You bring up some good points although you seemed a bit rushed to get it out!
I would have fought tooth an nail if I had to cut my hair and wear a uni in school. But in my day, nobody got shot for wearing $200 sneakers, and we did not have Prada handbags and other status symbols in the youth market. I don't think a kid should go to school and feel rejected or have lost self esteem cuz their parents can't affort to keep them in the latest styles. Likewise, nobody should overinflate their self worth based on mateial goods.
In good time, they all will be in the real world, but in school this crap is a distraction for the kids.
On the NBA, I would hope that first and formost they are a TEAM. No "I" in team, and thus either they all look good, or all dress in Pajamas! So I think its a good idea to put some uniformity to it. Allan Iverson is part of a team! Allan will find a way to distiguish himself.
Most folks like uniformality. Mob mentality applies to the way they vote, horde to churchs, join gangs, clubs, associations, etc.
Sorry for the rushed post but I was in a hurry. That aside I do hear what you are saying, but do you really think standarized conformity is better then the random fad kind?
Are we really fixing the problem or are we just treatin the symptoms. The reason such stuff is a distraction in the first place, and mob mentality rules (yeah thats right there is a Black Sabbath early 90's metal reference, Mob Rules, lol) is because there is somethign wrong with the way we bring up our children and the message they get from all those around them in general.
Doing away with personal differences because many can't handle being faced with a contending point of view or can't help but to conform is not fixing the problem of widespread social apathy in our society. When barely 50% show up to vote, you know have a problem. When your nation elects a total moron who has shown he is easily manupalted by the minority right, you know you have a problem.
WE need to be teaching people how to think for themselves, that going against the majority and trying to be the minority influence that just might move the rock is important in a free society. Not that all must become one with the systema, and that is exactly what school unis or any other unis are about. Like I said before, there are places where that is the idea, like the army, or police, where you must be the solider or the law and not yourself first, but in an open soceity that is not how one should be. The corporations woudl love it if everybody just became a generic consume who is easy to sell crap to and keep him glued to the boobtube, but that arent whats good for the people.
