Sagging Pants? Six Months And/Or $500 Fine

[Spoder]

Jesus, Florida...
Not surprised though.

They're going to ban 2chainz songs next.

I'd stand by that 100%.

On second thought, I would too.

But then again, because he's not really different it would be like banning music.

[Dakini]

Racist law is racist.

[Russian Socialist Soviet States]

This is fascism!

[Ancient Magmia]

On second thought, I would too.

But then again, because he's not really different it would be like banning music.

Nah, 2 Chainz is not music. You have horrid music like Nicki Minaj, but then you have straight-up trash...

[Vettrera]

Apparently, it can't be charged under indecent exposure as they wear basketball shorts over their underwear to sag legally.


Why are you using negro when that's the racist term?

Three guesses, and the first two don't count.

I am going to enjoy this thread very much.

[Yumyumsuppertime]

Three guesses, and the first two don't count.

I am going to enjoy this thread very much.

So am I.

[Vicious Debaters]

Racist law is racist.

I didn't see anything racist. Seriously, not getting it.

[Reploid Productions]

Racist law is racist.

I didn't see anything racist. Seriously, not getting it.

Yeah, admittedly it's just a stupid law. As long as they've got shorts or something covering their ass, they can look as stupid as they want with the saggy pants as far as I care.

[The Emerald Dragon]

Racist law is racist.

I wouldn't say the law is racist, just stupid.

[Yumyumsuppertime]

Racist law is racist.

I didn't see anything racist. Seriously, not getting it.

The sagging pants look is very popular in the black community. White kids also do it, but in much smaller numbers. It's a bit like passing a law against low riders in Los Angeles. Some white and black people would get busted, but the Latino community in East L.A. would be disproportionately affected.

[Vettrera]

Racist law is racist.

I didn't see anything racist. Seriously, not getting it.

It's a problematic law in the regard that it is aimed at the urban populace and a culture that has for recent history been "sagging". The people that tend to do this represent a place on the socioeconomic ladder where paying a $500 fine is not feasible..or at least not easy. Though this law is more an attack on the inner-city than racist, the leap isn't impossible to buy/that hard to make. All in all, it's a stupid law.

[Vistulange]

Stupid shit happening in America, news at 11.

[Greed and Death]

Florida, a land currently known for face-eating bath salt-abusing cannibals, naked women vandalizing McDonald's, and meth labs being created in the middle of WalMart, has decided to take decisive action against the greatest plague facing their fair state.

Pants on the ground? You could spend six months in jail.

Ocala, a town in central Florida, approved an ordinance this week that tightens the belt for anyone on city-owned property such as sidewalks, parks and pools. Violators could be forced to pay $500 or face jailtime of six months.

“We have the right to say you have to be clothed in public, fashion statement or not,” City Attorney Patrick Gilligan told the Ocala Star Banner.

Enforcing the law would be similar to how officers enforce noise complaints, Gilligan said. If the behavior persists after multiple warnings, that person can face arrest.

Critics of the law – including some local chapters of the American Civil Liberties Union – have pointed to the potential for racial profiling. But Ocala Council member Mary Rich, who wrote the ordinance, said targeting specific groups wasn’t her intention.

“It doesn’t matter what color they are,” Rich said. “They all wear their pants down.”

Cities across the country – including New Orleans, Chicago, Atlanta, Detroit, Miami and Jacksonville, Fla. – have taken steps to crack down on the baggy pants problem.

Wildwood, a family-friendly town known for its boardwalk on the Jersey shore, banned sagging pants and revealing clothing last summer after complaints from tourists. Fines started at $25 but could add up to $200 as well 40 hours of community service.

“I’m not trying to be the fashion police, but personally I find it offensive when a guy’s butt is hanging out,” Wildwood mayor Ernest Troiana said then.

Enforcement of the law has faced challenges in courts. A Florida judge struck down an ordinance in another city in 2008 after a 17-year-old boy spent the night in jail for exposing several inches of his underwear exposed. This week, a Pennsylvania judge dismissed a contempt of court citation against an 18-year-old who was arrested under the policy.

The city attorney in Ocala said the law would not be tough to enforce.

If the individual won’t comply? Police officers will take out their phones to snap photo proof for the judge.

Now, don't get me wrong: I'm no fan of the look, and cities have the right to enforce decency standards within their communities to a reasonable degree. However, this just seems draconian. It's not like any skin is being shown, and it's a look that is already slowly dying out on its own. And, yes, they say that there's no racial profiling involved, but considering that this look is more popular in the black community (though not limited to it), guess who will be disproportionately affected by the rule? More black men in the prison system, and over nonsense.

