Baggy Pants and Freedom

I hate seeing people walking around with their pants around their knees. When I can see someone's rear-end, clad in nothing but underwear, above their pants, I have to quell the urge to reach out and pull them up to what I consider a 'decent' level. I would personally not let one of my children walk out of the house dressed like that. But I am horrified at the passage of city ordnances to ban the wearing of these same baggy, undies-revealing pants.

Our country was founded on the belief that we should be a free people. Those who drafted our Constitution had fought to free this country from what they considered to be a tyrannical rule. While they neither wanted nor created a state of anarchy, we have far more freedoms than do people in most of the rest of those. In fact, the First Amendment to the Constitution specifies freedom of speech. Well, as the old adage goes, actions speak louder than words.

I fear for the trend these days to legislate more and more restrictions on people's lives. I will go along with most of the laws that govern crimes; sure, if someone plots about assassination, arrest them. Likewise, if someone wishes to grow illegal substances in his yard, he is committing a crime. But fining someone because he was showing off four inches of boxer shorts? To me, this is beyond ridiculous. We have real crimes going on every day. There are murders, assaults, rapes, theft, and vandalism, among others. Why should we further overburden our police force by making it a crime to show off a few inches of boxer-shorts?

After all, what harm is it really doing? Sure, first impressions are important, and people may view someone with baggy pants as a hoodlum or worse, but this would only harm the person in the pants, not other people. Likewise, I may not enjoy looking at someone's boxers, but anyone who has been potty-trained looks at underwear every day anyway. Anyone who goes to the beach in summer is almost guaranteed to see people's rear ends clad in far less material, yet they still go in droves. Without any sign that this fashion trend is causing harm to other people, what right have we to ban it?

It is probably true that the people who are encouraging the passing of such laws are parents. It's also likely that they don't want their children influenced by seeing baggy pants, and deciding to follow that trend. However, I think it's irresponsible parenting to ask that a law be passed to ban it. One of a parent's primary jobs is to be a role model, and to encourage the values and morals he or she holds dear, thus instilling them in the children. If you don't wish your children to wear baggy pants, do not buy them. Don't let your children outside wearing them, and most of all, do sit down with your children and discuss why you think they're inappropriate.

I don't think that anyone who is in favor of this law is likely to break it, but if this is passed, it sets up a slippery slope which could open the door to all sorts of future restrictions. What if people next decide that shirts which display a belly button or bra strap are indecent, and seek to ban them? Or short shorts? Mini skirts? Like gateway drugs, once you make one uncontested law of this sort, others can follow much more easily. How long will it be before we reach an Orwellian state if we continue down this path? I, for one, don't want to find out. As much as I hate the sight of baggy pants with underwear prominently displayed peeking out over them, I will support other people's right to wear them. After all, tomorrow, someone might be trying to outlaw my choice of clothing.