Baggy pants outlawed in Jackson, MS

[Matt Collins]

[FONT=Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Mayor: Saggy Pants Problem "Bigger Than the Constitution"

Never mind the Constitution, says Jackson, Mississippi mayor Frank Melton. Stopping kids from wearing pants that sag below the waistline and expose their underwear is more important than that moldy old document.

[/FONT][FONT=Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]

[/FONT][FONT=Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]The mayor was a strong backer of a proposed city ordinance banning the droopy-drawers fashion fad. However, after the city attorney concluded the measure was most likely unconstitutional, the Jackson city council voted 4-2 against it.

Mayor Melton was outraged, and announced plans to bypass the council -- and, presumably, the Constitution -- by issuing an executive order.

"I certainly respect the Constitution," Melton said, "but we have some issues that are much bigger than the Constitution."

Yeah, like... banning saggy pants.

Mayor Melton is no stranger to constitutional controversy. In 2007 the libertarian magazine Reason listed some of Melton's more outrageous antics and dubbed him "Worst Mayor in America." Since then, apparently, he has only gotten... worse.

SOURCE:
http://www.theadvocates.org/liberator/archive.html
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[DamianTV]

Matt, the sites youre linking to for reference need to be flat out boycotted for the FORCED use of cookies, IE, invasion of your privacy, if you even care.

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And your Advocates link also doesnt go directly to the story. Better links would be helpful...

 

[dannno]

Ridiculous.

 

[Reason]

Matt, the sites youre linking to for reference need to be flat out boycotted for the FORCED use of cookies, IE, invasion of your privacy, if you even care.



And your Advocates link also doesnt go directly to the story. Better links would be helpful...

I can't even visit the first link because my peer guardian IP blocker blocks a "cumulus media".

Considering I have PG to block govt and anti p2p corporations that doesn't bode well.

 

[Matt Collins]

I can't even visit the first link because my peer guardian IP blocker blocks a "cumulus media".

Considering I have PG to block govt and anti p2p corporations that doesn't bode well.

Sorry try the link again... I have fixed it.

 

[Danke]

"When they took away Baggy Pants, I was quiet because I wear a belt. When they took away..."

 

[youngbuck]

"When they took away Baggy Pants, I was quiet because I wear a belt. When they took away..."

Yep, exactly!

 

[BillyDkid]

You know, baggy pants look as revolting to me as my long hair looked to most adults in the late 1960's and I am just as offended by this notion that some people have the right to tell other people what kind of clothing they can wear as I was offended at being harassed for being a long hair back then. It is amazing to me how many people casually accept that the power of the law may be used to enforce their notions of decency on others.

 

[american.swan]

This is stupid. LA gangs gave this up years ago because they can't run away from cops with baggy pants. Stupid laws.

 

[asimplegirl]

pants that show your underwear have been banned here for a while, even for women.

Its obsene to see someone's undies... of course, there are certain towns that don't abide by this.. but it is nice to not have to see someone's underwear and their pants start right above the knee, when you visit a place it is outlawed.

I am okay with this, as long as the people in these towns are okay with it... but I would not be okay if they made it a larger law.

This:

is not the sagging I am talking about, as the towns I know that have this law wouldn't say much about that, this is:

When you are showing your undies that much or dressing like this:

It's almost as offensive as showing your genitals. No one wants their children to see that.

 

[Dr.3D]

LOL, I always have to laugh when I see somebody who can't keep his pants up.
I had that problem when I was a little kid, but after a while, I figured out how to keep it from happening.

A belt or perhaps some suspenders would be handy for these people.

 

[american.swan]

Underwear is harmless. You don't have to look. So are you in favor of banning bathing suites??

I wouldn't want to live in socialist Canada but their Supreme Court and nudity rulings are the sanest in North America.

 

[pcosmar]

It's almost as offensive as showing your genitals. No one wants their children to see that.

Or This,

 

[Matt Collins]

I wouldn't want to live in socialist Canada but their Supreme Court and nudity rulings are the sanest in North America.

Yeah... because it's FREAKIN CANADA!!! No one takes their clothes off up there; way too cold!

 

[Matt Collins]

When you are showing your undies that much or dressing like this:

It's almost as offensive as showing your genitals. No one wants their children to see that.

I'm sorry... what's wrong with the above photo?

 

[Paulitical Correctness]

Its obsene to see someone's undies...
It's almost as offensive as showing your genitals. No one wants their children to see that.

I agree with the bit about it being obscene. No arguments there, I don't like seeing dude's undergarments/asscracks any more than the tools trying to pass laws against them do, but that's not the point. And just to clarify, your example of sluts with their thongs hanging out ain't cool with me either (I like an old fashioned gal that'll hide her lady parts, not flaunt them shamelessly.) If someone in public offends me with their choice of clothing style, I can look away.

One of the comments on the clarion ledger said "Then enforce the obscenity laws". I agree. Why create new "ordinances" to screw even more people. More incentive for officers to abuse their power, in my opinion. What constitutes "baggy pants" anyway? I lost some weight not long ago and for a while neglected to buy a new belt. Needless to say, I occasionally had to pull 'em up (though my shirt was long enough to not "expose" anything). So if I'm walking down the street in good 'ole Jackson and reach to my belt to make an adjustment, officer protectandserve can use his discretion and find me guilty?

He said the ordinance was an attempt to "save all the children we can."

How many government boogeymen have been masked by this "save the children" bullshit?

Melton said his executive order will not call on offenders to be put in jail. Instead, he said he envisions police officers taking young men with sagging pants home to their parents to talk about the problem.

If you've ever had a run in with the police, you know good and well no cop is going to waste his time with this. Let me fix it,

Melton said his executive order will not call on offenders to be put in jail. Instead, he said he envisions police officers tasing young men with sagging pants and fining their parents for negligence.

Besides, you can go to any beach and see much more offensive displays than someone's "baggy pants".

 

[LibForestPaul]

I think every communty should set its own standard. That includes short skirts, low cut blouses, and tank tops. Good for you mayor!

And no more fn hairy italians wearing speedos at the beach. What's with these ladies!

 

[devil21]

I'm sorry... what's wrong with the above photo?

I am so disgusted I had to go back and look at that picture several times. :o

 

[Matt Collins]

I am so disgusted I had to go back and look at that picture several times. :o

Well it was kind of hard, but after using the zoom feature several times going back and forth and in and out in FireFox I decided that there was indeed some obscenity there. I wouldn't want anything to slip through the cracks so let there be no buts about it that their cheeks were being flossed. What a couple of bums.

 

[cablesalt]

Regardless...this is ridiculous. How is this bigger than the constitution?