I agree with Durham resident Wayne Daye that it’s unpleasant to see young people walking around with their pants hanging down. But this is clearly not an issue for government intervention. Thank goodness the Durham city council agrees with me and, earlier this month, rejected Mr. Daye’s proposed ordinance. From the Chronicle:
Daye, who said he is in his early 60s, explained that he decided to write a citizen proposal which would seek to ban low-riding pants after he grew tired of witnessing a “culture of indecency.”
“It is offensive to a lot of people,” Daye said. “It creates a culture of disrespect and disregard. I think a person who really respects themselves is not going to walk around with their pants on the ground and their rear-end [showing] in public.”
To prepare his citizen’s proposal, Daye said he talked to a random sampling of people in the Durham community. He collected more than 300 signatures for his petition.
“Everybody I approached about this issue was for it,” Daye said. “Some people said, ‘Can I sign it twice?’”
Mr. Daye’s concern is valid, but this is a parental issue, not a governmental issue.
