Flint Michigan Implements Controversial Sagging Pants Law
Flint’s interim Police Chief David Dicks (yup…that’s his name) began implementing a controversial new “sagging pants law“. In short, let your pants sag and you will be warned, then fined, and finally put in jail if you don’t comply with this indecent exposure law. Here is some content from the article that explains the Chief’s position:
Dicks, who took over the department last month on an interim basis, announced that his officers would start arresting people wearing saggy pants that expose skivvies, boxer shorts or bare bottoms.
“Some people call it a fad,” Dicks told the Free Press this week while patrolling the streets of Flint. “But I believe it’s a national nuisance. It is indecent and thus it is indecent exposure, which has been on the books for years.”
On June 27, the chief issued a departmental memorandum telling officers: “This immoral self expression goes beyond freedom of expression.”
Some “sag your pants” supporters are crying foul though. Of course, the crazy folks over at the ACLU are claiming racist undertones as the driving issue. It goes without saying, but this is bizarre and bordering on insane. Can we please leave the race comments out of this and talk about the merits of what they are trying to do?
This new law is ridiculous if they do actually plan on throwing people in jail, but warnings and fines? I have only one word – “finally”. I know not all will agree and I would love to hear from you in the comments, but guys who wear their pants sagging are making a statement. No one can convince me otherwise and this is why I support The Chief in his actions. Stop the ghetto behavior and you will start changing attitudes.
Sagging pants have hurt the implementation of true manly behavior and manliness in our youth for far too long. I say, “respect yourself and respect how you carry your appearance.” The Manliness Trait (the post has yet to be crafted) A Man’s Appearance Always Matters is something that is near and dear to me.
Flint, Michigan
I lived in Michigan for over 30 years and know Flint, Michigan very well. It is one of the most dangerous places in our country. I lived in Detroit proper for a number of years and Detroit is tame in many respects compared to Flint.
I suspect, regardless of color or ethnic background, that if we start changing the attitude and altering the mentality that presently exists in young males, it might be possible to turn them into young men. Young men with character and respect for each other tend to yield good things.
This respectful attitude is not present in any urban culture that I am aware and Flint is no exception. Flint is a place where something like this could actually start changing the fortunes of the entire city. Don’t agree? Take the time to dress to the nines this weekend and go to a public place. See how people treat you and more importantly, notice how it makes you feel. This attitude just might spill over into all aspects of your life.
Finally, the sagging pants law could make the “sag your pants” fashion (using that term liberally) a thing of the past. If for no other reason, there is hope I can now go back home and find myself in a pickup game without the fear of having to check a fella with his pants half off. I don’t think anyone can argue with that!!!
What is puzzling with the fad is the logic for it. Is there one? I can understand a low hip pair of trousers or jeans or whatever as a comfortable fit but something that will trip you when you walk?
To be sure, this is an idiotic fad. Literally, the stupidest thing I’ve ever seen. And I roll my eyes at every single dude I see with their pants around their thighs.
But frankly, I think the law is ridiculous, as long as nothing scandalous is showing. Our police have plenty to do without looking out for the whites of some guy’s boxers. As long as there’s nothing indecent (no crack, I’m looking at you plumbers), I say who cares?
Yes, people treat you diffently when you wear ridiculous pants. But they treat you differently when you have long hair, leather jacket and a Harley shirt too. And if you have a mohawk and a safety pin through your cheek. But that’s the thing, if you draw the line at one ridiculous fad you can start drawing the line at others. And then we all look like we shop at Brooks Brothers. I’m not a big fan of someone telling me what I can and can’t wear (other than my wife).
@Mike – these are all good points.
Some people may treat you more importantly if you’re dressed to the nines, but those aren’t the people that saggy pants kids are looking to impress. They’re trying to fit in with their dumbass friends who expose their boxers.
There are more important crimes for the police to crack down on (note the hilarious pun).
Rasheeds last blog post..Sepp Blatter is a Douche
If for no other reason, I now have the word “Douche” on my site again. That is what’s important. I love that word used in that way
You are right, but I would argue that they are impressing the wrong people.
