why do grown ups dress like this?

[*RAGE*]

that is bs. in prison you sag if you are man enough to protect your own ass. Punks don't usually sag, they were tight clothing.

Ten years I guess you would know, so did you wear yours tight...j/k thanks for clearing that up for me...

[xlxBigSexyxlx]

How did you get a pic of me and my boy working on my car!?!?!?

[DSM4Life]

Several years ago the National Basketball Association implemented an extremely unpopular dress code, and you did not have to be a rocket scientist to know that the target was African American basketball players.

Understandably, school districts, given wide latitude by the courts, have also implemented more restrictive dress codes. Now it appears that communities across the country have decided to get in on the action by passing laws against wearing sagging pants in public.

Sagging pants style is worn by young black males, although a few white males wear sagging pants. This style, popularized in the early 1990s by hip hop artists, has become extremely popular across the United States. In Delcambre, Louisiana, a town of 80 miles southwest of Baton Rouge, wearing your pants in this manner carries a fine of as much as $500 or up to a six-month jail sentence.

Another town, Mansfield, fines offenders up to $150 and 15 days in the slammer. According to the esteemed mayor, “this new law will set a good civic image.” The success in passing these dress codes has inspired other communities to follow suit. Efforts to outlaw sagging in Virginia and statewide in Louisiana in 2004 failed, usually when opponents invoked a right to self-expression. But the latest legislative efforts have taken a different tack, drawing on indecency laws, and their success has inspired other lawmakers. With hip hop under serious attack from the song lyric police, the time is ripe to make a frontal attack on sagging pants. Next, they may go after the over-sized t-shirts.

For example, in the West Ward of Trenton, New Jersey, Councilwoman Annette Lartigue is "drafting an ordinance to fine or enforce community service in response to what she sees as the problem of exposing private parts in public. 'It's a fad like hot pants; however, I think it crosses the line when a person shows their backside,' Lartigue said. 'You can't legislate how people dress, but you can legislate when people begin to become indecent by exposing their body parts.'" While she is being general here, you can bet that sagging pants will be included in this ordinance.

From my perspective, sagging pants is nothing but a metaphor for the hip hop lifestyle. Critics of this lifestyle view sagging pants as a badge of delinquency along with its distinctive thug walk and disrespect for authority, whatever this means. Sagging began in American prisons, where over-sized uniforms were issued without belts to prevent suicide and the use of belts as weapons. The style spread by way of rappers and music videos, from the ghetto to the suburbs and around the world. Sagging pants are an easy and convenient symbol of the supposed dereliction and menace of young blacks.

While this issue is usually viewed in the context of racism against young African American males, blacks are also split over this issue. It was African American councilpersons in Shreveport, Mansfield and the other small towns who proposed the sagging pants laws. America’s most famous dad, Bill Cosby spoke for many blacks when he criticized sagging pants and other supposedly “ghetto” practices. While he later backed off much of his criticism, many blacks agreed with him.

Cosby and other older African Americans are over-reacting to the cultural significance of sagging pants. Clothing, body piercing, etc is nothing more than youthful rebellion. Most young people, except the Willie Nelson types, will eventually grow out of it, evidenced by the lack of sagging pants worn by African American male college students. My advice is to just roll with it. Like most fads, it will pass just like bell bottom pants, hot pants, zoot suits, pointed toe shoes, platform shoes, and Mao jackets. Sagging laws are certainly not the answer.

Besides, these kind of laws reinforce negative images of young African American males and will do more to swell the prison population than reduce it. These laws confirm for many that the problems of poor blacks are self-made and insoluble. Many employers admit that they won't hire young blacks because they believe they are lazier, more crime prone, and educationally deficient. Many politicians, even without the excuse of ballooning state and federal budget deficits and cutbacks, mightily resist efforts to increase spending on job, health, and education programs for the poor.

