Baggy pants may become a finable faux pas
Algie T. Howell Jr., a Virginia Democrat, visited a Juvenile and Domestic
Relations Court not long ago and apparently came away shaken. It wasn't
the crime, abuse, depravity and suffering that got to Mr. Howell. It was
the pants. Or rather the underpants.
It seems that Mr. Howell, a 67-year-old Air Force veteran and past PTA
president from Norfolk, hadn't kept abreast of youth fashion — specifically
the craze for pants that ride so low on the hips as to expose a strip
of boxers or briefs. His revulsion at glimpsing the offending fabric was
so profound that he did what lawmakers tend to do: He wrote a bill. According
to Mr. Howell's legislation, a $50 fine would be the price for anyone
who “wears and displays his below-waist undergarments ... in a lewd
or indecent manner.” “This bill is simply about respect for
others,” Mr. Howell said. “It has to do with character building.”
Put aside the risk that Mr. Howell's crotchety proposal may induce some
young Virginians to forgo underwear completely. The real problem with
his silly bill is that it is unconstitutional, as Virginia would be hard-pressed
to convince a court that it has a compelling interest in establishing
what amounts to a statewide dress code. The full House gave it preliminary
approval on a voice vote. It will probably be up to the state Senate to
kill the bill — and save Virginia from becoming the nation's laughingstock.
Lawmakers have been known to appear in the Virginia House of Delegates
in striped ties and plaid jackets. Shocking, yes, but we would oppose
fining them. On the floor of the House Lionell Spruill Sr. of Chesapeake,
pointed out that back in the day, their tastes ran to bell-bottoms, miniskirts
and —gasp! — long hair for men. His point: Today's youth deserve
the same leeway with fashion faux pas.
“Please let these kids express themselves,” the sensible Mr.
Spruill said. “It'll pass on. Don't fine these young kids. You had
your time, let them have their time.”
—This editorial appeared in the Washington Post
|