[...] example, a new law in Flint Michigan, is making it illegal to “sag” your pants. Some “saggers” cite fashion as [...]
Repugnant, Suggestive and Lewd!
And I could go on how I and others feel about this unsightly “trend”.
Trend implies a ‘popular taste at a given time’. But, this has been going on for almost 20 years.
If not for the fact that Police Chief Dicks, was/is black, there would be an outcry of racism & discrimination. I have seen, however, claims of ‘racial profiling’. This is the contemporary means of labeling someone who doesn’t agree with you. And the ACLU is legend at defending these accusations under the guise of 1st Amendment freedoms.
One word: STOPTHEACLU.COM
Was that one word? {:]
SAGGING PANTS
WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL???
During the past few years, sagging pants has become a fashion trend worldwide. While this fashion trend is popular with many of today’s youths, and some adults, a wide margin of the population find this style of clothing offensive and inappropriate. Even though I do not wear my pants below the waist, I do not see what is the problem; to me it is just another fad in America that will eventually go away. This style of clothing has been referred to as stupid, and revealing. It has been characterized be the common phrase of people saying “you can see their butts hanging out,” or “I don’t want to see your butt.” Abolition of this style of clothing has even been taken so far as to being brought on Oprah and the involvement of organizations to get rid of it. The question being asked today by many of today’s youth is “is it really that serious?”
As far as being called stupid, there have been plenty of fashions in America that are equally, if not far more stupid than sagging pants. For instance, clothes being worn backwards, which is self explanatory. Shirts with offensive and lude sayings on them or clothing with the tags left on, shoulder pads in dresses and suites which makes our population look like linebackers, or worn jeans which defeats the purpose of buying new jeans, etcetera. What looks stupid is an opinion, and as long as we are a democracy, everyone is entitled to their own.
Too much attention is on sagging pants when it is referred to as being offensive and lude, because there are so many other fashion trends that are far worse than sagging pants. First of all, when people say to people who “sag” that they can see your butt, or that they don’t want to “see your butt,” they have just made an ignorant statement. No one is seeing a true bottom unless the person sagging is not wearing any underwear, in which case this scenario is very unlikely. Second of all, one is merely seeing the loose boxers, and on rare occasion maybe a glimpse of regular underwear, which is also unlikely due to the fact that many of today’s youth due not wear briefs for fear of ridicule for wearing “tighty whities.” In the case of an argument that I am taking these statements too literally, then is seeing the figure of ones butt through boxers not the same as seeing ones butt through regular jeans or shorts, after all what is boxers other than a thinner pair of shorts, or why is a glimpse of boxer’s offensive? They leave more to the imagination than many of today’s tight fitting pants that both guys and girls wear, do they not?
So much attention is called to sagging pants, but not to hip huggers which reveal a large butt crack every time its wearer sits down. In sports, football pants, a wrestling singlet, gymnastics singlet, or volley ball shorts, fit so tight that one might as well paint their body for clothes, every curve and mark is clearly displayed and yet no one complains as much as they do about a mere sagging pants. Sometimes you will see girls’ wearing tight shorts with words on the back, which clearly draws attention to the “rear end” and it is seen as cute, but sagging pants is offensive? Shirts are being worn with cuts so low that people might as well go topless, and yet laws are being enforced to stop pants from simply being worn below the waistline. When a guy wears a shirt that is cut off at the ribs is it not offensive, or when an obese person wears clothes so tight that they look like a caterpillar in cling wrap it goes unnoticed. While seeing boxers is offensive enough to bring law enforcement into the picture then why not being able to see panty lines of thong straps or bra straps? Is it only okay to see ones figure at the beach or pool? Why should location determine whether clothing is wrong or right? Emo kids are guys who wear tight fitting shirts and girls pants that fit so tight that they appear to cut off circulation. Gothic kids style of clothing looks like they are worshiping Satan, and yet neither one of these styles have been attempted to be outlawed, I find these styles offensive.
