Pull your pants up!

AudioSavior

The Associated Press


BATON ROUGE (AP) ? Louisiana residents who wear low-slung pants that expose underwear or certain body parts could be charged with a crime if lawmakers agree to a bill approved Thursday by a House panel and spurred by complaints about visible boxer shorts and sagging pants that sit nearly at men?s knees.

?In our society we have a line of decency that should not be crossed, and that line starts around the waist area,? said Rep. Derrick Shepherd, D-Marrero, sponsor of the bill.

Lawmakers turned aside concerns from Heather Hall, with the Louisiana chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, who said the measure was rife with the opportunity for discrimination and selective enforcement from police.

Hall said the bill institutes a literal ?fashion police? and a ?really invasive violation of the fundamental right to public expression.?

Despite those complaints and an
assessment from the committee chairman that such a law would be unenforceable, the House Criminal Justice Committee approved the bill in a 4-1 vote, sending it to the full House for debate. Only Rep. Don Cazayoux, D-New Roads, voted against the measure.

Shepherd?s bill would make it a crime to wear clothing in public that ?intentionally exposes undergarments or intentionally exposes any portion of the pubic hair, cleft of the buttocks or genitals.?

?We should be able to say what is moral, what is decent and what is acceptable behavior for our young people,? said Glenn Green, a Westwego city councilman.
Violators of the proposed law would have to perform three eight-hour days of community service at a fire department
and could have to pay a fine up to $175.

Rep. Danny Martiny, chairman of the committee, said he agreed with the spirit of the measure and said the trend of wearing sagging pants that expose underwear was offensive, but he said the law would be impossible to enforce. Martiny, R-Kenner, did not vote on the bill.

?I don?t know that it?s respectful to pay my respects at a funeral without my shirt on, but that?s not illegal; that?s just stupid,? he said. ?Government can?t fix everything.?

Opelousas Police Chief Larry Caillier said the clothing style promoted sexually deviant behavior and was offensive to women and children. He said Opelousas has a similar local ban.

Cazayoux said such behavior already was illegal under other laws, and Hall said she bristled at suggestions wearing a certain type of clothing was linked to criminal behavior and sexual deviancy.

skinartia

A friend of mine always has his jeans half way down his ass but with his boxers pulled up to his belly button...and that's with wearing a belt.

:evilguy:

"I hate every bone in your body but mine.
I can't wait 'til I can hate you tonight."

~Poison

Randy Orton

WC's Resident Alchoholic

i never wear pants at my waist unless it is at work...to me it is uncomfortable wearing them that high

AudioSavior

I'm sorry but that is just retarded.

Quack Handle

It probably encourages homosexuality too, good call!

DMW

As retarded as it looks to have your pants hanging down to your knees, this proposed law is equally absurd. If kids want to look like idiots it should be their perogative.

Miakal

If looking like an idiot was a crime than 99% of the population would be on Death Row.