A Look at the proposed - "FUBU" Ordinance in Jennings La.
The Jennings City Council will discuss a dress code ordinance
proposal at their June 1, 2004 city council meeting. The Louisiana Legislature
is working to ban low hanging pants from public viewing by introducing a bill
addressing the issue of citizens who wear pants pulled down that reveal their
underwear. The Bill is HB1626 and makes the
wearing of certain clothes a crime. I refer to the ordinance as the "FUBU"
ordinance as it deals with at certain style of cloths that seem to have evolved
from this line of clothing.
Representative Derrick Shepherd, the African-American Representative of District
87 originally introduced the bill. He is
also a Democrat, which explains a lot by itself. Representative Shepherd stated
early on that "he" introduced the bill because "he" was
tired of seeing low slung pants. I’m becoming intolerant of a lot of things
myself. Unfortunately I don’t have the benefit of being a law maker and able
to create a law to shield myself from it.
We are growing ever increasingly intolerant of everything. What’s next in this evolutionary process. We create ordinances on loud music, smokers, and others, and now were going to regulate proper dress on public streets. Where does it stop? How far will it go if we let it? I’m tired of seeing low slung pants myself but I think making it a "crime" is beginning to stretch intolerance too far. It aggravates me to no end but there should not be a law that makes it a crime to wear low slung pants. Nor should there be a law that prohibits me from making a comment to the person who’s wearing them, which I enjoy doing.
A closer look at the wording of the "FUBU" law authored by Representative Shepard reveals that the target group is men. The words women, her, she, or females or any other word that describes women does not appear in the bill. However, the very specific word "he", which describes males, appears 6 times. The bill describes "people" but it drills down to males specifically. Looks to me like women are excluded? Right up front this law needs the wording cleaned up so that it is not discriminatory. You would think that an African American Representative would be sensitive to such wording. What disturbs me is that you can enter the word "low slung pants" into an internet search engine and the first dozen returns are dedicated to Louisiana’s low slung pants law, which only re-enforces our national reputation for being backwoods hicks.
In an previous article I have already proven that the laws on the books are often changed. The wording struck and replaced with other words that covers more than what was originally intended. These back-office changes are common and can occur with all laws whether voters voted on them or not. When the "low slung pants" fad, fades away as do all fads, what will be replaced in the wording.
Considering the fact that this is a stupid law….lets contribute to the stupidity. Lets look closely at what this law attempts to accomplish. It attempts to address the issue of male "ass cracks". It’s the cleavage of the male anatomy. Women have their cleavage…men have theirs! The debate should be over the difference between ass cleavage and breast cleavage. Perhaps it’s like Larry says…"Young men are showing tribute to fallen rappers by flying their pants at half mast".
What about 2 piece bathing suits? Thongs? What about hotpants? What
about women who wear skirts above the knees? What about women who go bra-less?
What about women who expose their middriffs? How long will it be before they are
on the target list because someone is offended?
Of course I am seldom offended by the way women dress….or not! I don’t want
to see ordinances passed in the future against women who wear hot pants or bare
their midriff. If I have to tolerate guys wearing low-slung pants and showing
their ass-cracks, so I can see a woman in a mini-skirt or hot pants then that’s
a fair trade off for me. I just won’t look at the ass-cracks unless it belongs
to a woman. And what red blooded, testosterone carrying, American male would
disagree with me?
If your going to create stupid laws then create a stupid law against the
manufacturers and the retailers that prohibit selling this type clothing. Create
a law that allows restaurants to create dress codes that ban people who are not
properly dressed.
Then there is the enforcement side. How will it be enforced? Are we going to tie up valuable law enforcement resources responding to a "crime in progress" call over a persons ass-crack showing? I could not with clear conscience call a cop on a FUBU Ordinance violator. I think law enforcement has bigger fish to fry than to have to enforce such a ridiculous ordinance.
I get offended too. I am offended when people look a certain way, eats a certain way, and smell a certain way. I can be easily offended if I wanted to be. Or I can be tolerant. Do you get offended? Lets just establish a blanket ordinance that states anytime your offended by anything you can call the cops and have someone arrested or ticketed. The only thing you have to prove is that you were offended. Sound stupid? Now you know how this whole thing sounds to me. The worst part about it is….it’s a fad. It will pass, but the law will be they’re waiting for people to strike words out and add new ones in. You may not like the next version of what is defined as offensive.
My suggestion to the Jennings City Council is to put this on the back burner for review and leave it there for a few years.
We all know that most of the people who wear low slung pants are young black men and a handful of young white men, trying to be cool rapper wanna be’s. My question to Mr. Sheperd's with his introduction of this bill would have to be…..What group of crackers are you trying to impress?
HLS
04-2465 ORIGINAL
Regular Session, 2004
HOUSE BILL NO. 1626
BY REPRESENTATIVE SHEPHERD
CRIME: Prohibits wearing pants below the waist
AN ACT 1
To enact R.S. 14:106.3, relative to offenses affecting the general peace and
order; to create the crime of wearing pants in public below the waist; to
provide for penalties; and to provide for related matters.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
Section 1. R.S. 14:106.3 is hereby enacted to read as follows:
§106.3. Illegally wearing pants below waist in public; penalty
It shall be unlawful for any person to appear in public wearing his pants
below his waist and thereby exposing his skin or intimate clothing.
Whoever violates the provisions of this Section shall be fined not more than
five hundred dollars or imprisoned for not more than six months, or both.
Shepherd HB No. 1626
Abstract: Creates crime of illegally wearing pants
below waist.
Proposed law provides that if a person appears in public with his pants below
his waist and is exposing his skin or intimate clothing, it is a crime and the
person can be fined not more than $500 or imprisoned for not more than six
months, or both.
(Adds R.S. 14:106.3)