Does this strike anyone else as being particularly...well, batshit insane?

Hmm better make it a statewide felony so they can't vote afterwards then.

[Reploid Productions]

Stupid shit happening in America Florida, news at 11.

Fixed that for you.

[Benuty]

Looks like Coon Chicken Inn, and Niggerhair Tobacco have been resurrected by the Mormons to control Florida.

[Wisconsin9]

Florida does more completely idiotic stuff with their law, and exactly nobody was surprised.

[The Emerald Dragon]

I didn't see anything racist. Seriously, not getting it.

It's a problematic law in the regard that it is aimed at the urban populace and a culture that has for recent history been "sagging". The people that tend to do this represent a place on the socioeconomic ladder where paying a $500 fine is not feasible..or at least not easy. Though this law is more an attack on the inner-city than racist, the leap isn't impossible to buy/that hard to make. All in all, it's a stupid law.

Just because it'll affect one group more, it isn't racist.

It's not like African Americans and Blacks are genetically predisposed to wear their pants low.

[Washington Resistance Army]

Florida, why you gotta be like this?

[Yumyumsuppertime]

It's a problematic law in the regard that it is aimed at the urban populace and a culture that has for recent history been "sagging". The people that tend to do this represent a place on the socioeconomic ladder where paying a $500 fine is not feasible..or at least not easy. Though this law is more an attack on the inner-city than racist, the leap isn't impossible to buy/that hard to make. All in all, it's a stupid law.

Just because it'll affect one group more, it isn't racist.

It's not like African Americans and Blacks are genetically predisposed to wear their pants low.

Let's not be intentionally blind here.

A law against eating with chopsticks would affect people from every race, but affect Asians disproportionately.

A law against eating tamales would affect every race (and me), but would affect Mexicans disproportionately.

A law against joining country clubs would affect every race, but would affect Whites disproportionately.

A law against wearing any sort of skullcap would affect everyone, but affect Orthodox Jews disproportionately.

[Vistulange]

Stupid shit happening in America Florida, news at 11.

Fixed that for you.

Danke, Reppy. Now that I flip back on the past, Florida does seem to have...um...more interesting cases.

[Reploid Productions]

Florida, why you gotta be like this?

I blame the bath salts. *nods sagely* Or the hanging chads.

[Dakini]

One would think the that existing indecent exposure laws would be sufficient to cover the creeping fear of some dude's ass hanging out of their pants. Sure, it's an idiotic 'fashion', but criminalizing it seems far less effective than simply socially marginalizing and ridiculing it.

Apparently, it can't be charged under indecent exposure as they wear basketball shorts over their underwear to sag legally.

So if you use basketball shorts as underwear, you're all set!

[Ifreann]

It's a problematic law in the regard that it is aimed at the urban populace and a culture that has for recent history been "sagging". The people that tend to do this represent a place on the socioeconomic ladder where paying a $500 fine is not feasible..or at least not easy. Though this law is more an attack on the inner-city than racist, the leap isn't impossible to buy/that hard to make. All in all, it's a stupid law.

Just because it'll affect one group more, it isn't racist.

It's not like African Americans and Blacks are genetically predisposed to wear their pants low.

I'd wager that the people who passed this law think they are, or something equally racist.

[Vettrera]

It's a problematic law in the regard that it is aimed at the urban populace and a culture that has for recent history been "sagging". The people that tend to do this represent a place on the socioeconomic ladder where paying a $500 fine is not feasible..or at least not easy. Though this law is more an attack on the inner-city than racist, the leap isn't impossible to buy/that hard to make. All in all, it's a stupid law.

Just because it'll affect one group more, it isn't racist.

It's not like African Americans and Blacks are genetically predisposed to wear their pants low.

Are you fucking with me? Or are you just trying to be blind to racial issues? Obviously this isn't a law saying "all people darker than X shade must go to jail" but it is a law that will disproportionately attack a community known for widespread sagging.
This is a literal attack on urban culture and a large portion of the black community (not that I'm defensive of urban culture).

In your world for a law to be targeted at a certain race, it has to literally say "blacks go to jail if they do X" ...
There is no logical reason to assess a $500 fine on the lowest part of the socioeconomic ladder...

[Washington Resistance Army]

Florida, why you gotta be like this?

I blame the bath salts. *nods sagely* Or the hanging chads.

Probably the bath salts.. What with all the face eating and whatnot