Baggy Pants Trend...Fashion Statement or Indecent
After reading the letter to the editor in the Taco Times last week from Wayne Dunwoody and then the reply this week from Debbie Taylor, I thought it might be an interesting topic to throw around. The topic is baggy pants that shows your underwear and sometimes more. The jest of the letters is Mr. Dunwoody says that it is nothing more than a fashion style and said, "the kids and young adults today continue to brilliantly create their own styles", and the public should stop stereotyping them as drug dealers, gang members, thieves, etc. Mrs. Taylor feels it is not "brilliant" but "indecent" and calls for the county commission to outlaw it. She also invited all concerned citizens of Perry to call her and get together and stop this saggy-pants-showing-boxers trend. What do you think and how do you feel about this trend? Does it offend you? If enough of you feel it should be outlawed, then I will start an online petition to present to the BOCC.
This is something I've struggled with for a while. On the one hand, I think the baggy hip-hop style looks absolutely ridiculous. On the other hand, I know that every new generation creates its own styles that the adults tend to disapprove of.
I don't see anything inherently indecent about boxers being exposed, so long as what's underneath the boxers isn't exposed (which it's generally not). So while I can see banning these fashions in schools--where the current dress code prohibits the exposure of undergarments on both males and females--I don't see trying to outlaw it in general.
And let's remember that these kids' parents are the ones allowing them to buy and wear these clothes, so there must be quite a few adults who think it's okay. Maybe, though, those parents ought to teach their kids that when they dress like thugs, some people are going to assume that they ARE thugs. Right or wrong, the reality is that our clothes do convey a message about us.
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Quite some time back I "heard" that if an individual was caught with baggy pant showing undergarments that they would be cited. I am not sure if this was a rumor or if indeed it was enforced for a short time. It obvisously is not still an issue with LEO's. School should be craking down on it at their level but in my opinion they are more worried about a 5 inch logo than pants that are not pulled up. Why is a TCHS girl student written up for a logo that is 5 inches yet the TCHS male student does not have to tuck his shirt in? The long shirt "covers up" on the outside the fact that the pants are below the buttocks therefore it doesnt SHOW but the idea is there. HELP!
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The only thing I remember hearing was the City adopted a rule or ordinance, don't know which, that prohibited that type of dress inside City Hall. I am sure it applies to the employees as well.
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OK...I think you are right. That sounds more like what I was thinking of. I think that the City the imposed that ordinance/rule/law was further down south.
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The funniest "baggy pants" moment I ever saw was the looter during Huricane Katrina who was trying to loot items from a store while holding up his baggy pants. I also was in a local business recently and the owner had to tell two youths with bagy pants to pull their pants up, get their hands out of their pants and that she would not wait on the youths until they did so. The youths promptly complied and apologized to the business owner. This trend (baggy pants) has evolved from prison culture through the "Hip-Hop" culture. So any comments from Dunwoody are going to be hyped with racism and grandstanding.
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I read mr dunwoody's article and all you did mr dunwoody was skate qround the facts nobody in the original article never said anything about race you brought race into this discussion with your article in my original artical to the editor my concern was about law enforcement and tchs adm. letting a person with a gun leave the tchs homecoming dance without searching him and if the people of our county do not open up their eyes and see what is in front of them and realize the problem that we have now with our young kids and gangs and drugs trust me it will be to late it is hard to see if yopu have been here all your live but i moved my family up here from orange county because of the same problems that are starting up here now and when it started down there i was in school and involved in alot of it so i am not just talking i am talking from experience and the people in the small town that we lived in also said the same thing that mr. dunwoody and other citizens said on channel 6 news that they are just kids hanging out and people need to stop and mind their own business and let the kids be kids and as far as the baggy clothes and dress code i do not understand how a child can walk in school with baggy clothes on and his shirt not tucked in and nothing said but yet my child can walk into school wearing a christian outfitters shirt displaying the message of our father JESUS and my child get suspended from school but nothing will even be said to the child wearing the baggy clothes. Mr. Dunwoody when you would like to discuss my original letter to the editor let me and the people of our county know so we can see what you have to say but remember in my original artical at no time did i mention anything about color or race so why you brought that up in your letter i do not know regardless of color we need to band together to keep our county safe for our kids to grow up in no matter what color we are
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The Baggy Pant Syndrome
It has been around a long long time.
My grandson wore them many moons ago,today he is a suit and tie man. So there is always hope that the youngsters of today will out grow the "fad". Watching TV music and dance programs indicates the style is still here, and will probably last until the next fad hits the musicians.
I don't like to see the boys wearing them, it is tasteless attire and can't be comfortable. I do not think they should be allowed in school, give them a piece of rope to tie them up until the last bell rings.
If I were a business person I would have second thoughts as to the intent of young people coming in. I don't mean it to sound like stereotyping, but baggy cloths hid as much as they can expose.
Who ever suggested uniforms for school, starting with Pre-K, has a sound idea. Then the logo - pants would no longer be an issue.
