The Columbus City Council will consider on Tuesday a proposal from Ward 3 Councilman Charlie Box legislating “saggy” or below the waist pants.
Although the trend is popular with young black males, Box said the ordinance is not about race.
“I feel like it’s time we do something about this,” Box said. “These kids are disrespecting themselves and disrespecting other people. I have gotten a lot of calls about kids wearing their pants down below their waists. This is not a racial issue; it’s a cultural issue. It is predominant in the black communities, but I see just as many white kids doing it. You can’t walk down the street without seeing somebody’s dirty underwear, and I’m tired of it and so are a lot of my constituents.”
Box said his proposal is based on an ordinance recently passed in Tupelo. The Tupelo City Council in February approved an ordinance specifically making it against the law for anyone to expose their body or undergarment in public by wearing pants three inches below the waist.
“This has worked well in Tupelo,” Box said. “I don’t think they’ve had any problems with it.”
Ward 5 Councilman Kabir Karriem said he wanted to approach the idea in 2010, but his suggestion was met with mixed reviews from the council, including Box who at the time said, “I don’t know in a free society we can dictate how they wear their clothes. I don’t think I’m going to vote for it, but I will be open to hearing discussion.”
Karriem on Monday said he was not certain how he would vote on the proposal.
“I’m just going to sit back and watch and see what happens,” Karriem said.
Other items on Tuesday’s agenda include citizen input from Berry Hinds on the usage of bond money, Lynn Nordquist will represent the Facebook Watch Group and the council will vote on the proposed redistricting map.
Jeff Clark was previously a reporter for The Dispatch.
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