Sagging Banned, Mullets Next?
This morning I interviewed the Mayor of Wentzville, Paul Lambi, regarding a potential ban on mullets, the still popular 80's style haircut. This comes after
Pine Lawn banned "sagging" because it is an indecent activity. I asked Paul why he is lobbying for a mullet ban, to which he responded, "Wentzville is growing every day. We want to be known as a city which is going farward and modernistic. The residents of our city find the mullet and its related activities like shooting guns, 4-wheeling, excessive beer drinking, and horseshoes, offensive. We want to be known as cosmopolitan, not a bunch of F-250 driving hoosiers. We want a new image and sense of place." Yet, this move is quite controversial and could potentially violate the 1st Amendment. For example, in
Texas v. Johnson, Justice Brennan says "If there is a bedrock principle underlying the First Amendment, it is that government my not prohibit the expression of an idea simply because society finds the idea offensive or disagreeable." When asked about this concern, Paul Lambi said his community has a compelling interest to ban mullets, "...the ban protects the morals and welfare of our community...we find this to be a compelling interest."
Pine Lawn is a distressed community trying to fix its image. Their method is obviously to correct what they perceive as a threat to their image and it could be argued that this negative image deters reinvestment. Yet, banning sagging is about as ridiculous as banning mullets. Both are simply expressions of culture and individual preference. Personally, I don't find sagging or mullets offensive, although possibly lacking taste. What I do find offensive is a municipality trying to regulate the fashion and methods of expression which its citizens exercise. If residents of Pine Lawn have an issue with sagging then let societal actors and social institutions address the problem. Have churches preach about how sagging is a moral evil, yet government has no authority to regulate the dress of its citizens. When churches preach at least citizens don't have to listen or face penalty. When the government takes action everyone is subject to parental rule.
Posted by Doug Duckworth at
11/14/2007 10:01:00 AM
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Originally Posted by scumdog
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