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Here’s a thought, there is a time and place for all clothing, you do not wear tee shirts and old pants to a Job interview, you dress up based on the type of job you applying for. So you should wear clothing based on were you are at as well, in public builds like Wal-Mart or public places like a school or even the side walk you should dress for the public eye. That mean fitted clothes, not you middle showing or you’re under wear hanging out with you pants to your knees. Is their a right place for baggie pants? Yes there is but our public schools, buildings and sidewalks are not the place, this also goes for girls who wears skirts that do not cover there butts and shirts shows off more middle than family and kids need to see. Yes I'm sure there are places for short skirts and shirts but just like Baggie pants not in the public eye. So do we keep patting little Timmy on the head a say do what you want or do we as a society, people, parents, pick up the ball, dress our kids, and prepare our kids for a work force that’s out there. And on a side note to concerned parent yes I think Mr. Dunwoody missed the point and took it off in to left field, and the last time I looked a cop or a teacher can search cars, students, ect. ect. On school ground, they don't need a cause; the kids should have been checked for a gun end of story. And here’s a thought for Mr. Dunwoody, sir you do a great job trying to help people but at times are you helping someone better them selves or enabling a problem. This is a battle that is not help the young people and note I said people because last time I look it was more than one race wearing baggie pants it was all of them. These kids need to learn places and times for fun or party clothes we need to embrace our youth and lead them to a path that will help them grow and get educated and good jobs, or Mr. Dunwoody you can help hold back the youth by fighting the good fight for baggie pants . This is Just a though from some one who cares because they are the further leaders of this Country.
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Well, *of course* Mr. Dunwoody "missed the point." He frequently does. He sees a racist under every rock, to paraphrase C.S. Lewis. As has been noted, the original letter to the editor to which Mr. Dunwoody was responding mentioned nothing about the race or clothing of the kids involved.
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I am glad to know that I am not the only one to think as Mr. Dunwoody in the manner that you have.I only wish he had the odasity to admitt to the way that he thinks but we all know that he never will because people that think like himself do not see anything wrong with the way they think they just find the wrong in everybody else.I try to get along with everybody if I cann't I try to avoid the person or group of people.I would agree with Mr.Dunwoody in the fact that times are changing eventhough I dont agree with all of the changes and as open as people are with the choices they make but I have to accept and look the other way and fight the uphill battle to raise my children the best I can and even then my wife and myself still spend alot of time on our faces praying to god that our children will follow his path for them,and yes we do buy our kids one boy and one girl all of their chlothes and no my son in HS is not allowed or does not wear baggy pants and my daughter in MS does not and will not wear clothes that are to thight or to reaveling that was my wife and myselfs decision and now it is our kids as they have gotten older and we try to let them make some of their own decisions.Bottomline I think that the problem is that most parents do not take the time or the responsibility they need with their kids because this day in time we have to many kids raising kids.So I beleive the answer to the whole problem is parenting and this problem haas nothing to do with race.
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Folks this is the problem right here, never was a truer statement said "Bottom-line I think that the problem is that most parents do not take the time or the responsibility they need with their kids because this day in time we have to many kids raising kids. So I believe the answer to the whole problem is parenting and this problem has nothing to do with race." Right there is the answer this is bigger than baggie pants it gets down to it is in fact a social issue. Let’s not lose focus pointing fingers at Mr. Dunwoody he is not the cause of the issues at hand, he may not be helping in the right manner at times but I think he means well. So maybe we are looking at this wrong and need to be focusing more on the Social issue as it relates to the impact of the clothes we let our kids wear or even the way the behave. But hey it’s just a thought.
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I couldn't agree with you more.
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IF ONLY EVERYBODY COULD SEE THAT THIS WORLD WOULD BE BETTER
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I read Dunwoodys article and then Debbie Taylor's reply this week. I disagree with Dunwoody, do not know him at all but I can not see where he is coming from when he said" "the kids and young adults today continue to brilliantly create their own styles", first these (baggy) styles started in our prisons, and not with the kids nor the young adults! I have Grandchildren in Jr High and High School here, so this concerns me greatly. I have one Grandson and he does not wear baggy pants, and if he starts to do so, then I say the same should go for him. I also have two Granddaughters and I think that the girls should dress appropriately also. I do hope that all parents will get behind/with Debbie and help her with this dress/code problem. I think that they should be outlawed and in my opinion they are indecent! No more baggy pants, hike um up. Droopy drawers that bare skin or underwear should
Be a forbidden fashion on the streets and in our schools today, I for one am tired (of) looking at behinds," I think that the fanny-flaunting pants should be banned. Seems to me that they need both hands to carry their books with in school anyway. . . Maybe an ordinance on the streets, and banned completely in the schools. PD could allow some sag, but if there was more sag than what the law allowed then there could be a fine for the extra sag, not to mention community service. I do not think that it would merit being arrested but surely there are ways to put a law like this into play.
