Saggy Pants and School Suspension

You can call it stylish. You can call it a trend. You might be among those who call it "nasty" or downright "disgusting". But if the State Senate in Florida agrees with lawmaker Gary Siplin, a Democrat from the Orlando area, young Floridians may wake up to find that it's also illegal. The "it " in this case is the baggy pants worn by school aged young people that reveals their underwear. The style has finally caught the attention of enough adults from a cross section of the state's voters to create an issue in search of resolution on a statewide level.

The Law and what it provides. The bill currently circulating in the Florida State Senate would make the wearing of baggy pants, worn at a level that reveals underwear, forbidden in public schools or while students are on any part of school property, this would include buildings and playgrounds. To be fair and to allow for judgment calls and time for students to adjust to the prohibition, the first offense would result only in a warning. If the offenses continue the school would subsequently exact first a three day and ultimately a 10 day suspension from school. The law puts the enforcement of these provisions squarely in the hands of school officials and in a sense asks for their cooperation to carry out its purpose.

What's wrong with the pants? While the issue of baggy pants on the face of it seems a trifle juvenile and possibly unworthy of the time and energy of the Florida State Senate, there is a small but vocal groundswell of support for any bill or any action that would remove this kind of apparel from public schools.
Those opposed to the saggy pants and exposed underwear see this kind of attire first of all as sloppy, undisciplined and contrary to any sensible dress code one might establish. Clothes do to some extent "make the man" they say . Clothing creates an attitude for the wearer about themselves and what they are doing. There is certainly nothing in the falling down pants and climbing up underwear that says "learning" , "concentration", or "order". Some educators may find that it is hard to create a serious atmosphere in the classroom when all are tuned in to the latest free underwear show in aisle two.

But there is more serious matter involved in the baggy pants dispute. Not only do people complain of the negative and counter-productive atmosphere produced by this kind of clothing, there is also some basis for concern about safety and security in schools where this kind of clothing is permitted. Some safety minded adults point out that the easiest place to conceal a weapon and bring it into a school situation is via the baggy pants vehicle. In the wake of the horrific violence at Virginia Tech University everyone is looking for ways to keep our children more secure in their own schools. Possibly baggy pants in school will fall victim to America's concern about violence against our children.

What's wrong with the law? In the Senate and among the general population the alleged common sense of this law is not always so obvious. There are some that feel that giving so much attention to such a minor clothing fad is totally disproportionate to its real effects. Styles, they say, come and go and kids are much less interested in other kids underwear than we might think. Distraction caused by wearing baggy pants, if any, is fleeting and so is the style. By the time the law is processed, opponents argue, kids will have moved on to a new style and underwear will have lost its fascination.

Some opponents of the baggy pants law see this legislation as just another example of government micro management. There is no need they insist for the State Senate of Florida to be putting itself in charge of what kids wear to school. That's a matter between parents and children and government should keep its long nose out. Every generation has had its own crazy fads and fancies . If this one happens to think showing the waistline of their underwear is "cool" we should just go with the flow. The more attention that is given to something so minor the more it becomes something more major.

The Outcome. The anti-baggy pants lobby may be successful in the Florida State Senate. But to become a law in the state of Florida will require the bill or a companion bill to be signed in the Florida House. At present there appears to be no such bill afoot. With operating time running low, heated opponents and proponents may find their points moot until the next legislative session. And of course chances are by that time the underwear issue may have disappeared only to be replaced by something like inappropriate belts or vulgar tube socks. The life of a Floridian legislator is not easy.