Maybe it's not the braids.

Black women in the military are upset at the new personal appearance rules in the army regulations. They say the rules are racially biased, because they do not allow dreadlocks, multiple braids, twists, etc. So they're getting up a petition to send to Obama to relax the rules.

"I don't see how a woman wearing three braids in her hair, how that affects her ability to perform her duty in the military," said Patricia Jackson Kelley of the National Association of Black Military Women.

Maybe the braids don't, but Patricia's attitude might make her unfit for the military. It used to be that the Army was all about obeying orders whether you agreed with them or not. That made a good soldier. What if Patricia gets into a combat zone, and her commander tells his troops to take a certain position, but Patricia doesn't see how taking that position will further the mission, so she starts a petition to get him to change his mind?

Maybe Patricia doesn't see a valid reason for the regulation on braids, but that doesn't matter. The reality is that there is no valid reason for her not to obey the regulation. If her hair is a problem, she can cut it short -- it'll grow back.

By the way -- we have an all volunteer army now. If you don't like the rules, you don't have to sign up.

"Black women say hair rule biased." The Dallas Morning News; April 6, 2014; p. 6A.