It's official, the Baton Rouge Metro Council passed the "Low Pants, No chance" ordinance. If you want to see a politician named Smokey say "people in prison, who were wearing their pants like that, their butt was for sale." you can here:
http://www.wbrz.com/player/?video_id=4063&categories=58
Council OKs pants crusade
By GREG GARLAND
Advocate staff writer
Published: Sep 23, 2010 - Page: 1B
Comments (21)
The Metro Council on Wednesday gave its stamp of approval to a public awareness campaign aimed at discouraging young people from wearing sagging pants that display their underwear.
The council voted 11-1 to endorse Councilwoman C. Denise Marcelle’s resolution to support a privately funded “Low Pants, No Chance” advertising campaign.
“I’ve gotten support from all over the city” for the campaign, Marcelle told council members.
She said no public tax dollars will be used for the campaign but donations will be sought to pay for advertising on billboards.
Marcelle said sponsoring businesses can have their names at the bottom of billboards that Lamar Advertising is offering to make available at a steep discount.
Marcelle said smaller “Low Pants, No Chance” signs will be available for businesses that choose to participate to post in their windows.
“It’s the same concept as ‘No shirt, no shoes, no service,’ ” Marcelle said. “We’re saying that we don’t want your business if you’re not properly dressed.”
Marcelle said walking around in saggy pants with underwear showing is disrespectful to the elderly and isn’t something young children should be exposed to.
Mary B. Triplett, a retired nurse who does volunteer work at schools in the Eden Park area, urged the council to approve the resolution.
She has marched with signs in the Eden Park area protesting the hip-hop fashion statement.
“It’s disrespectful, disgraceful and disgusting and we have to do something,” Triplett said. “It’s affecting our young people, and our young people are our future.”
Councilman Rodney “Smokie” Bourgeois commended Marcelle for pushing for a public awareness campaign.
He questioned how many young people walking around “with their pants down around their knees” respect their parents or go to work or attend school each day.
“It’s hard to do any work when you’re holding your pants up with one hand,” Bourgeois said.
Councilman Trae Welch and Councilwoman Tara Wicker also spoke in support of the resolution.
But Councilman Scott Wilson, who cast the sole vote against the resolution, questioned why city-parish government needed to get involved in an issue that he said parents should be dealing with in the home.
“I don’t like looking at them either,” Wilson said. “But I don’t think government is there to legislate morality. People have to have a little bit of self responsibility.”
Triplett said after the meeting that she was very happy the resolution passed. She said the next step will be getting signs out in businesses and on billboards.
Marcelle said officials with the Capital Area Transit System have also agreed to support the campaign with signs placed on buses.