A fine (too much sag)and a requirement for community service. ... With a first offense, and go on from there. All it would take is the city council voting on this, and coming up with a city ordinance From all that I have been reading on this situation it seems as if banning baggy pants is catching on in a lot of cities already,so what is Perry waiting on? Come on BM bring on that petition...
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I had the opportunity to do some people watching -- Now that is an experience.
The saga of the sagging pants came to mind.
If parents allow the children to dress in such a fashion, I can see why.
Have you noticed a 200 pound beer belly in a size 14 shirt? Ugh!
Or a size 20 woman thinking she can wear a size 14, yet?
Or young girls wearing shirts cut to the midriff with everything in between hanging out?
Now the pants seem funny, watching the young boys trip over the hems, and hoisting them up trying to carry their packages.
At least, even though not especially nice to see, they do give one a laugh.
The others nausea.
Happy holidays to all
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A behind or underwhwere showing should be a indecent exposer charge and an arrest should be made. But you can bet it wont be if the school resource officer is to enforce. I have seen pure exposed behinds, white and black in the officers presence and nothing said. How do we replace these officers that are not protecting our children as thy are being paid to do. Not just about protecting young children at a foot ball game from seeing a nude but or close to it, but removing the treat of violence once it has surfaced. there are plenty of officers that are capable of replacing them. the middle school is great and Mr. Bowden does a fine job. but the other two are a joke. just ask the parents at the high scool gym during its last dance. Mr. Dyal has just came in to the picture and i'm sure that he is aware of this ongoing problem. hopfuly it will be part of a number of changes needed for our kids safety. I feel that Mr. Dyal will ensure this and those who cannot enforce the law or school safty will become a Sheriff/Police Chief issue. I know that with all of these working togeater we can change and or address these issues befor we have a serious incident.
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You clearly have no idea what you are talking about. Not only do you sound ignorant solely based on your grammar but you also must not have clue about what goes on at our schools! The "other two" officers are the ONLY ones that are even competent enough to do their jobs! These "other two officers" have repeatedly protect our children but you are obviously too caught up in trying to bad mouth them to see that! How exactly does Mr. Bowden do a "fine job", was it not one of the "Other Officers" that found the people responsible for burglarizing the Middle School. The issue about the "Homecoming Dance" was more about fear. Seeing young African American men made the "concerned citizen" scared. I would hate to see the response of a "certain citizen" when anything happens between inmates. When a grown man cries wolf with no validity backing it, this is when all of this becomes a "joke". Haha.
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I WOULD PERSONELY LIKE TO SEE ALL OF THE RESOURCE OFFICERS REPLACED AT ALL OF THE SCHOOLS I DO NOT KNOW OFF ANY OF THEM DOING A GOOD JOB THEY THINK OF IT AS A CAKE WALK AND AN EASY JOB AND DO AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE AND TALKING ABOUT IGNORANCE I DONT BELIEVE "CONCERNED CITIZEN" WAS THE ONE AT THE DANCE BUT IT WAS ME AND AS FAR AS BEING SCARED BECAUSE OF THE COLOR OF SOMEONES SKIN IS REALLY WHERE YOU SOUND IGNORANT SKIN COLOR DOES NOT BOTHER ME THE FACT OF SEEING A GUN DOES NOT BOTHER ME BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN ON THE WRONG END OF MANY GUNS POINTED AT ME BUT I GUESS IT IS OKAY FOR KIDS TO WALK AROUND WITH GUNS IN YOUR EYES BUT I AM SORRY I LOVE MY KIDS AND I DONT WANT TO HAVE TO BURY ONE OF MY KIDS OR ANYBODY THAT I KNOW AS FAR AS A CHILD BUT THIS MUST NOT BOTHER YOU I AM SORRY FOR HAVING A HEART AS FAR AS THE REFERENCE TO HAPPENS BETWEEN INMATES I DONT KNOW WHERE OR WHY YOU WOULD EVEN SAY ANYTHING ABOUT INMATES DO NOT UNDERSTAND PLEASE EXPLAIN
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I've seen so many teens wearing baggy pants. For me, I have nothing against it. It's fun seeing them wearing those pants but I don't want to wear it.
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There is nothing wrong wearing baggy pants as long as you do nothing wrong.
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The custom of baggy pants originated from African culture and has become an exaggerated street fashion, but the impracticality really does make me yearn for my generation when pants used to fit and instead of using a thumb in a belt loop to keep the entire panorama of skivvies out of view, there would be khakis, board shorts, fitted jeans with the cute male behinds we ladies so used to admire.
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If what you call african culture is prison culture. The practice of the "baggy pants" has evolved from prison life into hip-hop life. Which is great, 9 times out of 10 when you see a video of a crime in process, much like the one in the Tallahassee Democrat this week, the thug has baggy pants. It always amuses me when a thug stealing with baggy pants has to hold up his pants with one hand and steal with the other. Which is good because they can only steal 50% of what the are capable of! LOL!!! No self respecting person would adopt the baggy pants look and it is not just a black thing, a lot of white kids have adopted this fashion statement as well!
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