Don't hate on my bling...

Here is part of the story. Changed you're mind, read the entire story.

The NBA has announced that a dress code will go into effect at the start of the season. Players will be required to wear business-casual attire when involved in team or league business. They can't wear visible chains, pendants or medallions over their clothes. (Courtesy of the AP)

A number of celebrated players have voiced their displeasure with this new rule addition. Everyone from Stephan Jackson (Pacers), Allen Iverson (76ers), and Paul Pierce (Celtics) have called this an outright attack on the hip-hop culture. It definitely begs the question of is this move racially movitated and how far can the league go to exercise its power over a league with players that are predominantly African-American and has a large hip-hop following. Who has the final say of what is professional or not? If I wore my bling to the office it would definitely turn heads...but should it. In the 70s, when Afro's where a symbol of a cultural movement many African-Americans wore this as an everyday hairstyle. Today, are we scared of rocking the conservative norm by not wearing Afro's, braids, or bling?

Or is it more of a regional or state issue? I often hear someone comment that they like another person's hairstyle...but they would never wear it because they wouldn't be able to wear it to work. But if you in an area where a large number of people where locks like down South or where people may be more liberal like on the West Coast is it more acceptable?

I am guilty of wearing a low-key hairstyle and dress code to ensure that I don’t rock the boat. And even today at lunch I saw a guy with an earring and thought whether that was a positive move on his part.

So does wearing bling mean that you are a thug? I think not and evidently neither does Sarbanes Oxley. When crimes were being committed at Enron, Worldcom, Adelphia, HealthSouth, and by Martha Stewart there were definitely suits and ties involved. But maybe we would have given them a break if they had worn their bling bling.