Ford crusade targets baggy pants
By SEANNA ADCOX
The Post and Courier
State Sen. Robert Ford said he proposed the two bills in order to attract spirited debate.
COLUMBIA — Charleston's Robert Ford, a prominent black state senator, has filed bills banning droopy pants and profanity-laced songs in an effort to ignite debate about the behavior of young people, particularly in the African-American community.
Ford, a former civil rights worker, readily admitted that he's picking on young black men.
"I am. I am. It's a disgrace," Ford said Thursday. "I mean, this is supposed to be the proudest age in African-American lives ... and we've still got these young men, instead of trying to look like somebody who's got it made, or somebody who's looking out for their community, they want to look like prisoners."
Ford, a Democrat, said he knows the proposals would attract lawsuits if they pass, and he doesn't expect them to be approved. He just wants a spirited discussion.
The saggy pants bill would make it illegal for people to wear pants more than 3 inches below their hips. He wants civil fines ranging from $25 for the first offense to $75, plus up to six hours of community service, for three or more offenses.
"When older black people go to the mall they cry when they see that stuff," Ford said.
Antoine Medley, executive director and founder of Raleigh, N.C.-based Future Black Men of America Inc., said saggy pants are just a way, good or bad, for young people to express themselves.
"All kids who wear their clothes like that aren't juvenile delinquents," he said. "It's just a fashion thing."
Ford said a style that should have faded away decades ago — in which teens, perhaps unknowingly, mimic prison garb — is particularly foul as President-elect Barack Obama takes office.
"You've got an African-American president," said Ford, who supported Democrat Hillary Clinton in her primary against Obama, saying he never imagined a year ago that Obama could win the presidency.
"That should give hope to a lot of people. You don't have to emulate prisoners no more. You can emulate somebody like Barack Obama."
Towns across the nation, including in Ford's native Louisiana, have adopted droopy-pants bans. Statewide efforts in Louisiana and Virginia have failed.
Ford also wants to make it illegal to play or perform in public, or sell to minors, music that is "profane, vulgar, lewd, lascivious or indecent." Offenders would face fines up to $5,000 or five years in prison.
While the law would apply to all songs, "most of them are rap songs. Yeah, I'm picking on them," Ford said Thursday. He said "people coming out of church" shouldn't have to hear such profanity, and they're too scared of the teens to fuss at them. We've got to put an end to that whole culture."
Medley said what teens listen to is an issue for parents, not the government.
"It's the parents' job to monitor what their kids listen to," he said. "I know that's really, really tough to do, but that's where it's going to fall."
Both proposals are unconstitutional, said David Hudson, a scholar at the First Amendment Center at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn. Anti- profanity laws are "relics of past eras."
While profanity can be prohibited in limited cases, such as in public schools or if it's part of a threat, most profane or offensive speech is protected under the First Amendment, he said.
"What may be profane to person A may not be profane to person B," said Keith Holzman, principal of Solutions Unlimited, a consultant and former record label executive. "I'm against all forms of such legislation. You can't define profanity."
Ford said he's targeting a segment of the population ripe for regulation.
"We're talking about teenagers," he said. "They have no rights."
The Democrat said he plans to run for governor in 2010 as a referendum to bring back video poker to South Carolina, which outlawed the games in 2000, to raise much-needed revenue.
Asked whether the proposals have anything to do with that possible bid, he responded with some mild profanity of his own.
"Oh no, hell no," he said. "I've been doing this for years."
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stanish (anonymous) says...
Sen. Robert Ford RELAX just RELAX. While I agree that sagging pants on young men does not look good at all, there are far more SERIOUS problems going on in our communities such as drive by shootings, drug dealing and drug dealers in the neighborhood, teen age pregnancy at an alarming rate, robberies, gangs just to mention a few! Push for laws and see that they are PASSED to punish criminals at early ages even if they are nine or ten to set the example that they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law! As a Black Man myself, we could do a lot more POSITIVE good right here in our OWN neighborhoods such as a mentoring and ROLE MODEL's for our young and black teenagers to emulate. It's a historic moment for Pres. Barack Obama, but let the young blacks in our communities look at us FIRST as their ROLE MODELS! It's a shame right in some of the neighborhoods in North Charleston and surrounding areas young children 8,10, and 11 year olds attack INNOCENT people just because they are BORED! Put the LAWS on the book to prosecute them and yes the parents to be charged and FINED and JAILED right along with their children. You state that older blacks cry when they see this in the malls and stores, yet they will NOT cooperate with the police and other authorities to bring them to justice for the crimes they have commited! I agree loud vulgar music should be played at a decent volume, but I personally have heard "GOOD" Church people use PROFANITY soon as they barely get out of church which does NOT set a good example for our young people. This is exactly where they pick this type of profanity from. Okay, not to be long winded, but Sen. Ford these are some of the PROBLEMS we need to PRIORITIZE FIRST! A guy with sagging pants who does NOT BRAKE the Law does NOT impose a THREAT to society, especially the Black society.
January 16, 2009 at 4:46 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Toots2U (anonymous) says...
The word is 'break' not 'brake'.
January 16, 2009 at 6:19 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
stanish (anonymous) says...
I stand to be corrected. The word should've been break not brake. After reviewing some of your posts such as the one on Jan. 1 at 3:43 P.M., the word should be INFRACTION not INFARCTION! Just a thought for YOU especially since you want to correct me or someone else for that matter. Do your own homework first!
January 16, 2009 at 6:47 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Funky_Winkerbean (anonymous) says...
Aren't their bigger fish to fry?
Funky-Winkerbean
January 16, 2009 at 8:05 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
hotchick (anonymous) says...
After decades of getting ruffled by Robt Ford, now in my old age I rather enjoy the guy. He tells it as he sees it. Yes, there are bigger fish to fry and there are a number of issues that face young African Americans, but starting with a little pride for oneself certainly can't hurt. When you step outside, like it or not, you are not just representing yourself. You are representing every group that a passerby thinks you belong to: African-American or whatever race you are, young or old, woman or man and unfortunately people generalize about your group based on your actions. As a female, I am very aware that what I do in the office represents female workers. I get very upset when other women are poor performers - don't they realize that some guy is going to look at their performance and think that all women are useless in the workplace? And so it goes with each class that people will pigeon-hole a person into. Is it right? Probably not. Is it human nature? You betcha. I keep imagining what would happen if an alien from outer space landed on earth and after meeting one or two people he developed his opinion of what humans are like. What if the first person he met was Michael Jackson? What if it were Ozzy Osbourne? Yikes! Robt Ford is right - we should all take pride in our appearance and realize that we are representing many groups of people when we step out.
January 16, 2009 at 9:37 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
rattrudd (anonymous) says...
whatever happened to FREEDOM? I dislike that fashion but it is not my place to tell some kids how to dress. that is the parents job.....oh yeah the parents.......
January 16, 2009 at 12:13 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
theronce (anonymous) says...
The article does state that he does not expect this to pass. Maybe this is just part of using his position to help send a message to a wayward group of young people.
January 16, 2009 at 3:43 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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