When 19th Ward Alderman Marlene Davis proposed last week to revise the city’s ordinance banning lewd and indecent acts to include “wearing pants below the waist which exposes the skin or undergarments” – i.e., “saggin’” – our first thought was: How did we sink so low as a community? We should be focused on opening economic opportunities for our youth and preparing them to seize those opportunities with confidence and competence, and instead we are dedicating legislative attention to getting them to pull up their pants in public?
We think of our community, because – despite Davis’ protestations to the contrary – it is overwhelmingly young black men who wear their pants in this way and who would be targeted for enforcement, should Davis pass her bill through the Public Safety Committee and the Board of Aldermen.
It’s embarrassing to discuss this, but there is another fashion trend that exposes the undergarments and backside, popular among young white women rather than young black men, known as a “whale tail.” Should Davis’ ordinance pass, we would likely see the city’s mostly white male police force enjoy the view whenever a woman with a “whale tail” passes on the street, yet seize on an incidence of “saggin’” as an opportunity to bring a young black man down to the station for questioning and hit him with a fine of up to $500 and/or a jail term of up to 90 days.
African Americans in the city of St. Louis already are twice as likely to be pulled over for a driving infraction as white drivers, according to the Missouri Attorney General, and a stunning 18 times as likely to be arrested for possession for marijuana than whites, despite similar rates of consumption, according to the ACLU. Whatever else law enforcement in this troubled city needs, it does not need a new racial (and, in this case, gender) disparity for being ticketed because your underwear is showing.
Leaving the legal system out of it, we agree wholeheartedly with Davis that it is “lewd and indecent” to deliberately wear your pants in a fashion that exposes your undergarments and backside to view. And – as much as it appalls us that this is what we are talking about, as grown folks, in 2013 – we agree that something must be done about it. We must redouble our efforts to reach our young people and teach them the self-respect that they need to succeed. We must convince them there is real opportunity for them to succeed outside of their insular neighborhoods and circles of friends if they dedicate themselves to school, pursue internships and seek out guidance from mentors.
When asked about “saggin’,” youth often speak in terms of freedom, and we agree that one’s fashion sense – however much or little others may like it – is a freedom of expression. But what not enough of our young people are learning is that freedom has a partner, and that is responsibility. We are free to act, but we are responsible for the consequences of our actions. If your fashion sense limits your employment options to street crime, as for all intents and purposes “saggin’” does, then your exercise of freedom is limiting your possibilities drastically. Young people need to be taught these critically important things, and too many of them clearly are not being taught personal responsibility and the reality of the consequences for their choices. Adults need to take responsibility for the crises in our youth, even this relatively superficial one. We must teach our young people to pull their pants up and take responsibility for their future – but let’s leave the police force out of it.
