Directions - Read the three articles below. After you finished reading the articles, answer the following question by clicking the comment button below the post. You must use one (or both) of the articles as evidence to support your argument. I encourage you to not only read the articles, but search things mentioned in the articles (or click hyperlinks) to further your understanding.
Question - Laws are supposed to maintain order in society while protecting the basic rights of citizens. So why are constantly creating or proposing laws that violate basic rights in order to promote desired behavior?
No Texting While Walking!
Are Your Jeans Sagging? Go To Jail!
Support Cancer Research? Not By Wearing That!
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I do not agree with the government trying to pass these unnecessary laws. They are trying to promote desired bahavior for things that dont impact the world at all. For example, trying to call sagging ones pants a crime? That is by far the dumbest attempt at a law i have ever heard. The government is pretty much taking free money by fining someone for sagging their pants. People are allowed to express themselves any way they want without judgement, especially from the government. - Jacqueline & DeMocks
ReplyDeleteThe laws that are trying to be passed seem unnecessary and frivolous. These are up for debate just so companies and schools can avoid law suits from people that lack enough knowledge not to walk into a fountain. Laws such as these should not hold up in court seeing as how it would be near impossible to monitor someone's pants level, or to prohibit people from walking and texting.
ReplyDelete-Ryan Toner
Props for being the first to comment Zach. Still 3 Articles in 15 minutes? Did you read all of them? Now we know the laws are dumb, but why have them? It's not because of money. - Big Brother.
ReplyDeleteI don't agree with any of the laws they are trying to pass. I love to run, it's a great stress reliever to clear your head. It's even more intense when your listening to Eminem or 90's rap/hiphop. I'm pretty sure many like to listen to music when they exercise. If people can't control their body when their using their electronic devices, that's their problem and should not blame other people who are minding their own business. Texting while driving is dangerous, but when your walking in the mall or running it doesn't hurt to look up from your phone/ipod once in a while! And with the clothing--yes, "pants on the ground" gets a little overboard when EVERYONE does it. I feel like people are doing it to follow the crowd. But remember the famous quote from Coco Chanel, "Fashion fades, style is eternal." Your own style represents a lot of your values and how you view life. Those who have tattoos & piercings are criticized against, people think we're "white trash" or have no respect for anything. Not true--I plan on going to vet school. Pants on the ground, tattoo's and piercings, or whatever style you have is how you represent yourself. America is about freedom of expression, why take that away?
ReplyDeleteThese laws are constantly being brought up to help end this media hype. There are plenty of laws that are not created or not enforced, most likely because of the lack of publicity. For example, no one has really thought about banning texting while walking until the viral video of the girl falling into the fountain happened. The sagging pants wasn't ever an issue until recently, once again with all the media it receives. I believe these laws are being created to help suppress the current excitement among many Americans because obviously politicians rely on us for a job.
ReplyDeleteThroughout history the common man has been pushed over by the government and whatever they wanted to do. So what the government is trying to do is make it so they can push there old way of living into this new age of life. Back in the old days when when all the congressmen were young there environment was not as up tempo as it is today. so with the new laws that are getting created they are trying to take it back to the old days if living, which in today's society doesn't work.
ReplyDeleteA lot of laws are made to protect citizens. The government is getting out of control wih the laws that they are trying to pass. They are trying to make laws that promote desired behavior becaus they want to influence the way people act and what people to. The laws they are trying to pass are not going to make a difference because people are not going to stop texting while walking and sagging their pants even if it is a law. The government cannot control the way people dress or what they do especially when most citizens do not agree with it. They are trying to abse their power and it is obvious they are just trying to find another way to make money off of fining people for dumb reasons.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with these laws. Because they're all extremly dumb. They shouldnt make laws becuase of stupidity. If they made a law everytime someone did something stupid, we would have a million pointless laws that dont accomplish anything at all. there is no need to have these laws at all. how would they even enforce these?
