Not the sagging pants again
Considering that the Alabama Legislature has made job creation its top priority this session, one has to wonder why a measure criminalizing sagging pants gained such momentum to pass the House of Representatives without opposition.
The saggy pants bill, introduced by Rep. Alvin Holmes, is aimed at young men who wear their pants low, often exposing their underwear, and would affect only Montgomery County. The bill establishes a $100 fine for juveniles and $150 for adults who wear sagging pants in public.
Please. Don’t we have greater challenges to address?
We agree that the fashion practice is offensive to many. However, there is nothing to prevent someone from removing their pants altogether and walking around in their underwear. Never mind how difficult enforcement might be. Do we really want our law enforcement officers concentrating on where someone’s pants ride when there are far more serious matters to attend to?
We’re dismayed that the state’s governing body would spend time worrying about whether someone’s pants are worn at the waist when our budget is facing a multimillion-dollar shortfall, when our schools, prisons and Medicaid program are in dire need of adequate funding and when communities across the state need help bringing jobs to their areas.
Lawmakers must also be aware of the unintended consequences of mandating how pants should be worn. Considering the rampant obesity in our state, they may find that far more Alabama men than expected are wearing pants that sag below the waist – in the front, beneath their protuberant bellies.
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