Finally, sagging laws will expose these communities to expensive litigation. The American Civil Liberties Union has been steadfast in its opposition to dress restrictions. Debbie Seagraves, the executive director of the group in Georgia, said, "I don't see any way that something constitutional could be crafted when the intention is to single out and label one style of dress that originated with the black youth culture as an unacceptable form of expression." So leave it alone!

http://blogcritics.org/archives/2007/09/09/1423232.php

[DSM4Life]

[Kratos]

actually u will be surprise that these guys are not just clowns but skillful mechanics.

really, they look like a couple of jackasses looking under the hood of their 1985 shit box totally confused by why it isn't starting. Who works on a car in light colored shorts khaki shorts? They wouldn't last 10 min. Not to mention they look like they're stranded at the wal-mart parking lot.

[Mammon]

There have been towns that have tried to pass ordinances against dressing in such a manner, and I completely disagree with any attmept to legislate a dress code. People should be free to wear their pants 12 inches off of their ass if they please. Just know that I dont have to take them seriously or give them an ounce of respect as I feel their attire is disrespectful and inappropriate in pretty much any setting except for a music video.

they have an ordinance in a city close to me.. just another tool for the police to use.. all the drug dealers in the area.. gives the cops another reason to stop them when hanging on the corner and give them a little search..
i have no problem with it..

[BuffBuffalo]

Haha this is quite the debate!!

[Voland]

because they are bunch of fvcking retarded scumbags lacking self respect and respect for others.

[GusInc]

actually u will be surprise that these guys are not just clowns but skillful mechanics.

Of course they are!! all skilled mechanics I know use a bandana to check the oil level on a car; they also perform their services in random parking lots, and not in uniform, because that sh*t costs too much

[Narkissos]

If you threw a pile of clothing into the monkey house at the zoo and left them to figure out how to wear it, it would probably look a lot like that picture.

Hm.. if you threw clothing in monkey house, it'd look like two black guys dressed badly?

A review of history would inform you of just how ****ing inappropriate your statement was.

[Narkissos]

It really is amazing to see the level of racist ignorance perpetuated in the convos here.

I find it particularly amazing that the same posters with the most bigoted opinions (where the intelligence of minorities is concerned), cannot compose the most basic of sentences...

Since when is 'ignorance' reflected in your swagger and appearance?

[xlxBigSexyxlx]

Hm.. if you threw clothing in monkey house, it'd look like two black guys dressed badly?

A review of history would inform you of just how ****ing inappropriate your statement was.

Yeah, that was unnecessary.

It really is amazing to see the level of racist ignorance perpetuated in the convos here.

I find it particularly amazing that the same posters with the most bigoted opinions (where the intelligence of minorities is concerned), cannot compose the most basic of sentences...

Since when is 'ignorance' reflected in your swagger and appearance?

lol, I found that rather funny myself.

Some people are just idiots Nark.

[*RAGE*]

DSM4LIFE....Thank you for putting us straight on that...

[Narkissos]

Some people are just idiots Nark.

Understatement of the year mate.

Let's stack up those guys who're ranting about the epic manifestation of ignorance, and lack of self-regard... give 'em all a bunch of homonyms, and see if even 10% are able to appropriately use them.

All day long I watch guys here who can't spell 5-letter words worth shit, yet who have the gall to call other people stupid.

Ode to the "their"-"there"-"they're"-conundrum.

lmao.

-CNS

[jimmyinkedup]

Maybe he didnt mean any reference to racial/racist stero type at all ...maybe he thought it was a good analogy regardless of the color of the 2 men in the pic. Maybe you guys made it racial? Who knows. If he did your right ...its ignorance and its sad....if he didnt you guys brought up the very stereo type you are rightly against. Just a thought...

[Narkissos]

Maybe he didnt mean any reference to racial/racist stero type at all ...maybe he thought it was a good analogy regardless of the color of the 2 men in the pic. Maybe you guys made it racial? Who knows. If he did your right ...its ignorance and its sad....if he didnt you guys brought up the very stereo type you are rightly against. Just a thought...