ReplyDeletelove<3,
suite life of matt and cody <3
I think the no texting while walking law is absolutely ridiculous. Saying that texting or listening to your Ipod is a distraction and "has your mind in a different place" is no reason to make a law against it. They might as well outlaw doing your hair while your walking or chewing gum while you run. The brain is trained to multitask, and to be honest I think people should be able to handle listening to music and not walking into things. And if they are incapable, well, then the outcome will be a good lesson. Overall the use of laws to promote good behavior is quite possibly a violation of our individual rights. If a student wants to wear his pants low, this is acceptable, just like if a girl wants to wear a half top she can. It is the right of the individual to choose when we text, what we wear, and how we live our lives unless it is putting others in danger (which im pretty sure sagging pants is not.)
ReplyDeleteI do not believe that the government can create a law based on what "they" believe is right way to act. Laws against murder, driving under the influence, and false buisness tatics are just laws because they protect against an injustice. In doing so, they prevent harm and are in the best intrest of the public. In order to make a law against sagging your pants you would need to say that doing so is an injustice and creates harm which is, sorry, retarded. It seems that the laws against texting/listening to music and walking, sagging your pants, and where "I (Heart) Boobies" bracelets are matters of conflicting values: traditional vs. modern. A law cannot be made just because someone "doesn't like the way that young people act." If anything the conflicting view points show a change in scociety and we should embrace it. We do not need a law to make everyone walk the same way, everyone talk the same way, or have everyone dress the same way. Freedoms themselves would be lost.
ReplyDeleteJudging by the three articles given, the government does not think maintaining order in society or protecting the basic rights of citizens are high priorities. Even though the examples given are only relating to local legislature, the decisions are still being made by elected officials. It seems as they only thing they have in mind are campaigns and approval ratings, and proposing laws that aren't logical looks better than not proposing anything in the public eye. Also, the infractions being cracked down on (texting, pants sagging and thick rubber bracelets) are products of younger generations and are not always accepted by the elderly, which makes up the highest percentage of voters. As usual, the American public suffers because politicians have their eyes on November and not now.
ReplyDelete_James Snover.
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ReplyDeleteThe government is constantly prooposing laws to limit people. most of these laws do not pass because they violate our amendment rights. The laws in the articles are rediculous. sagging your jeans, and wearing wristbands are personal decisions and shouldnt be banned by law. How people wear their clothes is up to them. Also, it shouldnt be illigal to walk or run wile texting. people just need to learn how to pay attention to what theyre doing before they can text while doing it. The lady who walked into the fountain should have been paying attention to where she was going. These laws are rediculous and wont pass because they violate our rights.
ReplyDelete- Tyler Mason
The laws trying to be passed in these articles do not have sufficient purpose to be illegal activities. The Unites States is seen as a country that is "free". And the numerous and purposeless laws constantly being passed are just restrictions on our basic rights. The American people think that they can sue people for pretty much anything, even their own stupidity. I think that is the major problem behind this new craze- people cant take responsibility for themselfs. The American people need to take responsibility for themselfs and stop blaming everyone else. If someone wants to wear their pant low, they can do that. It might be disturbing but whats the next step keeping people in uniforms. And if someone decides to text while walking, when they fall into a fountain thats their own fault that they walked into a fountain. If people begin to take responsibility for themselves they wont have to worry about their outfits or the way they talk to friends being considered "illegal".
ReplyDeleteThe government continues to create laws that go against the rights that we should be given. They connect fashion items and styles to a crime when many times it is usually just for people to express themselves. Some people actually like those styles, not because they are supporting some type of offensive behavior, but because the style is appealing to them. For example, a law is trying to be passed to ban sagging jeans. This style is seen as being used to promote and symbolize bad behavior. It is unfair that the government is trying so hard to control what people wear and how they express themselves. Wearing sagging pants does not necessarily mean that you have the same qualities of people who go to jail, but the government assumes that it does. Another example is with the "I Love Boobies" bracelets. Some schools are banning these bracelets because they believe that they are inappropriate and make a serious illness less serious than it really is. These bracelets are an efficient way to spread the word about breast cancer to the youth; it is not offensive. Schools should be able to manage the distractions that could possibly be made with these bracelets, but all they ever do is ban things from being worn. The kids are constantly being deprived of their right to express themselves because clearly we have not learned how to deal with "distractions" in an efficient manner.
