It is often said that you “can’t legislate morality.” Are saggy pants a morality issue or something else?

I think one would be hard pressed to find an adult over the age of 30 who supports the controversial fashion trend of sagging pants. It is a trend that seems so ridiculous that one can hardly believe that any young “thinking” person would knowingly want to do it. Who would want to intentionally expose his or her backside or undergarments to the public? Who would want to walk as if he or she were balancing a beam between their legs? The truth is, the trend is quite comical and, I for one, get a good laugh at some of the better saggers that I have had the privilege of observing. As a minister, I suppose I should feel obliged to preach to young people about respect for themselves and other people; and how what they do honors or dishonors God. But then, I would also have to include the part about the freedom that we all enjoy in Jesus Christ which allows us to make a “choice” of whether to live a holy and decent life.

Do we need a state law to force a young man or woman to stop rebelling against society? I suppose that it is a moot point to say, “no,” since lawmakers have already decided that we need one. But, I have a question, how will this law be enforced? Will teachers now have one more thing to take their minds away from teaching our children? Doesn’t the school system already have a dress code?
I don’t have the answer for how to get young people to pull their pants up. But, I don’t have an answer for how to stop thong bikinis, tight, tight leggings worn as pants, Daisy Duke shorts, or the new “peek-a-boo” trend of showing off as much as one can get away with without being arrested! I guess the point is – many people in our society have chosen to rebel against societal standards hoping that it will bring attention and cause them to stand out from everyone else. Should we pass laws to prevent this?

Like most adults, I too am offended by seeing someone’s underwear exposed in public. But, how will a law that affects only students in school help any of us who see this trend every other place that we go?

Perhaps, for this trend and others like it, our best recourse is to do what our parents did – leave it alone. Why? Because one can be certain that the more young people realize that what they are doing really irritates grownups, they will not only continue it, but find ways to expand on it! So, I say, let’s wait them out, because “this too shall pass.” Young people will eventually grow up and the trend of saggy pants will go the way that old trends go. It too will be forgotten. I don’t think that I’ve ever seen an elderly man wearing saggy pants, unless he forgot where he put his belt.