Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Criminally Fashionable


Image taken from http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/30/fashion/30baggy.html

In Atlanta there's talk of mandated fines given to people who are caught "with their pants down". Actually, it's more or so directed to teenagers and young adults who wear their pants hanging down, exposing their undergarments-all for the sake of fashion. Even women are wearing low cut pants that expose the strings to their thongs, and sometimes even the back of the thong itself.

Congressman C.T. Martin has displayed major disgust regarding this latest fashion trend. He issued statements to the associated press expressing concerns that this is an "epidemic that is becoming a major concern around the country". I tend to agree with the congressman in that all across the country this "look" does not cause a positive impression when viewed, and can sometimes even be offensive. Try eating out at a restaurant with your family and look over to a brunette bending down showing her behind, thong at all. It could definitely shock you and sometimes even ruin your appetite.

I had a supervisor once who had just lost all of her weight and really wanted to show off her new figure (she also had a tummy tuck done, so she was nearly perfect). She wore a slender new business suit that was fitting well; until she bent down after dropping a marker during a meeting and exposed those thong strings. Everyone gasped, and I concluded that she knew perfectly well that her thongs would show, and that she wore her clothes that way thinking they were attractive. It was not.

My oldest son is into the whole "pants hanging down" thing. I hate it. He walks so funny, almost like a duck or worst. But he keeps wearing his pants that way. My husband explained to him that even though this is a hip hop trend, it is in fact derived from a prison trend (Parishioners wore their pants sagging below the his bottom, this was a sign that he was homosexual). My son says that he's not a homosexual and it doesn't matter what other people think; which totally contradicts his reasoning for wearing his pants down low anyway (saying, "it's the style, mom!").

As a parent, it can be embarrassing to see my sons (or daughters)wearing their clothing that way. I wonder how they would feel if I did the same thing around their school, the neighborhood, or their friends. I can only imagine the names people would call me, and I can guarantee that my kids wouldn't like that very much at all.

But what does it say to a young person when this fashion trend is engulfing the nation, even spilling out to other countries? Well, some places want the message heard to be that by "indecent exposure" of the undergarments, a citation will be issued and a fine will be mandated! Delcambre, Louisiana's lawmakers have already put this ordinance in place with the fine being $500 or up to a six-month jail sentence-whichever the judge chooses if the accuser is found guilty. In Mansfield, a town Shreveport there is a possible fine up to $150 plus court costs or a maximum of 15 days jail time. Other states are following this trend of establishing ordinances against the sagging style, however some states have failed due to objections towards to "freedom of expression". And, lets say, a homeless person was to have his/her pants hanging down-not due to fashion but because they didn't have a belt to hold their pangs up-; would they be fined and/or jailed? Who enforces this law and are there any exceptions to the rule?

And I also suppose, in all fairness, that if this thing gets any deeper, we could have the issue at hand of being mandated by law to dress a particular way in general. But I think that possibility is a bit extreme. Back in 2005, Virginia passed a bill in the House of Delegates which mandated a $50 fine for anyone with sagging pants, but after much ridicule from the citizens, the Courts of Justice Committee met "solely for the purpose of addressing this bill, senators admitted today that they had been embarrassed by the publics reaction and quickly voted to dismiss the controversial measure. The committee's vote was unanimous". They determined that the style of people's clothing could not be an issue governed by the government.

Not all states are dismissing the initiative, though. The ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) got several calls regarding this topic, stating that the ordinance would cause racial profiling towards black youths(even though this style isn't limited to one race in particular). The mission of the ACLU is to preserve all of these protections and guarantees such as citizen's First Amendment rights, equal protection under the law, the right for due process, and the right to privacy. They've extended their services to all citizens, including Native Americans and other people of color; lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender people; women; mental-health patients; prisoners; people with disabilities; and the poor. The ACLU was founded in 1920. The ACLU's position was that they agreed that these efforts could possibly lead to racial profiling against the black community.

As cities crack down on this issue, independent businesses such as some public school systems have implemented stricter dress code restrictions. In most cases this has been successful in decreasing "sagging pants syndrome". It's a start, right?

Okay kids, here's my favorite part of the show! It's Q&A Time!

1- Is your city/state involved in creating/enforcing laws regarding pants hanging down?

2-What is your opinion on this topic?

3-Do you agree that a law or bill should be passed in your area, or is this a attack on your civil right to freedom of expression?

4-Any additional comments?

I've given the Q's, now you give the A's! Please leave a comment!


Copyright ©2007 Attica Lundy

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Celebrities serving their country?

Today while on MySpace, I received a bulletin from one of Beyonce's sites. It was basically an announcement about the "Beyonce' Experience".


"THE BEYONCÉ EXPERIENCE LAUNCHES GLOBAL ANTI-HUNGER INITIATIVE.
BEYONCÉ, PASTOR RUDY RASMUS, THE GLOBAL FOODBANKING NETWORK AND AIDMATRIX TEAM UP ON VIRTUAL FOOD DRIVES.
Donations Will Help Feed the Hungry in Ethiopia, Turkey and India."





I thought to myself,"Ethiopia, Turkey, and India? What about the hungry people in the United States of America?".