ReplyDeleteAll of these laws being passed and not only unnecessary, but a violation of human rights. The way a person dresses, i.e. saggy pants, is a person statement about themselves. To try and censor that statement is a violation of first amendment rights. The legislators desire to pass these useless laws to control social behaviors. Conservatism in the government is what allows this kind of thing to happen. The government is not equip to deal with these changing times. Their natural reaction is to maintain control over their people. Conservatism has become so evident that it has also shown up in our schools. Children are being suspended for wearing breast cancer awareness bracelets which is insane. The schools intent was to correct behavior they saw as vulgar. This conservatism is a reaction against the culture that is coming to be our generations everyday affairs. Wearing the bracelets is not an inappropriate form of expression, just a sign of awareness of a terrible disease. It's foolish to try and prevent people from doing things such as walking and texting, sagging their pants, or even wearing a bracelet.
ReplyDelete-David Way
I disagree with these laws being passed because they are taking away our freedom of expressing ourselves. I run almost everyday and always have my ipod on while running and have never been injured while doing so. People should be able to do this without being injured and if they are unable to do so then they should'nt be listening to their ipod or on their cellphone while in motion. People need to take responsibility for their actions instead of sueing. The law against sagging pants is rediculous because people should be able to express themselves and dress as the please without having to worry about being fined or put in jail. We need to stop creating unimportant laws that are limiting our freedom. People should be able to do as they please as long as they aren't harming others.
ReplyDeleteThese laws, in my opinion, are petty and unnecessary. Walking and running while listening to your ipod is your business, if you cannont do these activites, and not be able to see a car, or a fountian in front of you, that's your issue and you need to work on multitasking. Whereas for driving it should be prohibited text and/or talk on the phone. While driving and doing these things, you'd be putting others in danger, but while walking or running you're putting your own self at risk not society.
ReplyDeleteThe sagging issue. Um why do senators care? There are bigger and far more issues that could be taken care of rather than worrying about if some dude is sagging. Sure, it raises suspicions against them, but again, that's their problem, their lifestlye. Like any other "trend" or "fad" it's the person's taste in fashion. If he/she wants to sag let them.
The boobie bracelets. We are living in a world now where less and less things are being censored on television, radio, and in magazines. I don't know why people are acting soo surpised to see the word "boobies" written on a bracelet. It's rasing awareness to a younger genertation who are so discinnected from the world as it is and the bracelet is bringing this issue up in a crative way that appeals to this genertation. It says boobies, big deal get over it. That's what I say.
I always run with my iPod. I find it boring if I don’t have music but I keep the volume at an appropriate level so that I can still hear any cars that might be coming up behind me and I stay off busy roads. There is nothing wrong with that and I haven’t gotten into any dangerous situations because I was listening to music.
ReplyDeleteI also text but I avoid texting while walking but if I’m in a hurry and I do have to send a quick message while I look up frequently to make sure that I don’t run into anything.
As for the sagging pants personally I don’t approve of that, but a law won’t change people.
These issues involve people’s common cense. Everything is good… in moderation and if our society can’t grasp that and the new technology then we should educate people proper iPod and cell phone etiquette in public just like there’s a proper way to eat and greet people and introduce yourself. There isn’t a law saying it’s illegal not to shake your interviewer’s hand at an interview or not to send him a “thank you” note but it is proper etiquette. Clothing should have the same approach. People should be taught starting with young kids about what is proper and appropriate and what is “pop culture.”
Setting up a law that makes these practices illegal will send the wrong message and people, especially young people, will feel that the government is controlling them. If people are taught then they will know and understand what is right and wrong without legal consequences.
Of course, education takes time and at least a generation for it’s effect to take place but the government should decide if the benefits are worth the wait.
As for the “I love boobies” bracelets, they are just bracelets and if schools consider them inappropriate because they are a cause of inappropriate comments and conversations then administrators should pay attention more to some of the things said in school even without the bracelets. Again, kids should be taught what is right to say and what is inappropriate to say and then whatever they choose, they choose. If you take away the bracelet there will still be another “distraction” or reason to make a wrong comment if a student wants to.