Referring to black people as ignorant monkeys is one of the longest-standing racial slurs in existent.

Maybe you need to go back, re-read this thread...and all the comments there-in.

Then you can come back and play mediator.

-CNS

[Matt]

Maybe this thread should be closed, and any person referring to black people as monkeys should be banned lol..

[D7M]

Maybe this thread should be closed, and any person referring to black people as monkeys should be banned lol..

Yah, x2.

[Narkissos]

Referring to black people as ignorant monkeys is one of the longest-standing racial slurs in existent.

Example:

An Ad run in Japan, during the Electoral race...depicting Obama as a monkey:






Having reviewed the comments made by a number of members here whenever matters of race are brought up, i'm convinced that any innocence post-utterance is feigned.

A lot of you guys here told some very ignorant prejudices.

[jimmyinkedup]

Well i dont give a damn what people used to say ..you see i cant change that ...i can only control what i say and how i live. So the long standing analogy doesn't mean shit to me. I dont need to mediate ....its hard to know what he meant through a keyboard...as i said if it was meant that way its ignorant and sad...if it was not ..you certainly made it about that. Whats better to acknowledge and feed into an ignorant stereotype ...or to ignore it. I know what Martin Luther King Jr thought re: that topic....anyway...thats my opinion ...im no fvcking ambulance driver coming to the rescue ...i just pointed something out ...sorry if u take offense ...its not intended that way i assure you...

[Narkissos]

^^If the past doesn't 'mean shit' to you, then would you reference Martin Luther King jr.?

btw: Obama's presidential bid was rife with racial comments of the bestial nature.

In case you missed it:



How is that for a current sentiment?

Your defense is typical.

-CNS

[FireGuy]

Ignornance is not an excuse, if he knew that's bad, if he didnt know, he should have. As soon as I saw the picture I knew it would only be a matter of time til someone crossed the line with comment.

[jimmyinkedup]

^^^ Nark - i cant change previous moral values or lack thereof or previous injustices . I can live my life so as not to be a part of current and future ones - therefore evoking change. I dont need to defend anything ....it's sad the stereotyping by you of me in your last post ...and if you knew me and how i live my life you'd actually realize how ignorant as well.
Oh and i refer to Martin Luther King because i think he was one of the most influential , intelligent , positive influences as far as people go in the last century. His ability to unite and inspire , as well as the truth that he spoke is missed to this day IMO ...by all races.

[*RAGE*]

This is not about Obama its about why peopel where they pants down around their a**..Nothing more...Obama is president and with a lot of white votes so it must not have been to racial....

[FireGuy]

This is not about Obama its about why peopel where they pants down around their a**..Nothing more...Obama is president and with a lot of white votes so it must not have been to racial....

Do we have to connect the dots for you? It's about racial stereotypes and in that aspect it's about the same thing.

[xlxBigSexyxlx]

Do we have to connect the dots for you? It's about racial stereotypes and in that aspect it's about the same thing.

Thank You.

[*RAGE*]

I have read the thread and dsm4life put it best on how it all started most of the comments have not ben racial at all. Now you are mad fireguy and for what reason... is someone attacting you I thank not and if you where your pants like that it is all good I have seen you pics..

[xlxBigSexyxlx]

Understatement of the year mate.

Let's stack up those guys who're ranting about the epic manifestation of ignorance, and lack of self-regard... give 'em all a bunch of homonyms, and see if even 10% are able to appropriately use them.

All day long I watch guys here who can't spell 5-letter words worth shit, yet who have the gall to call other people stupid.

Ode to the "their"-"there"-"they're"-conundrum.

lmao.

-CNS

haha, I can see them looking up the words "homonym" and "gall" in "there" dictionaries now

[Narkissos]

This is not about Obama its about why peopel where they pants down around their a**..Nothing more...Obama is president and with a lot of white votes so it must not have been to racial....

L..M..A..O.