Sagging pants is just another fad that will eventually die out, but in the meantime, too much negative attention has been called to it. Is freedom of expression or speech not protected in our constitutional rights, it is and unless our government becomes communist or totalitarian, it always will be. Anyone who purchases clothing has the right to wear them the way that they want to. I have not found a suitable explanation the severity of sagging pants that can sway my opinion, and doubt that one is out there. Style will always be opinionated and I can only wonder what new “so-called” offensive fashions await in the future?
OK, I’m not a teenage kid. I’m 42 years old, and I wear my pants down low about halfway down on my butt. I can’t help it. I keep pulling my pants up, but they keep sliding back down again. I am morbidly obese, being apple-shaped, meaning I have mostly upper-body fat. I’m 6 feet 2 inches tall and I weigh about 750 pounds. I measure about 72 inches around my chest, 98 inches around my belly, but I have a relatively small butt, measuring only 54 inches around my hips. I’m only 28 inches around my thighs and my upper arms are 36 inches around. Yeah! My upper arms are actually bigger around than my thighs! My love-handles are obviously much wider than my hips, and even hang down over my hips. I have a big roll of fat on my lower back that protrudes out further than my butt. My belly hangs down over my belt, down over the front of my pants and halfway down my thighs. I can’t find shirts large enough to cover my belly, so I go around out in public showing off my bellybutton and butt-crack! I can’t help it. Should I be busted because I go around with my bellybutton and butt-crack showing? HELL NO! That would be discrimination against us fat people. Sorry about that! OK?
Oh, by the way, I would also like to mention an incident that happened to me at a public beach. I was wearing no shirt and I was barefoot. As I was walking along the beach, the lifeguard approached me, and told me that it was not a nude beach and that if I didn’t put on some shorts, he would have me arrested for indecent exposure. But I was in fact wearing shorts, so I turned around to show him. From the front I looked like I had nothing on, because, as I had mentioned previously, I’m morbidly obese, and I have a huge round low hanging belly. Because my belly hung down over the front of my shorts and down over my thighs almost halfway to my knees, I looked like I had nothing on! but when I turned around, the lifeguard could see that I was indeed wearing shorts. Of course, my shorts were halfway down on my butt revealing my butt-crack, but I can’t help that. I have a massive upper-body with a low hanging belly so I just can’t keep my pants from sliding down on my butt. Well, the lifeguard didn’t bother me anymore, but you should have seen the look on his face! I still laugh when I think about it. About a week later, I returned to the beach, but this time, instead of wearing shorts, I wore a speedo. I figured, HELL, why not! There was no rules against speedos on the beach, so I felt that despite being obese, I also had a right to wear one too. I’m not going to hide in my home just because I’m super morbidly obese. I believe that I should have the same legal rights and anybody else here in the USA. I can’t help it if my pants or shorts slide halfway down on my butt. I can’t help it if I can’t find shirts big enough to cover my belly. When your love-handles hang down over your hips, and your belly hangs down over your thighs almost halfway to your knees, there is no way to keep your pants from sliding down on your butt. I have tried losing weight a few times but my belly still sags down low, and I can’t afford the surgery to have the excess skin removes, and I do not wish to subject myself to such a painful procedure and have such nasty looking scars. So I gave up trying to lose weight. Yeah, I weigh 750 pounds, but I really don’t mind. In fact, I’m perfectly happy being fat, so I’m going to enjoy life as much as I can. Besides, I actually like going out in public showing off my bellybutton and butt-crack and mooning the world around me.
no people should not be dicriminated like that and it is a trend i am 16 years old and i dont sag and i live in los angeles and from what i see only like 10 percent of the population here is wearing there pant sbelow there waist.
this is all just really inapporpriate people can do whatever they want this law is very stupid i live in florida and you people are just bieng stupid.
Americans often have a blind spot it seems toward detecting racist behavior that should be glaringly obvious, like that librarian in Jenna who couldnt figure out why hanging nooses from trees would be considered racist and threatning if you are a black person.
The answer is simple. Shorts. Are they going to harass white dudes wearing shorts? No? See where im getting at?
I think its a stupid fad, but fining people for it? Im starting to understand why america is not out of the woods yet with its racism when racist police people like this one arent booed off the stage and laughed at by 97% of the population following with this police guy losing his job on the spot.
