American Cities Say No to Crack

More saggy pants bills are sweeping the country. As noted here previously, one town in Louisiana now imposes a $500 fine and up to six months in jail if police can see boxers peeking above the trousers.

A city official in New Jersey thinks low-slung drawers merit a personality audit:

And in Trenton, getting caught with your pants down may soon result in not only a fine, but a city worker assessing where your life is headed.

"Are they employed? Do they have a high school diploma? It's a wonderful way to redirect at that point," said Trenton Councilwoman Annette Lartigue, who is drafting a law to outlaw saggy pants. "The message is clear: We don't want to see your backside."

I could almost stomach these laws if the saggy pants trend was resulting in massive public ass exposure. Indecent exposure is at least an arguably legitimate offense. But saggy pants are generally worn over boxers. Which means these laws are really just reflections of lawmakers' disdain for the types of people who droop their drawers. Which I doubt would pass constitutional muster. You can't just start banning clothing because you don't like the message it sends.

And as the hip-hop shop owner points out in the article, what about the plumbers?