By your statement, I'm guessing that the Fox News is your major news source.

Ignornance is not an excuse, if he knew that's bad, if he didnt know, he should have. As soon as I saw the picture I knew it would only be a matter of time til someone crossed the line with comment.

Bingo.

An afro-centric 'style', societally demonized... The perpetrators automatically labelled as:

ignorance...and trying to be a tough guy.

the two gentlemen in the picture are making the STATEMENT by their dress that they are uneducated people from a lower socioeconomic status who dont have a shred of RESPECT for the people around them in society

etc.

Thank goodness for the couple of white guys (DSM in particular) who aren't steeped in knee-jerk prejudices.

What is 'appropriate' to an individual is related to normative values with which they were socialized.

Norms are a sociological/societal/cultural construct.

All i see in this thread are prejudices related to cultural norms which fall outside said posters' scope of understanding.

No different than when tattoos were associated solely with trouble-makers.

If people spent less time trying to demonize others, and more times trying to improve themselves, societal interaction would be much more homogeneous IMO.

This thread needs a padlock.

-CNS

[*RAGE*]

So J542S posted a racial thread and now after 66 post you are jumping on the wagon and wanting to fight about it...

[Ernst]

Well said Nark.

[Matt]

haha, I can see them looking up the words "homonym" and "gall" in "there" dictionaries now

Im looking them up now lol,

[BuffedGuy]

Peace be unto you all.

I believe that this is an issue that requires sensitivity and caution on the part of those who are not black themselves. It is one thing if a black person criticizes blacks; this is usually almost always in the form of constructive criticism and self-betterment. On the other hand, criticism from non-blacks comes across as racist, insensitive, etc.

Being a Muslim myself, I of course incline towards the views of my fellow (orthodox) black Muslims. They are very strong in their opposition to such clothing, and urge their black people to refrain from it. They say to abandon this entire hip hop subculture. I would elaborate more on this issue, but perhaps I should be cautious since I am not black myself.

In the Care of the Lord,
-Saladin.

[Narkissos]

I have read the thread and dsm4life put it best on how it all started most of the comments have not ben racial at all. Now you are mad fireguy and for what reason... is someone attacting you I thankwhere not and if you your pants like that it is all good I have seen you pics..

^^ Big Sexy.... You see what I meant about not being able to compose a coherent sentence?

haha, I can see them looking up the words "homonym" and "gall" in "there" dictionaries now

LOL... I like what you did there.

[*RAGE*]

L..M..A..O.

By your statement, I'm guessing that the Fox News is your major news source.



Bingo.

An afro-centric 'style', societally demonized... The perpetrators automatically labelledThank goodness for the couple of white guys (DSM in particular) who aren't steeped in knee-jerk prejudices.

What is 'appropriate' to an individual is related to normative values with which they were socialized.

Norms are a sociological/societal/cultural construct.

All i see in this thread are prejudices related to cultural norms which fall outside said posters' scope of understanding.

No different than when tattoos were associated solely with trouble-makers.

If people spent less time trying to demonize others, and more times trying to improve themselves, societal interaction would be much more homogenous IMO.

This thread needs a padlock.

-CNS

I agree with u before it gets out of control;;;by the way you dont even know if I am black wow

[FireGuy]

I have read the thread and dsm4life put it best on how it all started most of the comments have not ben racial at all. Now you are mad fireguy and for what reason... is someone attacting you I thank not and if you where your pants like that it is all good I have seen you pics..

I am not mad just trying to point out what I thought to be the obvious.

[xlxBigSexyxlx]

^^ Big Sexy.... You see what I meant about not being able to compose a coherent sentence?

lol

LOL... I like what you did there.

Or do you mean: "I like what you did their". ?

lol, okay okay. I'll stop.

[D7M]

yah, this sht should get locked soon.

[Matt]

For all those that didnt know, like myself. Homonym: a word pronounced and spelt the same as another, but having a different meaning..

[*RAGE*]

real soon before it get loud....