While the notion has been widely ridiculed, there’s a tendency to underestimate just how strongly people feel about youthful fashion trends that don’t suit their taste. Particularly fashion trends that are favored by more “colorful” youths.
After all, when Riviera Beach, Florida passed the law against saggy pants, it was by an overwhelming majority. It criminalized wearing “pants that show skin or underwear.” Of course, Riviera Beach, better known as Upper Altacacca, where blue hair is the height of good taste, is hardly the measure of cutting edge fashion. Even though the law was recently held unconstitutional “as applied,” the law remains on the books, with habitual violators facing jail time.
Easy though it is to make fun of such laws, and the locals who are determined to rid their community of unwanted undies, it’s decidedly less funny when a real police officer employs the same approach and methods in dealing with violators as they would with, say, an armed felon.
No cop would be that much of a jerk, you say? Then watch this:
“With you underwear hanging out, your mine.”
For the young man, Lorenzo Williams, 18, who was mugging and waving at the camera initially, this could have turned disastrous. This Deputy, Jeffrey Nation, was sufficiently incensed to strike him in the throat. Over his pants. It could have gone much further if Williams was the “thug” that he appeared to be to Nation.
To his credit, Aiken County Sheriff fired Deputy Nation for his actions, and he’s being prosecuted for assault and misconduct in office. I can’t help but wonder what the outcome would have been had there been no video of this encounter, or had the video never made the news.
The incident was described by NBC Augusta as follows:
The incident started when Nation stopped the teen and a group of his friends and asked Williams to pull up his pants. The teen was charged with assault and disorderly conduct. Nation alleged the teen attempted to “head-butt” him during the encounter, a claim found to be untrue by the investigation. All charges against Williams were dismissed.
Note that the Deputy claimed and, as can be heard on the video, believed, that Williams was attacking him, thereby justifying his lashing out at the young man. Note that before hand, Nation was rifling through Williams’ wallet in front of the camera.
Also note Nation’s reaction to another young man, Leon Patterson, off camera, who he states had punched a deputy and, according to Patterson, “beat it.” He then tells Patterson to empty his pockets and calls in his name.
All this over saggy pants?
This really isn’t about saggy pants at all. It’s about the same thing as so many encounters between police and youth, particularly poor or black youth. It’s about control. It’s about teaching them who’s boss. It’s the age-old assertion of authority over those who need a good lesson on who’s in charge. And Deputy Nation was just the cop to teach that lesson.
Now I don’t care for saggy pants at all. I think they look ridiculous. I also think people who wear baseball caps backwards, or sideways, look as if their competency is in issue. But I think people have a right to look as foolish as they want.
What concerns me far more is how this encounter, had their been no dash camera, would have been sanitized in a report, subsequent complaint and ultimate testimony, to show an officer beyond reproach.
Saggy pants is just one of the latest battle grounds in one of the oldest wars. It’s no laughing matter.
H/T J-dog, posting his thoughts at his Livejournal.
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For me as long as butts or boobs aren’t exposed people should be allowed to dress the way they want. If they start with this what fashion style will be next for them to make an ordinance against? Where will it stop? I thought this was America. Hopefully someone will take this to court and they will strike it down so we can get rid of this nonsense. It’s also very interesting that this trend is most popular among hip-hop fans, many of which are young black guys. Hmmm. I wonder if they would be passing these ordinances if this fashion trend was most popular among old white ladies. We can’t ban dress styles simply because some people “don’t like” them. I don’t like people wearing black socks with sandals. Let’s make an ordinance against that. Ridiculous! Sorry to rant but it makes me angry.
This is so ridiculous, sad and wrong in so many ways it’s hard to know what to think.
The “pursuit of happiness” is purportedly one goal of our system of Government. If people
want to dress a certain way, how does this affect others if it is not clearly offensive or
pornographic? Isn’t the most offensive speech and expression that which is most protected
by the First Amendment? As Scott states, “But I think people have a right to look as foolish as
they want.” Exactly. But even “foolish” is in the eye of the beholder, isn’t it? My bet
would be that some people find the saggy robes that judges wear foolish or even
offensive – as Turley notes, facetiously, and may create a conflict of interest in court.
What about the standardized “monkey suits” almost all attorneys wear? Isn’t this done
in part to impart an aura of group membership and attitude not really different than
wearing baggy pants?
But Scott’s main point is that this is not about baggy pants at all. It’s about wielding
power by the police. It is no laughing matter. The police have such an overwhelming
power advantage in any encounter it’s frightening. What’s with the other Deputy just
standing there letting the guy get assaulted? Why doesn’t she try to enforce the guy’s
rights and intervene? The fact that this all occurred with knowledge that it was
being recorded says something about the arrogance of these Deputies.
It is about instilling fear of authority in people, which makes it easy for police
to easily obtain consent to search, waiving of rights, and confessions.
It’s sad and scary. Sigh.
Well said. There are just so many things wrong with what happened in this video, so many levels of wrong, that it really is staggering. Your point about the arrogance of acting as they did with knowledge that it was all on camera is excellent.
Yup, to all of that.
Even assuming that there’s a local no-showing-the-underwear ordinance, and even assuming it’s an arrestable offense — such stupidity is possible (and, if there is, the cop at least arguably is in the right to enforce it, although my own take is that, even if so, he could quite reasonably find other laws to enforce) — it’s not a stop-and-roust-and-assault-and-pretend-you-were-assaulted offense.
Apparently, by the way, the saggy pants stuff isn’t even illegal there; see http://www.wjbf.com/jbf/news/state_regional/south_carolina/article/-JBF_2008_09_10_0003/6721/ ; there wasn’t even a pretext for the initial roust.
Well written! I don’t care for the assertion that LEO’s taking actions like this are for the purpose of control. I feel it’s an oversimplified conclusion. I think the issue is complex enough that it warrants something more in depth. I can tell from the overall post that you’re certainly articulate enough to be able to express this better. It very refreshing to see something other than sophmorish responses to these issues. I’m glad I found this blog.