I reside in Georgia, and here we are facing a serious drought. We've got major water restrictions, and it doesn't look like it's going to get any better. And not saying that Beyonce or any other celebrity OWES ANYONE ANYTHING, but it is just sort of, unintentionally, a slap in the face when you hear about celebs taking care of everyone else except for those at home. From adopting babies to feeding the hungry, did they forget that America is not perfect and we have the same afflictions as people in other countries?

I mean, don't we help them out by buying their songs and tickets to their shows, etc. Most of their money, or at least their initital money, came from the good old US of A. And the last time I looked around, people were still suffering from Katrina, the homeless shelters are over crowded to the extent that people are living outdoors, and many live below the poverty level - all here in the US. And guess what? They are saying that by January, Georgia may not have any drinking water. Will we have to move to Ethiopia, Turkey, or India just to be able to drink?

Yes, I'm a published author, but I don't have Beyonce money. But I do try to give back to home. All of the proceeds of my first published book, A Quiet Time, goes to the National MS Society Georgia Chapter. And that's an organization that's right here in the US. And I still give to the women's shelters here and also other things...all centered around America because THIS IS WHERE I LIVE. And if I were to adopt a baby, I'd get one right from here. And if I were to open up a new private school for underprivilaged children, I'd open it up in America because THIS IS WHERE I LIVE.

I'm not bashing these celebrities for doing what they want to with their own hard earned money. They have the right to spend it however they want to. And the good deeds they've done and continue to do are simply wonderful and are most definitly changing lives. In some cases they even save lives!

A little child spoke to me the other day, though, and said "that thing with Brad Pitt isn't that bad, but it's like if my dad went to get christmas presents for someone else's kids and not for me". In my mind I thought, "Wow, this kid is so right on point. We are getting angry about celebs doing things for others and not doing them right here at home.". But is it wrong to do for others (other nations) when so much is available for those of us (America in general).

It boils down to choices and freedom. We as Americans do have opportunities available to us that other nations do not have. With the adoptions, perhaps American children would have a better chance of being placed in good homes whereas other nations orphans would not. As far as opening up schools, perhaps it's the same thing-smaller opportunities in outside nations than here.

America, nobody said that you can't step up and do something here. Citizens in America can still go and adopt a child here if you feel the need. Citizens here can open up schools, too. There was never a law stating that only celebrities have those options, even though their money is more than the average person. Perhaps we should look at that.


Here's the Q's:

1-What is your opinion on the celebs adopting children from other nations?

2-What is your opinion on Oprah opening up the school in South Africa?

3-General comments?

I've given the Q's, now you give the A's!


If you would like more information about "A Quiet Time" by Attica Lundy, whose proceeds go to the Georgia chapter of the National MS Society, please visit the site at http://www.myspace.com/aqueittime .



Copyright ©2007 Attica Lundy

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Did you ever ask yourself Why Did I Get Married?


Over the past weekend, my husband and I went to see Tyler Perry’s new film, Why Did I Get Married?. In the movie, four couples who are old college friends go on their annual couple’s vacation to work on strengthening their marriage. At the end of the trip, they must be able to answer with full knowledge: Why Did I Get Married?. This question is easier asked than answered and as secrets are exposed, will these marriages be strong enough to endure?

Terry and Diane (Tyler Perry and Sharon Leal) initially are dealing with Diane not being able to balance work and family. Terry misses his wife and is hoping this vacation will be the chance they need to make love (and make this love work), but Diane just doesn’t get it. But instead of making love Diane makes excuses and her priorities regarding family (something Terry very much values) are exposed.

Patricia and Gavin (Janet Jackson and Malik Yoba) seemingly are the couple that has their love relationship intact and are the glue that holds all the other couples together. But when they have to confront their feelings about the death of their child, will the blame game destroy them?

Sheila (Jill Scott), a wife that will do anything to make her husband Mike (Richard T. Jones) love her the way he used to, even if it means looking like the fool. The question arises when the couple’s friend Trina (Denise Boot) and the local sheriff Troy (Lammon Rucker) enter into the picture: is this the end or the beginning?

Pam (Keesha Sharp) and Marcus (Michael Jai White) were the funniest couple of them all. Their marriage was full revenge, and plain old ghetto-fabulousness. Their biggest issue, however, was in learning how to respect and value one another-because the love never left.

Touching on realistic marriage issues such as love, honor, trust, communication and everything else you could possible imagine, Why Did I Get Married is a great movie for friends, family, and couples (married or not) to see. We can all relate to at least one of the characters, and the other characters will remind us of someone. Some scenes will bring you to tears, and others will almost make you wet yourself with laughter. Based on his stage play, Why Did I Get Married? The movie is both thumbs up a must see! And when it comes out on DVD, this is definitely a movie to add to your collection.




Now it’s Q&A Time.

Here are the questions:

1- Would you be willing to do a couple's vacation to work on YOUR marriage?

2- In an open forum, could you tell your better half EVERYTHING-just lay it on the table?

3- Is there anything that your signifigant other could do to make you divorce/breakup with him/her?

4- Have you always obeyed your vows/promises?

5- Any additional comments?


There’s the Q, now give me the A! What are your answers?


Copyright ©2007 Attica Lundy