I bet the residents of Riviera Beach, FL are tired of The Man telling them how to dress in the morning. This city passed a law in March that allows police to ban sagging pants (I shudder to think about the town meeting that preluded that decision.)
Proposals to ban saggy pants are gaining ground in several places around the U.S., and have met with opposition from civil liberties advocates who say they will lead to racial profiling against young African-Americans. The fashion is believed to have started in prisons, where inmates are not given belts with their baggy uniform pants to prevent hangings and beatings. By the late 1980s, the trend had made it to gangster rap videos, then went on to skateboarders in the suburbs and high school hallways.
I remember a few weeks ago I read a story about how in Flint, Michigan they were putting a ban on sagging pants. I thought this was bogus and a bunch of straight cock-a-mammy bullcrap. I hate to see a young man with his pants hanging super low as much as the next person however I do not feel that it should be against the law. This “law” is a direct assault on what many people deem “hip-hop” culture. And this is a tragedy because more and more “hip-hop” culture is becoming “mainstream” culture. but I guess the powers that be don’t like that too much.
RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — A judge has decided a law banning sagging pants in this town is unconstitutional after a teenager spent a night in jail on accusations he exposed too much underwear.
