December 15, 2010
No Ifs, Ands, or Butts
The city of Opa-locka, Florida voted unanimously to fine people $250 if they don't pull their pants up.  Opa-locka city leaders decided to expand the current ban on saggy pants to include the fine or   ten hours of community service to those who refuse to keep their pants up.  The City Commissioner, Timothy Holmes, led the charge against the "sagging" crowd, saying that the low-pants practice intimidates the public, provides a distraction in schools, and is a blight on the community.  "Dress like somebody.  Be somebody,"  Holmes is quoted as saying.  "It's time for us now to try to teach our people how to dress." The ACLU, of course, got into this:  "Policymakers acting as fashion police is a ridiculous waste of public resources.  Laws like this disproportionately penalize African-American youth and law enforcement and will impose overly harsh penalties for victimless behavior." The Commissioner fired back with: "That might get some crime off the street." Ohhhhhh.  This sounds on the surface like racial profiling/racism/discrimination, right?  And who has the right to dictate proper decorum in the streets and self-respectful behavior?? Well, I'll tell you who:  Myra Taylor, the Mayor of Opa-locka, is black.  The Vice Mayor, Dorothy Johnson, is black.  The three commissioners, Rose Tydus, Timothy Holmes, and Gail Miller, are all black.  Poor Timothy is the token male! According to US Census information, the total population of Opa-locka is just short of 15,000:  22.8% are white; 69.6% are black. They have great posters up around the town, showing male youths from [ahem] behind, with baggy pants and the words:  "No ifs, ands, or butts." Huzzahs to Opa-locka for making the effort to elevate their youth from within.

Posted by Staff at 12:25 AM