This issue has been really blown out of proportion. The race issue seems to be brought up almost exclusively by African Americans who are so afraid they are being discriminated against that they actually end up creating their own discrimination. There are enough white people who "sag" here in my small midwestern town and the surrounding towns to see that race is not an issue -- at least not here. People of all races do this. Is it offensive to see a man's backside completely hanging out? Yes, and it's also humorous to see a man constantly pulling up his pants so they won't fall completely off. I don't have a problem with a guy who wears his pants baggy but wears a belt to keep them at or just below his waist -- especially when covered with a shirt. I don't want to have to constantly explain to my young daughters why some guy's underwear -- and sometimes even his bare rear end -- is hanging out in full view. It IS disrespectful to dress this way in public in front of everyone -- not just to the people looking, but to the wearer as well. I don't think anyone should emulate ANY facet of prison life or the people who wind up in there. As far as that goes, I don't want to see a woman's backside hanging out, etiher. I don't know how many times I have seen a woman bend over or squat down and show off her thong or even more. Even worse is the woman who wears pants cut to just above her pubic area with her well displayed thong sitting high above her pants. How tacky! Not to mention that showing your underwear so blatantly gives the impression that you are more willing to let people see you in even less. I also don't like shorts and skirts cut up to the crotch or tiny tube tops and tanks that show WAY more than anyone but a lover needs to see. Are we so willing to show ourselves off and advertise our sexuality that we shove it in everyone's face leaving little or nothing to the imagination? Back in the depression era, it was considered disrespectful to got out without your hat on. No one back then would have dreamed of going out in public with their underwear hanging out or such small clothing on that their breasts were almost completely exposed -- unless they were a prostitute. It was a matter of dressing appropriately whether you were seeing the cashier at the general store or the President. It told people you have respect for everyone. Times and fashions have changed. Is this a matter that needs to be governed by anyone other than the wearer? It depends on the offense. If some guy wants to show off his boxers it's not my business to tell him he can't wear what he wants how he wants. I really don't see how wearing your pants so low that nothing holds them up but either a wide stance or the constant tugging of the wearer can possibly be comfortable, but it's not the place of the govt. to enforce comfort. I do have a problem when a man shows so much of his boxers that his pants, weighed down by things in his pockets, pull down his boxers along with his pants exposing his naked rear (or other parts that would normally be covered by pants). And what about when a man wears his pants so low for so long he wears his boxers thin enough to see through or continues to wear boxers that are ripped? As long as it's not a matter of safety or indecency, it's not my business. I don't know why men want to wear their pants so low they expose their underwear. Are they so opposed to wearing clothes they prefer to "almost wear" pants? Maybe they should just sew some blue jean pant-legs onto the bottoms of their boxers and then they won't have to worry about their pants falling off. And do guys think it makes them look anything other than less educated when they can't even figure out that their pants are the wrong size when they're falling off? It looks silly, but I don't think we should have even the beginnings of a dress code unless we want the whole country to end up in uniforms. Has anyone even thought about the fact that murderers and child rapists have been let out of prison or served incredibly light sentences due to overcrowding in the prisons and now they want to put people in jail for wearing their pants the wrong way? Where is the logic in this? If the cops are worried about a man who "sags" being a criminal, they should be glad he dresses this way. It's hard to conceal a gun in a waistband when the waistband is sitting on top of a man's crotch instead of his navel. And should a "sagger' choose to conceal the weapon in his pockets, he has to reach down to his knees to get it out of pockets so big and baggy things can get lost. And finally if the man does try to run from the police, his gait will be severely hindered by his constant need to pull up his pants if his pants don't fall down altogether and trip him. The bottom line is that we need to see these people for what they are -- fashion victims. This is a fad. It will pass.
I would note, though, that a woman caught pulling down her pants to below her bottom and walking around with her underwear completely exposed would be ticketed for indecent exposure or at least told to pull up her pants. And however a man wears his pants, if his bare bottom is exposed, he should be charged with indecency. And if any man thinks it's cool to expose their entire backside to a child or someone old enough to be his grandmother, he has other problems.
Do you think the government should be allowed to keep you from wearing something others may find offensive? A debate is gaining attention across the country: Should baggy pants be banned? You’ve seen them, primarily worn by men: oversized pants hanging so low that sometimes the entire behind shows! Local ordinances in 12 states have banned the low-slung look -– but are they unfairly targeting African-Americans? Dr. Phil speaks with guests on both sides of the debate -- including parents. And, Reverend Al Sharpton and Grammy nominated hip-hip artists the Ying Yang Twins join the show with their views on banning baggy pants. Get up to speed on this issue, before YOU get caught with your pants down!
