Jail for Sagging Pants: Fashion Police?
We are a nation that pulls itself up by the bootstraps.
But are we also a nation that needs to pull up its pants?
A 17-year-old Florida boy was recently jailed overnight for violating a local “sagging pants” law after a police officer spotted him riding his bike with his pants slung low enough to reveal four or five inches of boxer shorts.
“Your Honor,” the boy’s public defender told the court, “We now have the fashion police.”
A Florida judge later declared the law unconstitutional, but that hasn’t deterred authorities in California, New Jersey, Illinois, Michigan, Texas and other jurisdictions from proposing or enacting similar measures, arguing that the sagging fashion is akin to indecent exposure.
The style of wearing over-sized pants that sag to reveal large expanses of underwear started in prisons, where big pants were issued with no belts. In the 1990’s, the look seeped into the popular culture—and under the skin of politicians and police.
“We’re not going to sit here and let that happen in Flint,” declared the police chief of Flint, Michigan, where wearers of saggy pants can be arrested “if the pants are at the knees and your underwear is exposed.” He calls the look “disorderly” and “immoral self-expression.”
The south Chicago suburb of Lynwood, which also bans the buns look, claims the fad has gone so far as to effect economic growth and discourage businesses from investing in Lynwood.
ACLU attorneys counter, calling the laws “idiotic” and arguing that “You can’t arrest people because of their style of dress.”
Tell us what you think: Should government be responsible for dictating what citizens can wear? Is publically exposing your underwear freedom of expression, indecent exposure, or your personal responsibility?
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Comments
???
personally I dislike the idea of sagging pants but I believe as long as their skin under the waist isn’t showing then I don’t see a problem, bikinis are acceptable and yet wearing a bra and panties is unacceptable when they show the same amount of skin, so how can boxers that look like short-shorts be illegal???
Anonymous | 1 year, 2 months ago
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changes
I feel as though what you wear at home is your business but when you enter the public eye it should be a change. I feel that you should wear something that is appropriate.
Anonymous | 1 year, 2 months ago
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Arrested? For pants?
You know the difference between people with saggy pants and the people who don’t have saggy pants? The people with saggy pants don’t care what other people wear. So let them be. Maybe its not their fault. What if they cant afford to buy new pants. So your gonna punish them for not having money. That’s stupid, let people wear what they want!
Anonymous | 1 year, 2 months ago
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Saggy Pants
This is a good article. Kids these days are so, so rude.
Anonymous | 1 year, 2 months ago
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Just pull up your pants...
Yeah, have respect for yourself.
Anonymous | 1 year, 2 months ago
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I'm a 20 year old woman ...
I’m a 20 year old woman and I’ve been irritated by guys showing off their boxers since I can remember. So yes, I do think its indecent exposure and those laws against it should be made and strictly enforced. Same goes for super short skirts, hot pants, or any other “trend” that shows a little too much. Whether its underwear or skin: there are certain things that most people don’t want to see.
One commenter mentions that people who wear saggy pants don’t care about what other people wear. Not true. I’ve seen several guys around my age give in to the trend because they were being ostracized in school or weren’t able to get a date with the girl they liked. Saggy pants are prevalent in urban high schools and to be realistic, for most guys in those schools, fitting in starts with the clothes and ends up with dropping out or even getting involved with gang life.
Anonymous | 1 year, 2 months ago
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Shipping & Receiving
I think it is wrong, it is not decent, walking around in public with half your underwear showing. A person should be arrested for that. Why can’t the younger generation of today dress with dignity. What kind of statement are they trying to make. Yes I think that it should be against the law, with high fines and punishable by jail and or community service.
Anonymous | 1 year, 2 months ago
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My opinion
As a police officer, my opinion is that it is somewhat stupid looking to wear your pants below the waist. But everybody to their own as long as your private body parts are still covered. Besides, it makes the police officers jobs easier when suspect’s attempts to run from us and his pants are falling down around his knees. I guess that’s why it’s said that this all came about as a fashion statement from the jails because only the dumb crooks that have been caught could have thought of this and started the fashion trend.
Anonymous | 1 year, 2 months ago
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Should baggy pants be worn in Atlanta, Georgia?
No, baggy pants should not be worn because showing your underwear is a disgrace.
Anonymous | 1 year, 2 months ago
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A law against saggy pants?
A law against saggy pants? That is just plain stupid – we hardly need a law. What we need are parents who take charge of their kids. Why is there a problem with boys wearing their pants so low while I see young girls during the summer months walking around the mall or on the streets wearing next to nothing – shorts so short their cheeks are exposed? Should there be a law against that too? No!
Should parents lay down the law? Yes! I wonder what goes on in the mind of parents who allow their daughters to walk around like that. The boys only look stupid. Someone needs to take some pictures and give them copies…especially when they are walking and trying to keep their pants up…actually its funny!
Anonymous | 1 year, 2 months ago
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