
>I was in the military for eight years with short hair, I'll
>live with it again if it's that necessary.  But when everyone
>around me tells me to get a haircut for a job interview with
>no logical basis behind their statements whatsoever, other
>that to conform to some social standard or possibly be
>discriminated against during job selection, I can't justify
>that as a direct reason for doing it.

    If you don't consider the possibility of not getting a job because of
having long hair a logical reason for cutting your hair then I'm not sure
what to tell you. There really isn't much rhyme or reason to it besides
that, and that rule is *not* cast in stone. I've known plenty of long-
haired software jugglers, but in practically every case those guys had
effectively 'earned' the privelage of having long hair by having superlative
skills which tipped any balance in their favor. If you feel that your skills
are good enough to tip the balance for you then by all means keep your long
hair. In some ways it might be a psychological advantage in that it sort
of projects the image that *you* think your skills are good enough that
your hair doesn't matter. Maybe that's enough.

--
Nathan Engle                        Software Juggler
Psychology Department               Indiana University
[e-mail]      [e-mail]