DNA Study Solves Mystery Of Mysterious Mixed-Race People
ALEC Loses Another Big Company
Recently, proposals to ban baggy pants have been brought up in several cities, from Trenton, N.J. to Louisiana. And legislation exists in some towns that could mean fines or even jail time if you bust a sag.Laws are still pending in Dallas and Atlanta, but laws have already been passed in several other Georgia and Louisiana cities. Some places, including Virgina, have tried to pass laws banning saggy pants and been ridiculed and laughed at.
In the small Louisiana town of Delcambre, a glimpse of boxers or the bare buttocks can lead to a $500 fine and six months in jail. According to the AP, in Atlanta, a law has been introduced to ban sagging and punishment could include small fines or community work -- but no jail time.
Is this America? And what about freedom of speech? Instead targeting people for wearing cloths that they associate with a delinquent activity, maybe these activists and politicians should focus on the actual issues that are much bigger than baggy pants.
The NAACP's stance is simple, these laws are lame and offensive.
"I think to criminalize how a person wears their clothing is more offensive than what the remedy is trying to do," said former NAACP director Dr. Benjamin Chavis.
The American Civil Liberties Union clearly sees this as a case of racial profiling.
"It's going to target African-American male youths. There's a fear with people associating the way you dress with crimes being committed," Benetta Standly, statewide organizer for the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia, told the AP.
So what are the arguments in support of this? Some school teachers say it's a fashion distraction, others say it's sloppy and letting our kids dress like this has consequences.
Comments: (255)
Add a comment
By: Itsie on 10/26/2007 6:58PM
I am dang tired of seeing other folk's butts, boobs, and undies! But to have laws against them? Big Brother has too much authority already! Why give them more? Too many people want the government to "do something", but when they do something that one doesn't like, then they want to complain! What if one were no longer allowed to wear any other color shirt except white to all civil jobs? Neither makes sense.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: Jaynee on 10/26/2007 2:28PM
Well, I don't think law makers should spend their time on deciding what clothes someone wears, but I do wish the kids would respect themselves and others enough to keep their pants up in public. It's really a statement to tell the older generation to kiss their a@@. In addition, it makes it easy to hide weapons in baggy pants. I had hoped the style would leave by now, but who knows what will replace it. It's always something for shock value. Parents, why are you letting your kids dress like they are shopping at the Salvation Army?
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: Entweidamala Heirosage Matakeo ya Utafutaji on 10/29/2007 4:44PM
Plain and simple, these little low-life, pieces of shits are nothing short of crimes-puppies; and their parents are unqualified scum! I am African, not African-American, African! I was born and raised in America, but, make no mistake about it, I am an extremely proud, unconditioned, non-subjugated, non-conforming African of sheer nobility; and I am sick and tired of the abject and unqualified SCUM in our ranks!
Hionestly speaking,
Entweidamala Heirosage Matakeo ya Utafutaji
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: BETTYEJ on 10/26/2007 3:53PM
This should goes both ways, for women and men!
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: Lovely on 10/26/2007 4:56PM
Nothing that young black people do will ever be view as positive anyway. This year alone there have been bans on bandanas, white tees, hats, and baggy pants. Its too bad that the actions of a few have such an effect on so many. There is a destructive element running through the black community and young people want to embrace it. I feel bad for future generations, if things dont change for the better soon.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: JC on 10/26/2007 6:00PM
"Sagging Pants" are not just a fashion statement of African American youths. Many Latinos and some Caucasian youths also sag their pants. Though I don't agree with public display of the buttocks; I see no harm with sagging pants. If this is the worse thing that your teenager does; You ought to praise GOD and be thankful that he's not robbing, killing, or using crack cocaine! And as for the (Entweidamala Heirosage Matakeo ya Utafutaji) comment about being a proud African not an African-American; You better wake-up!
When whites and other races look at you, they see one thing, "The "N" Word"!
Instantly Turn your Computer into a Super TV!
http://www.television-on-internet.com/
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: goddess on 10/26/2007 6:22PM
Historically speaking we have to research clothing styles in america and world wide to recognize that there were and are style that have been and still are considered offensive and makes urban styles look non offesive. Those who are into fashion, know that youth in Japan are extremely, extremely radical in their style from head to toe. Also, this is about power and control. It is about non blacks not wanting this style to further impact its children, especially in the U.S. While a certain class of blacks have an opinion about the style of their youth, they are not lobbying laws to fine and imprison for style of dress. These laws are not about "saving" black youth, but to deter their influence on others. Also, should the urban fashion industry "school" its young black urban consumers on a "dress code." Who will the "school" the urban style Japanese youth?
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: Jazzi on 10/26/2007 6:38PM
All Latinos are refugees from Mexico and are illegal, all Asians have 5 families living in the same house and none of them can drive, all black men have a bunch of babies (and baby mamas)all eastern people own a 7-11 or some kind of store and all young black males who wear sagging pants are criminals or criminals-in-training.
Aren't there more important issues we need to concern ourselves with...like our young black males having their bright futures snatched away by getting sentenced to 10 yrs in prison for getting, as Cecil says, a "Clinton" or our young black males being "legally" stomped to DEATH by the very people who are supposed to be helping them re-focus their life path and what about our young black males who are arrested for fighting, which takes 2 people, and then being the only one arrested or taking a gun away from someone who was about to shoot them, then getting in trouble with the law for stolen property? Why is the black male high school graduate percentage so low and the college numbers even lower. Why ARE so many of them behind bars? C'mon! I dare not say that there's a war out on our male children. I think the way they wear their pants is such a minute issue compared to to everything else that's going on with our kids today...right in our faces! To them, it's the way they wear their clothes just like for every generation there's always something that the adults can't stand but the kids want to do it because "everybody else is doing it". Drop the clothing issue (so to speak, lift our children up, put our heads together and focus on things that are much more important.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: Harry on 10/26/2007 7:19PM
To those wacked out government officials leave the kids alone. Stop being fashion police. The kids have a right to their own fashion statemets. Not very long ago males of that era wore breached, torn,ripped jeans. Does anyone remember those days? Today's young people's style of dress is not causing world wars or stock market crashes. These officials need to stop wasting taxpayers money. Their new rules and laws are foolish and idiotic. Mr and Ms. government folks healthcare, gasoline prices, internatiional terrorism and racism need your immediate attention for instance. This sagging pants fad will burn itself out without government intervention. Finally, these future lawyers, doctors, scientists and corporate CEO's will be fine. Thanks for listening signed an American named HARRY
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: Rudolf on 10/26/2007 9:05PM
It's a style. I wore clothes as a teen that I knew would irritate older folks, and at that time older folks were anyone over the age of 18...lol. Every generation does this. I think the baggy pants thing is about spent though. The reason some folks are up in arms about it is because there is a "thug" perception put on those who wear their pants down to their knees. I've been guilty of judging kids myself. It just seems like the kids who dress the craziest are the least secure with themselves. The wackier someone looks and acts is generally the least secure kids. They need to find themselves and hopefully not at the expense of others. It does piss me off that parents don't pay attention to their children until their children are in trouble, then they are the first in line to claim injustice. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not blaming ALL parents, and I'm not saying that ALL kids that wear baggies are guilty. And, yes, kids of all races are doing it, just as they always have. Stop making a race issue out of every "news" article. The future will bring what you are focused on. If you focus on racism you will find it, if you focus on success you will find it.
Reply to this Comment | Report This