Old Folks Completely Detached From Reality Week continues...
Welcome To Atlanta, Where The Playaz Play. And pull up ya' damn pants, shawty!
Baggy pants that show boxer shorts or thongs would be illegal under a proposed amendment to Atlanta's indecency laws. The amendment, sponsored by city councilman C.T. Martin, states that sagging pants are an "epidemic" that is becoming a "major concern" around the country.Where do I begin?
"Little children see it and want to adopt it, thinking it's the in thing," Martin said Wednesday. "I don't want young people thinking that half-dressing is the way to go. I want them to think about their future."
The proposed ordinance would also bar women from showing the strap of a thong beneath their pants. They would also be prohibited from wearing jogging bras in public or show a bra strap, said Debbie Seagraves, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia.
The proposed ordinance states that "the indecent exposure of his or her undergarments" would be unlawful in a public place. It would go in the same portion of the city code that outlaws sex in public and the exposure or fondling of genitals.
I have peeps in the "A", and find it a generally pleasant place to visit from time to time. On the other hand, it isn't Disneyland, and clearly like most big cities, it has it's share of problems with murders, drugs, corruption, and of course really, really bad rap music.
While I personally thing saggy pants are a most tacky, ghetto mess this side of fingerwaves, I can't imagine that they're enough of a problem for an otherwise busy city council to have to address. C.T. Martin, the fine fella who thought it was such a critical item that he sponsored the amendment, doesn't even have it listed among "The Issues" on his own website. Appropriately, crime, recreation, senior outreach, and beautification efforts are noted.
Basically, this is just another example of the outrageous chasm of understanding between Civil Rights era politicos like Mr. Martin, and the youth they are supposed to be shepherding. Yeah, I know, baggy pants are an extension of prison culture, blah, blah, blah. But unless the fine City of Atlanta has already solved the issues of the achievement gap, eradicating murders, their godawful foreclosure rates, and snap music, they really don't need to be bothering with this. Surely, there are bigger trout to fry.
Maynard Jackson is crying inside.
Atlanta Considers Banning Baggy Pants [Forbes]