These laws are being proposed because of the circumstances from other laws. Some get passed but others dont.Our society constantly has new laws made because of other laws. For example, the sagging jeans law is based of public indecency. The more laws we pass, the more laws we will need as evident in our society today.
ReplyDelete-Aric Johnson
Although I do find the law regarding listening to music wile running or texting while walking absurd, I do understand why legislation is getting passed. When one runs along a road while listening to music, it can be dangerous. The runner may not be able to fully hear outside noises for example a car beeping its horn behind the runner telling him or her to move out of the way. Its just dangerous and the legislation was enacted because of many accidents due to this fact. However, if runners are running in designated areas, such as a canal path, I see it appropriate for one to lsiten to music and the possibility of serious accident is decreased. The same goes with texting. While walking through an intersection texting, one is not aware of the surroundings which can obviously pose a grave danger.
ReplyDeleteI completely believe the law about the sagging pants in unnecessary. It attacks the black population because most of them are the ones who have that style. It is in a way a type of passive racism which cultivates this new legislation.
For the bracelt law, I believe schools should not have authority over the first amendment which includes freedom of expression. If students want to wea a bracelet that supports a good cause, they should have all the right to do so.
These laws that clearly violate basic rights are made in my opinion just to mold society the way the government wants them to act. I totally disagree with the proposed laws that violate our basic rights, for example like the law proposed against sagging pants. People should be able to wear whatever suits them as appropriate to who they are and their personality, this indecency is bogus because the underwear is just like shorts, skin is not necessarily shown, so I don't understand how that could be seen as indecency. Also why are they so focused on what people are wearing instead of the bigger problems that are actually detrimental to society. Also the ban at school for "I heart boobies" bracelets is also confusing to me. How can a non-profit organization raising money for breast cancer be a bad thing? The school tries to say it is a destraction but aren't the teachers supposted to handle distractions because if they don't then every single thing in school would be banned and every student would be suspended. Distractions in the class room is inevitable so the teachers just need to learn to handle and fix them. To respond to the person saying it demeans the issue of breast cancer, it really doesn't because it raises more awareness in a younger generation and raises money. To me these proposed laws are absolutley ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteIf someone is so oblivious that they don't notice they are about to walk into a fountain, then they should realize they need to take two minutes of there time and stop walking and read their text and then reply. The majority of people that text have enough sence to know when to look at their phone. There is a time and place for everything and perhaps in the mall isn't they best place to be doing so.
ReplyDeletePeople have a choice whether to sag their pants or not. As long as no skin is showing shouldnt it be okay? How is someone so offended when nothing is really being expossed. If it's there underwear that people are mad about, then this law won't change the way they dress. They can simply wear shorts under their pants and still be sagging. Will peopel still be mad? If so, then what for?
These laws are asking for too much. Just because the people or the government doesn't like the way some people do things, doesn't mean that other peopel need to be just like them. People have freedom and should be allowed to text and dress how they would like.
-Corey
The key problem with all of these proposed laws is that they have no affect on anybody other than the individual doing the "crime." For example, texting while walking has no affect on anybody else (unless i guess you bump into somebody) and hence should not be a law. Texting while driving, however, puts other peoples lives in danger and therefore deserves to be illegal. The same goes for sagging jeans and wearing "I <3 Boobies" bracelets. The reason lawmakers are proposing these bills is because they only care about getting re-elected. While to me or you these articles may seem frivolous, there is a large percentage of our population that is old-fashioned and agrees with them and will then vote for the corresponding lawmaker who tried to get it passed.
ReplyDeleteI do not agree with these laws at all. If someone wants to dress the way they dress then let them. If someone wants to embarrass them self by walking into a fountain while they are texting then let them. Our country was founded on freedom and making these laws just doesn't make sense.
