Droopy drawers debate

Years ago, a new resident of this community was organizing an event he said "would put Blakely on the map." I explained "being on the map" had its down side.

It's nice for a community to excel and be prosperous and be recognized for its accomplished. It's quite another thing to make the news because of something controversial.

That resident has moved on and whatever the event was has faded from my memory, but I was reminded of the conversation when I saw a news story about Hawkinsville.

Hawkinsville, at under 4,000 people, is a little bit smaller than Blakely. I always think of buggies when I see the Hawkinsville exit sign on I-75. It is, among other things, considered the harness horse capital of Georgia since it serves as the winter home for harness horse training. I think they even have a festival called "Buggy Days."

Unfortunately for Hawkinsville, it is "Baggy Days" that is putting the town on the map. The city commission just passed an ordinance banning residents from wearing those baggy britches most everyone but the wearers hate. It is causing, as other communities who passed similar ordinances have learned, quite a bit of conversation.

Then again, the issue of baggy pants causes quite a bit of conversation period. Wearing pants that aren't pulled up all the way does look silly and it puts a real strain on moms to make sure the underwear is always really, really clean. But, on the other hand, I guess no one has to lecture about wearing good underwear in case you are in a wreck.

I think the style is sort of dangerous. You certainly can't run from danger if you have to duck walk to keep your pants up and it is pretty offensive to older people who were raised to believe that your underwear was just that, under your clothes. I also can't help but believe a whole lot of young men are going to have some serious back problems as they get older.

The style, if you can call it that, of droopy drawers is purportedly based on prison garb where male prisoners are not given belts to keep their pants up. Whether this is true or not, I don't know, but as a parent I think I would have some trouble letting a child mimic prison wear.

But, offensiveness and origin aside, is fashion - good or bad - worthy of attention from lawmakers? Do we really want to spend our time and our law enforcement's time trying to enforce a law about droopy drawers? And, shouldn't existing indecent exposure laws cover that?

And, if communities do pass such ordinances, is it really an insult to freedom of expression? Can a community really set its own standards without outside interference?

I don't know. In fact, I'm a terrible choice to even be in this discussion. I still wear penny loafers.