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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)
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By: JERRY on 11/15/2007 3:51AM
184. Caucasions sling about their hair, spreading lice and other filth, yet there has never been a law to stop them. They actually stay up. Fascinating.
Wanda at 10:21PM on Oct 29th 2007
WHITES FLING HAIR SPREAD LICE??? KINDA LIKE RIDING PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AND TURNING TO LOOK OUT THE WINDOW AND B A M, A BIG OLD GREASY PATCH WITH WIRED NAPPY PUBIC LIKE HAIR,AND LINT STUCK IN IT BLURRING PPLS VISION.OR HOW THE AREA SMELLS LIKE CORNCHIPS.WE CAN BE RACIST TO, U IGNANT MONKEY.AND IF YOU ARE "FASCINATED" BY PANTS STAYING UP,YOU GOT ISSUES.
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By: Andrea on 11/14/2007 3:14PM
This is absolutely ridiculous, and I hate when people wear baggy pants ! The point of the matter is that it is a style, PERIOD! . Instead of always turning to the law, what about dedicating funding behind educating youth when there is a time and place for attire. If your attire causes you to loose respect or hinders your advancement then this is what we need to be teaching people, not fine them or send them to jail. That is just absurd, and it makes me nauseous! The real problem is that this society likes to judge based on appearance. Baggy pants are a fad and if one feels that it is a negative fad then something should be done to educate people about its implications. Let’s redirect our time and money to support advancement among youth not suppress them!
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By: susan wells on 11/27/2007 1:40AM
Barack Obama is speaking on issues in a professional
manner more then I can say for number 14 above,you probably need to wear a proper belt for your attire also!!!
Mr. Obama keep up the excellent work you and your beautiful, intelligent and classy wife have followers
that are so proud to have you to vote for.
Mr. and Mrs. Obama don't apologize for excellence!!!!!!!
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By: Lee in KC on 12/11/2007 11:27AM
It is a race/culture issue. People can act like it doesn't exist, but lets be honest for a change. Now I'll be the first to say that it irritates me to see anyone wear their pants sagging...but none of us have a right to tell them how to wear their clothes. If I said we should put a ban put on the people who dress in "goth", I'm quite sure it would be taken as an issue against whites.
I find it ironic that society will allow celebs like Nicole Kidman and Jennifer Lopez to wear see-through dresses that reveal their bare breast and rear ends out in public and on the red carpets. But if someone wears their pants sagging they get fined or put in jail. Thats ridiculous!
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By: Ron Kendrick on 1/08/2008 12:14PM
Did I see "Freedom of Speach" mentioned in reguard to people showing their underwear?? And don't make it racist, it looks just as bad when any race lets their ass hang out. Do these people realize that it looks like a childs pants after they took a dump in them. It restricts the person to the use of one hand. How do they ever expect to get a job....Oh, I forgot, they want to live off my paycheck...medacaid!! Get a belt, then get a job.
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