Sagging Pants: The Epidemic

Your assignment is to discuss the pros and cons of saggy pants as well as the idea of placing a fine on people who do “sag” their pants.  Do you agree or disagree and why? Look up any additional information about the history of this style and why or why it is here to stay or is it just a fade that will end soon on its own.  You must have at least one typewritten page on this subject.  Please discuss the economic impact for any potential fines as well as the impact on the clothing industry for the style (i.e. does it require buying certain style pants/shirt/underwear just to have the style).  

Sagging Pants: The Epidemic

The sagging of pants epidemic; a trend majorly but not limited to being popular among young African American males, has become an increasingly stated nuisance for the American society, and now, many states have taken matters to dissolve the “issue” to legislation.  In fact, in New Jersey, exclusively on the boardwalk of Jersey Shore, an individual can be fined anywhere from $40 to $200 and have to perform 40 hours of community service if they are caught with his pants sagging more than 3 centimeters below his waistline.  Kansas City in more recent news is also attempting to pass a similar state-wide law, because citizens see it as “disrespectful to the public” and therefor incur that it should be labeled as “indecent exposure.”  The proposal states that any individual caught after warning wearing his pants below his waist will be fined anywhere from $50 to $100.  “That’s the way they wear them. I understand that’s supposed to be the style but I don’t like the style” says 62 year old Kansas City citizen, Frank White.  This statement and everything it denotes is the very reason why I disagree with the proposal and existing laws that bans the sagging of one’s pants.  If we all were fined for something someone else did not “like” we would all be very much so impoverished.

America is “the land of the free” and the leader of this world for the very reason of Freedom.  When individuals sags their pants, it is their form of self-expression in which they are entitled to.  Others may wear it as a fashion statement, and others may wear it as homage to a specific culture.  Either way, it is their prerogative as long as they live in the United States under the U.S Constitution, which allows all civilians to speak, think, and exist freely.  I do agree that it is inappropriate, but some may say tattoos are, or piercings are, or unnatural hair color is.  Should we also fine all individuals who contain these elements?  Many would say no, much more than those who actually sags their pants.  It is unfair and against their civil rights to fine these men for wearing their clothes the way they want to.

Surely if all proposals are accepted, the economy is expected to benefit.  However, I would predict the opposite.  Honestly, many of those who wear their pants in this manner are young and to be candid, without stable financial means.  So much of these fines will go unpaid, and forfeit many state economies into a deficit.  Additionally, these young men will ignore the bans; as blatantly stated by an interviewed young wearer of saggy pants, “I will pull my pants up when told, but sag them where no one who will fine me can see.”  Therefore, attempting to legally  prohibit the style would be for naught.