Sagging Pants: Fashion or Disrespectful
It was bound to happen at some point. The Dallas city council is looking to declare war on the sagging pants fad. There are differing opinions about what needs to be done because you can’t jail someone for wearing pants below their waist. Some have proposed fines for indecent exposure and others feel warnings will work. But the bottom line is something will be done.
Most of the push for the ordinance is coming from black officials in the community and while the understand it is a fashion statement, they also feel it’s a sign of disrespect to others around them. They’ve also made the point that it’s not about race and hope that it will reduce discipline problems and increase responsibility. It’s gotten to the point where they’re even going to put up billboards (mostly around the black neighborhoods) urging young men to “Pull’em Up”.
So what do you think? Is this impeding on their personal freedoms? One thing I’ve learned in life is that your first impression is extremely important. While it may not be fair, when you meet someone you are immediately judged on your appearance. People treat you a certain way based on your attire. Try going to a business meeting in shorts and flip-flops. People will look at you like you’re crazy. Personally it’s hard for me to take you seriously when you have to keep pulling your pants up to keep them on. It’s a distraction and doesn’t make sense to me! While I think a fine is going too far, kids have to realize that opportunities can be missed just because you want to make a fashion statement.
Additional Thoughts: In listening to the radio this morning I heard some more comments on this topic. One listener said it’s going to take the young women to discourage this fad. If the ladies start calling them out, then change will happen. There’s a song out discouraging sagging and said when you spell “saggin” backwards what do you get? It’s all about perception. If you dress like a dope boy or thug then you might be treated like one.
October 24th, 2007 at 8:30 am
I see alot of resentment coming from this. I’m not sure how I feel about it yet but I do see resentment.
October 24th, 2007 at 10:28 am
I can see a lot of resentment coming out of making it a law also. Forcing them to pull up their pants might cause them to rebel more. I think it should be more of a community effort. I need to do better at this myself when I see it.
October 24th, 2007 at 12:34 pm
They need to pass a law against police brutality. This is an assualt on Black men, period.
November 12th, 2007 at 3:01 pm
I do not condone the sagging pants fad, especially in my household, but I am moreso and completely against passing what amounts to another anti-black law that criminalizes such and allows the police to increase their aggressive approach to policing our community.
I can understand some of the concerns expressed, by the local leaders pushing for this ordinance(whether their concerns are geniune or not)but I must say that this ordinance will set bad precedent and it tramples over the most sacred principles of the Texas and United States Constitutions because it’ll give police a pretextual basis to stop,question, search and harass our youth even moreso than they already do.
There has to be other less invasive solutions sought, because we already have more than enough bad laws on the books and too many of our young black and brown children tied to the criminal courts system in one form or another (i.e. truancy court, alternative schools,house arrest,probation, TYC and TYC parole).Why add an ordinace that simply tosses fuel on the youth crisis inside our community by targeting our children because of their personal preference to “sag”.
I strongly believe that home training is where the sagging fad begins and ends, and parents first and foremost,have a duty to talk with their child (ren) and express their concerns/disapproval about the sagging fad, but never to the point a child is deprived of their rights to freedom of choice and expression,
Lakeith Amir-Sharif (”Sharif”)
Making The Walls Transparent
(MTWT-TEXAS Chapter)
http://www.angelfire.com/crazy4/texas
P.S. There are a lot of distasteful styles of dress that people embrace, but you do not see nor can we allow politicans to run around passing laws against it.
November 12th, 2007 at 3:48 pm
Lakeith,
Very well said. Thanks for your comment.
To pull something like this off, they need to keep it fair. They should also go after people with g-strings showing and those wearing tight Wranglers.
November 27th, 2007 at 8:18 am
This is retarted. i sag my pants and its not to disrespect you old ass people, its a fashion and thats what we do in this day. Back in the fifties and sixties these old people were wearing fashions their parents thought were disrespectfull. Did anybody try to pass a law about it back then? I didnt think so. But todays older generation is power hungry and wants everything their way. Man forget that, if you pass the law were i live, i will walk all over government property protesting sagging them lower than ever.
November 27th, 2007 at 12:35 pm
Ray,
I can respect the whole fashion argument, but my thing is don’t get upset if the older generation doesn’t take you serious. It’s a generation gap thing and each has gone through the same type of situation during their youth. I do agree with you on the law being passed. It’s not right and I hope nothing comes of it.
Thanks for the comment.
November 29th, 2007 at 12:00 pm
to me saggin is nasty n boys shouldn’t do it dats not cool
December 3rd, 2007 at 8:51 pm
When you take a look at the government, the target objective seems to always be control. If they make it so that we live in fear and make it seem as though we can’t do anything about the power that they have… Then slowly, the United States of America will fall; as all great empires have. Look at history. Every great empire’s destruction starts on the inside. The people. When we sacrifice our freedoms because we’ve been convinced that people with sagging pants will shoot us, or that if there’s no cameras at stop lights; then someone will run a stop light and hit you… That’s when we lose what this country stands for in the first place. Leave people be. Culture develops over the years and passes by quickly. When does culture pass by slowly? When there’s governmental opposition. When that control that we as a country desire to keep cut away from us is threatening us.