“Sagging pants have hurt the implementation of true manly behavior and manliness in our youth for far too long. I say, “respect yourself and respect how you carry your appearance.” The Manliness Trait (the post has yet to be crafted) A Man’s Appearance Always Matters is something that is near and dear to me.”
That paragraph says it all!
Have some self respect you ignorant children!
No one wants to see your nasty under garments and/or crack.
I used to handle security for an office building.
I’ve had some younger employees even wear their office attire in this fashion!!!
One person actually got angry with me when I wouldn’t allow him to pass.
I had to call his manager down to the lobby and tell him to go home and get changed.
A few weeks later the same person tried it again.
This time he was fired on the spot!
Ridiculous!!!
I bet that went over well at home…
“Why are you home so early honey?”
“Oh I got fired because I wanted to wear my pants like an idiot.”
“Oh it’s OK, there’s always fast-food…”
Wake up people…
Well, as I have said before, I can’t help it if my pants slide halfway down on my butt.
I’m one of those super morbidly obese apple-shaped guys with a huge belly round belly that hangs down over the waist-band of my pants, down over my groin, and half-way down over my thighs.
My love-handles are wider than my hips, and hang down over my hips.
I have a big roll of fat on my lower back that protrudes out further than my butt.
My upper-body is huge, and my arms are even bigger around than my legs, and with my massive upper-body, it’s impossible for me to keep my pants from riding low on my butt.
So, in my case, I can’t help it.
Get real, people!
@ Apple-shaped Obese Male:
Well, in your case, I understand.
But all these wannabe gang-bangers, thugs and fools trying to look cool thinking they’re making a fashion statement are NOT getting an ounce of leeway from me…
David said:
@ Apple-shaped Obese Male:
“Well, in your case, I understand.
But all these wannabe gang-bangers, thugs and fools trying to look cool thinking they’re making a fashion statement are NOT getting an ounce of leeway from me…”
——————–
Thank you very much! Glad you understand.
This law against sagging pants actually discriminates against those of us who have upper-body obesity since we are unable to keep our pants up.
Who know? Maybe if I get any fatter, the great big roll of fat on my lower back will eventually hang down over my butt anyway!
Then my butt-crack will be hidden.
@ Apple-shaped Obese Male:
Like any law, this would need to be approached on a case by case basis. Someone who physically cannot help it would not be sought by the police. Although, they may recommend suspenders or something else to help with the problem. I understand what you say, being apple-shaped myself and a few pounds overweight… my problem is having no ass! LOL seriously, pants tend to slide down on me, but I keep my shirt tucked in and wear a belt. Worst thing that happens to me is my shirt comes untucked.
@ Everyone Else:
Regardless of what people want to claim, this isn’t a racist attack. There are plenty on whites, hispanics, and blacks… even Asians.. all trying to ‘look cool’. Its not a race thing but a thug/gang thing. And with thugs come all the gang wannabe’s.
You can call me whatever you want, but if you come to the club I work at you will not be allowed in dressed like that. No thug or hiphop wear is allowed. We set in place a dress code and we stick to it. This includes:
NO saggy pants
NO gang colors of ANY type
NO bandana’s/doo rags
NO ski hats/touques
NO t-shirts that come past upper theighs at most
The only real exception to this has been the Muslim-type head coverings, but they cannot be tied up like a bandana, they must be tucked up underneath (looks more like a beanie).
Why did this come around? Take it from a club bouncer–the most common trouble maker we deal with is….. you guessed it–the gang/thug/wannabe. Weapons are more easily concealed in the big. baggy oversized clothing. Having had an incident with one as recently as last night (pulled a knife concealed in his baggy pants) you can see why we do not let these people in the door. Call it discrimination if you want, but the trouble makers (and thereby the imitators of trouble makers) are NOT the customers we want.
We recently posted a copy of the above posted picture outlining the saggy pants and are using it to help illustrate our dress code rules. It has actually been very popular between staff and customers alike. The only ones who have a problem with it are the ones we don’t want inside anyways. Others pull up their pants, tuck in their shirt, and tighten their belts, just so they meet the criteria and are allowed inside.
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