When you think of a hairy situation, you probably think of a tough or stressful time. When we go through hairy situations, we tend to learn about ourselves in someway or another. Maybe we get a change of perspective that helps us understand more about a specific activity or the world in general. And sometimes, if you live in Louisiana, a hairy situation can be a positive one.
The hairy situation in this case is as of Monday, May 3rd, the Louisiana Senate passed a law which would expand the definition of race in anti-discrimination laws, essentially protecting natural hairstyles as a historically racial trait. This law is now heading to the House for further review.
Not bad, on the surface. Shouldn’t be a reason to cause any kind of stressful or tough situation. The only point of contention is the case of a business owner trying to keep a certain appearance by way of uniform, personal appearance, and safety measures. Industrial workers, for example, adhere to at least two of those. Folks generally have to wear a uniform of some kind and keep hair short or tied up in a way to keep out of machines. In some situations, employees must stay clean-shaven so that respirators can form a protective seal from dangerous gases and particles. Personal appearance can be important to a business as well. Many businesses rely on their employees, the faces of their company to the outside world (such as salesmen and -women, service providers, etc), to look presentable and professional. A uniform and standard of personal grooming or presentation is not out of the realm of possibility.
The point being that if we combing the law on what is an appropriate hairstyle, especially considering the facts that 1) hair, when cut, grows back and 2) there are more than one single business in most places, so the chances of finding a line of work that accepts all hairstyles is probable, then we must take a step back and realize that we don’t have it too bad. There are worse things happening in different parts of the country, and we are still seeing the effects of recent event in our own state. Luckily, this bill will certainly be more beneficial than harmful. As far as new news goes, I’d dread when we are faced with something more serious again.
Changes in perspective braided with a positive attitude can do multitudes for us. Other forms of media may be trying to twist situations to fit with their own particular narratives. Splitting hairs like that isn’t good for anyone. The idea that there is always something worth shouting about is a bald-face lie. On the contrary, with the steps mentioned above, we could be taking steps that permanently change our lives for the better. It’s a lot easier to gel with each other when we take a step back, take a deep breath, and relax. Here’s to the fade of malevolence and rise of peace in our world!
Sources:
Bayou Observant 