Heed this warning. Don’t let them take control. When they do, it’s all over. Don’t live in fear. Life is beyond religion. Censorship and pointless laws like this… The cameras at your stoplights. I promise you, that it all ties together. If you don’t fight it now, like the Americans before you have done, then you’ll lose over 200 years of work. Don’t let them get away with things like this. Fight it before it becomes a dictatorship. If you don’t cut the snakes tail off, then it will strangle you. Protest away like Americans are supposed to you. Don’t let them convince you that you don’t have the time to do it because of loss of job security. If you don’t; then the remaining trickle of respect that the world has for this country will evaporate in the heat that is our screw ups.
December 4th, 2007 at 9:22 am
saggin is fine theres nothin wrong wit it
January 10th, 2008 at 4:25 pm
NASTY ASS PEOPLE THAT ARE LIKE THAT PULLING THEIR PANTS BELOW THEIR WAIST THAT’S LIKE SO NASTY ASS ALSO WHEN YOU SHOW YOUR UNDERWEAR EWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
January 11th, 2008 at 11:42 am
I am a teen and i have to say that I am all for getting a law like this passed.
January 12th, 2008 at 5:11 pm
I recall Atlanta discussing the possibility of such a law and I would have to agree with LaKeith.
Personally, jeans that are a little baggy are fine for my aesthetic taste but I don’t want to see anyone’s ass. But I don’t want the owness to be on females to regulate the behavior of men. I want to be accountable for my own behavior and that’s it.
Perhaps they should pass a law against plumbers - my father worked in real estate and I saw plenty of plumber’s crack growing up - gross!
January 28th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
i think this is the dumbest law to ever be discussed. i dnt feel its disrespectful at all. there are older people that wear some stupid clothing as well and there is no law trying to be passed about 0 yr old women who wear mini skirts and tiny ass shirts. you dnt see a guys ass when they sag their pants. its so dumb and it pisses me off. You should dress how you want, if its comfortable. ITS AMERICA!! stop prostitution instead of guys sagging their pants
February 11th, 2008 at 10:53 am
i dont think that the government should be trying to pass the law because they are not the ones who r wearing the clothes we are. if people dont like it then they need to turn their heads because we are not wearing it for them we r wearing it because it make us feel better. if they pass the law then there will be way more crime because they r taking something that we had invited
March 18th, 2008 at 9:51 pm
this whole thing is really getting out of hand. What people are simply saying is that when people look at you its natural to size you up. some guys feel that its a part of who they are. what people see is someone who dosen’t has enough respect for himself, why should anyone take him seriously. You don’t fit in. Yea mabe to the other saggin folks. stay in your click. continue to complain that you can’t get a job, sag in a suit then look in a mirror. what is it about your ass that deserves to be shared with the world. do you think people enjoy seeing your ass, sounds kinda gay to me. maybe that’s it. a new gay thing like the rainbow colors or something. what’s worst is not only they sag the back, but sometimes the front. As men well understand, the fronts of boxers can somtime expose your goodies, at home, ain’t no big deal, but standing at the bus stop, that’s some funny shit! But for real brothers, saggin makes you look unkept, dirty, no home training, etc…what’s even funnier is to see guys pants so big they have to use one hand to hold their pants up when they walk. what happens when you have to use both hands. I’ve seen what happens, and that is some funny shit. Know wonder the jails are filled with my brothers, they can’t run from the cops any more. How you gonna run if ya damn pants keep fallin down. cops don’t even have to run to fast the catch ya. Have you ever see a brother run saggin, again, that’s some funny shit. especially when you watch the tv show, cops. Sorry guys, it’s just lame, it’s a style that has long been overdue for a new look. Don’t even get me started on the brothers saggin with dirty draws, again, that’s some funny shit. Better yet keep saggin, ya’ll ain’t gonna get good jobs anyway. maybe when you become men you’ll put away your childish fashions. another funny thing is to see a 30something brother saggin that’s some funny shit. Grow the F*** UP!Frankly as I see it the lower you sag is simply a sign of low intelligence.Sorry brothers just callin it as I see it. And believe me, there are plenty of brothers laughing at ya’ll hanging out yo asses. as I said, that’s some funny shit, and it looks pretty damn gay. no offense to gay people. It’s like you all are telling people “kiss my ass, PLEASE”.It don’t bother me to see it. I understand the mentality. keep up the comedy show for me guys. Next thing comming will be BOOTY cracks with the sag, Don’t trip it may be comming soon. i’ve seen one already, may be a new trend. booty crack with an arrow tattoo pointing at your crack. again that some funny shit. Peace out my black people.