Monday, December 10, 2007

An End to Sagging?

At least in the Atlanta Public School System. According to reports, the Atlanta Public School Board is going to ban sagging pants. This is a noble idea, however, it will be interesting to see how they can enforce the ban. Unless they have strong parental support, they will have a daily fight on their hands. Can't wait for the development of this one.

11 comments:

Lionel Woods said...

I just hope that this type of clothing ban is applied across the board. I have too often seen white girls in volleyball shorts rolled up in which my wife wouldn't wear to bed. I have seen little old navy skirts that would make playmates blush. I don't know bro. I agree, I think some of the sagging is inappropriate, but my jeans are typically 4 inches too big in order to get the baggyness in the thigh area and the length. I think their tends to be school dress codes directed at blacks more than whites (tall t-shirts, corn rows, etc). Just my opinion brother. God bless.

ajcarter said...

My man, this is not a black or white thing. I don't know how it is where you live, but in Atlanta sagging is color blind, as I assume the ban would be as well.

I am not on the School board so can't speak for them. But I would assume that they are talking about sagging pants, not baggy pants. You may wear baggy clothes, but I am sure you are not wearing sagging pants. But if you are....STOP IT! :-) Peace, my brother.

Lionel Woods said...

You know I am not sagging. I am 30 years old and way to handsome to be sagging. LOL! I live in texas and here the same ban was trying to be passed. I don't think it happened. The same argument was raised though. How is saggy pants any more inappropriate than very provocative clothing. That was my arguement. This incident is not isolated to Atlanta. My wife works for a School District here and the parents had the same fight. Though I agree with saggy pants and the fact that is highly distasteful, I don't think short skirts, short shorts and low cutting clevage revealing shirts get the same attention. I thought the discussion was in general (about inappropriate clothing all over) not just Atlanta. I apologize about infringing on your post brother. Just sparking some dialogue. God bless.

Scotty J. Williams said...

The origin of sagging is rather interesting, and after researching it numerous times I've deemed it not good. Sagging is from prison culture where they didn't allow men to have belts in fear that they would hang themselves. When a lot of these ex-cons hit the streets again, they went beltless. In the end young people saw this, and imitated it without knowing the origins of it. What it all boils down to is who are our kids looking up to in the end, and to be honest the only ex-con I want children looking up to is one who follows Christ and is seeking to imitate him. Sagging in my opinion is contradictory to the outward expression of what it means to be saved altogether, and the life we as as African Americans are seeking for ourselves and our children. As African Americans we want to reinforce a positive image (and I don't mean the Cosby Show image) that brings honor and respect to our male youth and ultimately our people. As Christians we should seek to reflect the life that we now live, and that is freedom and daily emancipation from the power of sin as we make our way to being more like Him who saved us.

Peace

Lionel Woods said...

Hello Pastor Scott you said:

"Sagging in my opinion is contradictory to the outward expression of what it means to be saved altogether, and the life we as as African Americans are seeking for ourselves and our children."

I would say we are treading on thin ice with that statement, maybe I singled this out and I apologized if that is not what you were conveying; however, if it is we would definitely be on opposite sides of the argument. You would then have to include:

1. Spiked and colored hair.

2. Piercings that may not be culturally accepted.

3. Clevage bearing shirts/or tight form fitting shirts that accent the chest.

4. Grunge attire

5. Short skirts or dress (though I have a problem with it, short is subjective between me and the other person)

Once we start to say a style of dress is contradicting a biblical life, we may be dancing on the lines of legalism, once again I have wrote something on Christian Modesty, but at the end the Holy Spirit is who going to have to convict and it may be an area of liberty. What is your thoughts A.C

ajcarter said...

My thought is that I am interested in seeing how the APS enforce such a ban :-).

Nevertheless, I do believe that we must be careful in associating our dress with salvation. I know Scotty is not making that claim, but some have. Eventhough, as you have said concerning modesty, there is a manner in which the Bible says our outward clothing should be reflective of our inward dressing, and this so as to reflect the humbleness of our new nature (1Pet. 3:3-4).

Yet, these issues are probably best worked out in community, where brothers and sisters understand each other and hold each other accountable for their lives and faith.

Lionel Woods said...

Understood! God bless and I do know that Pastor Scotty wasn't equating to style of dress with Salvation, just wanted to fire the warning shot, if somebody took it there :o)

Scotty J. Williams said...

Oh by no means am I equating dress with salvation; I dropped fundamentalism a long time ago LOL. I just believe that if a style reflects prison life and promotes it (and we have quite a few brothers in jail), then why should brothers on the outside who have never been in there want to even reflect that. The same goes for any other style that reflects negative aspects of life, but has been toned down to be a "nice" fad. One example is how people are starting to cut designs into their skin so that they have permanent markings; this is an attempt by some to make the problem of cutting and self mutilation acceptable (and I know a few people who have struggled with this). It sucks trying to uplift people and get them out of a certain mentality that is harmful, but that mentality is promoted and made attractive through various means, and one of them is through dress. I'm not saying we should all start wearing suites and make Christian women wear skirts that go to their ankles and those ridiculous church hats all the time. Nevertheless our outward appearance should in some way reflect a regenerate life. I'm not against piercing or spiked hair or tattoos (in fact I'm getting a Coptic tattoo this Spring), but there is a point where even those can get out of hand. Nevetheless thank you for seeing where I was going Brother Lionel, and please know that I've brought my shotgun to fire a second warning shot at any who would equate salvation to anything other than than Solus Christus.

Lionel Woods said...

Understood, I have wrestled with individual christians who wear tank tops (being that they have a muscular physique) while evangelizing, I can go on and on. What is funny is I see them being able to evangelize in the hood while not being able to evangelize in the burbs! I think we have to take the route Paul did when he says "I became all things to all men". I think we can be trendy, without crossing the lines and stylish without ingringing on our ability to be effective witnesses across all racial, social and economic lines.

Not trying to get off of the topic, but I agree with both you and Brother Anthony. Sagging will have to be addressed and as it relates to body, I don't think a hint of it should exist.

Anonymous said...

my pants sag cuz i am a skinny white boy with no hind-end. so i am glad that salvation is not dependent on where my belt line lies. i'd be in bad shape......

ajcarter said...

Thank God for Grace, Meff! (And belts).