Underwear bill may spark racism

[liberal N proud]

Posted on : 2005-02-09| Author : Nigel Wright
News Category : Legal


Democrats said that the bill passed by the House yesterday, that fines people up to $50 for intentionally exposing their underwear in a way that is “lewd or indecent” in public, is ridiculous and would be labeled as racist if White House goes with it.

The bill, which was passed by a 60-34 vote by the House members and announced on ABC’s “Good Morning America” yesterday, has attracted attention from supporters all over the country who dislike the low-riding baggy-pants style favored by some rap-music entertainers and copied by youths everywhere.
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/1546.html#


UNDERWARE? This is what government is for?
:wtf:

[chelsea0011]

1. Is this a joke? Is this what Washington has become?

[liberal N proud]

4. Virginia

[chelsea0011]

7. So if I have a plumber over my house in Virginia..well, you get the idea

call the cops. I see a crack and undies

[ohkay]

2. Thong thong thong thong...

who has that song stuck in their head now!!

[WI_DEM]

3. It's a stupid law, but I see lots of white guys who do it too

[Straight Shooter]

5. What next? Victoria's Secret stores banned from shopping malls?

:nuke:

[liberal N proud]

6. Don't be too surprised

[ernstbass]

8. Is it going to apply to coeds w/ thongs showing?

[Ian David]

9. This is STUPID! This just incites kids to civil disobedience

This could create the next generation of civil activists-- and apparently many of them will have firm, round butts.

We're going to have armies of baggy-pants butt-showing kids wearing American Flag Underwear marching through Times Square, chanting, "Kiss my Ass!"

[livinginphotographs]

13. I certainly hope not.

:evilgrin:

[madinmaryland]

10. Does that mean that "Underpants" will get fined

$50 for every post that he makes now on DU?
:shrug:

[T_i_B]

15. That's what I was thinking!

here's the article from the UK Guardian. Glad to see someone else has beaten me to it! :-)

Why underpants must stay under in the state of Virginia

http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1409590,00.html

[neweurope]

11. AH, FREEDOM....

It made the news in Germany to-day. People are just shaking their heads in disbelief.

"The bill has attracted attention from supporters all over the country". It never ceases to amaze me that sheep not only go willingly to the slaughterhouse but actively seek it out without prodding.

---------

Remember Fallujah

Bush to The Hague!

[livinginphotographs]

12. That's what I was thinking the whole time.

Just what the Richmond police need, another excuse to harass black teenagers.

[paineinthearse]

14. WP - A Debriefing in Virginia

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A12492-2005Feb9.html

A Debriefing in Virginia

Thursday, February 10, 2005; Page A22

DEL. 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 (no exposed briefs, no $50 fine!). 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. That's exactly what a legislative staff attorney advised members of the House Courts of Justice Committee. Undeterred, the committee passed the bill, and 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, one of Mr. Howell's Democratic colleagues, Lionell Spruill Sr. of Chesapeake, surveyed several lawmakers, pointing 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."

[paineinthearse]

16. Va. Lawmakers Drop Low-Riding Pants Bill

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=817&ncid=757&e=10&u=/ap/20050210/ap_on_fe_st/low_riding_pants

Va. Lawmakers Drop Low-Riding Pants Bill

30 minutes ago


RICHMOND, Va. - Virginia lawmakers dropped their droopy-pants bill Thursday after the whole thing became just too embarrassing. The bill, which would have slapped a $50 fine on people who wear their pants so low that their underwear is visible in "a lewd or indecent manner," passed the state House on Tuesday but was killed by a Senate committee two days later in a unanimous vote.

Republican Sen. Thomas K. Norment said news reports implied that lawmakers were preoccupied with droopy pants. "I find that an indignation, which dampens my humor," Norment said. Republican Sen. Kenneth Stolle, the committee chairman, called the bill "a distraction."

The committee hearing drew a standing-room-only crowd that included about 75 government students from Surry County High School. "If people in Florida can wear bikinis, a little underwear showing isn't going to hurt anybody," 17-year-old Elvyn Shaw said. The bill's sponsor, Democratic Delegate Algie T. Howell, declined to answer reporters' questions Thursday but issued a statement saying the bill "was in direct response to a number of my constituents who found this to be a very important issue." He has said the constituents included customers at his barber shop who were offended by exposed underwear.


Del. Lionell Spruill, D-Chesapeake, pleads with his colleagues to remember their own youthful fashion follies before cracking down on kids who wear low-riding pants, exposing their underwear, during debate in the House in Richmond, Va., Monday, Feb. 7, 2005. But in the end, Del. Algie Howell prevailed as the House tentatively approved his bill on a voice vote. The measure says anyone who exposes his or her underpants in ``a lewd or indecent manner'' can be fined $50. This is a foolish bill, Mr. Speaker, because it will hurt so many,' Spruill said before the measure was approved 60-34. It now goes to the state Senate.(AP Photo/Steve Helber)

[EMTQueen]

17. Oh, Brother

I really hate my home state. I pledge allegiance to D.C. I live close enough.

If you want to teach them a lesson about showing their underwear, step on the cuff of their pants while they're walking so their pants fall. Lesson learned and you get a laugh.