The city of Riviera Beach didn't like those pesky kids with their saggy pants. So they passed a law outlawing droopy drawers. $150 for the first violation; $300 for the second.
A referendum endorsing the ban was supported by a whopping 72 percent of city voters. Wow. Letting the people decide things is a great idea! I love democracy!
Except, well, when the stupid laws that people pass are unconstitutional. Which is exactly what a Palm Beach County judge ruled yesterday with respect to the saggy pants law. Yes, much like the black arms bands worn in public schools to protest the Vietnam War, clothing can be a form of free speech. Damn that pesky First Amendment!
Remember Riviera Beach the next time someone starts whining about gay marriage and letting "the people" decide. If 72% of the voters wanted to tell kids how to wear their pants, just imagine how many of them would tell you what you're allowed to do in the bedroom if courts didn't put a stop to such stupidity. Remember, it wasn't until 1972--1972!--that the Supreme Court struck down laws which prohibited unmarried people from possessing contraception.
People aren't experts in constitutional law. And, more often than not, they're just a bunch of old farts waving canes and shouting, "Get the hell off my lawn, you damn kids!
Thank you, beloved judiciary.
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I’d say 50% of my African American male students wear the “low rider” jeans. When they get up to speak, I shout from the back, “Timmy, I can see your pubes.” Some students laugh. Some students drop their jaws in disbelief. (“Did she say pubes?”) The boys always pull up their pants. Kids today. So silly.
ReplyDeleteThanks, bro. You are the bomb.