June 15, 2007

Pull your trousers up or go to jail, warns Louisiana mayor

Deep in Cajun country, the mayor of the Louisiana town of Delcambre is about to sign into law a proposal that will make it a crime to wear trousers that show underwear. "If you expose your private parts, you'll get a fine [of up to $500 (£250)]," Mayor Carol Broussard said. Repeat offenders could land themselves a six-month stretch in jail.

From Baptist church halls to town halls, calls are being made for tough laws and regulations which populist politicians and god-fearing citizens say will restore dignity to their streets and shopping malls. Opponents say the measures are designed to harass young black males and other followers of hip-hop fashion. Civil liberties groups say they follow a long tradition of laws - many of them unenforceable - which are aimed squarely at the poor.

Don't we have more important issues to worry about?

Read the rest.

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