ReplyDeleteAfter reviewing these three articles, I am shocked by some of the laws that were actually thought of or even passed by legislation. The use of laws to promote good behavior is a complete violation of our individual rights. Creating a law against listening to your ipod or texting on your phone is absurd. This is an individual right that people have. Although some dangers are entalied with this, people know thier precautions and know what dangers this entails. Besides running/walking while listening to your ipod, laws are also disscused on how people shuold dress?! That's crazy. People are only making these laws in order to get recognized for thier extravagent ideas. With this new and upcoming generation technology along with fashion in becoming bigger and better everyday and creating thses laws aganist new ideas only cause drama for politicians and the people.
ReplyDelete-Olivia Prinzi
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ReplyDelete"Government exists to protect us from each other. Where government has gone beyond its limits is in deciding to protect us from ourselves."-Ronald Reagen Do to my belief about the use of laws I think that it is redicolous to attempt to protect people from themselves. People need to be intellegent enough to know when and when not to wear headphones in order to ensure thier own saftey.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I don't agree with sagging your pants, I do not think that there should be a law preventing it. As long as a citizen does not commit an act of indecent exposure they should be allowed to dress however they please.
Lastly, I believe the restriction of the I <3 boobies braclet is a violation of the first amendment. Again, although I do not own one of these bracelets or agree with the method this company is using to promote breast cancer awarness, I believe that as long as the bracelt is not promoting "drugs or alchol use", and is not a threat on anybody then it should be allowed to be worn. Plus the money goes to a good cause!
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ReplyDeleteAccidents happen when you're not paying attention. If you can't handle texting and walking, don't text while walking then. It's different than texting while driving. You're putting other people at risk. Texting while walking only endangers yourself. I feel like its common sense to pay attention to your surroundings. There shouldn't be a law prohibiting something as dumb as texting while walking.
ReplyDeleteThe way a person dresses should be completely up to them. It's ridiculous to think that the government wants to approve of the outfit you put on every day. Someone's apparel not only is their right, but it defines them. No one should be able to tell someone else that they can't express their personality.
Now a days, most teenagers aren't aware about breast cancer. If they are aware, they aren't concerned. The "i <3 boobies" bracelet is honestly a really great way to get our generation more aware of how serious breast cancer is. It is a little silly, but it works. The bracelet raises awareness and raises money to support research. They're trying to ban something that isn't hurting anyone but instead is actually helping?... That doesn't sound right to me.
-Liliya Blekot
I think there is no reason for creating these laws. These laws will not help society in any way. Who will benefit if people will stop listening to their ipods while jogging, or stop txting while walking? It seems ridiculous to have to make a law for someone to wear their pants in a certain way so they don't hurt themselves. People need to have common sense and be able to decide for themselves how to dress. I think dress code should be inforced only at work and in schools. Also if a person can't handle a cell phone and falls into a pool because they were distracted by it then maybe they should think twice before using their phone. The rest of the country does not need to be affected by one persons mistake.
ReplyDeleteI do not agree with any of these laws. Runners should be allowed to run while listening to music. Listening to music helps people clear their minds and pumps them up to run farther and faster. If laws are prohibiting people from running while listening to music then people will most likely run less or not at all and stay at home eating and watching television which is unhealthy. If someone wants to walk and text at the same time and accidentally walk into a fountain then its their own stupidity and everyone else should not be punished because of one person. It is no one elses fault than their own. If people want to walk with their pants down low then that is just unclassy and embarrassing for themself. There should not be a law for how someone can or cannot dress. Dressing is how people define themselves. The two young girls who got suspended for wearing those braclets which were to help donate and involve others to help out breast cancer foundations is wrong. They should not be suspended for trying to help out those who have breast cancer. Braclets saying "I Love Boobies" is no different than shirts that say "Breast Cancer" on them. The braclets are to attract and involve younger people to help support and donate. If teachers are allowed to wear the shirts then the students should be allowed to wear the braclets. All of theses laws are wrong and void citizen's rights.
ReplyDelete~Kristen Andrushko
All of these laws, to me, seem to be a government's attempt at an intervention in the personal lives of this country's citizens. I think we can all agree that this intervention is wrong considering the ideals our country was based and built upon. In regard to the bracelets and sagging jeans, both are forms of personal expression and clearly protected by the first amendment which states "Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press...." Those who seem to find these forms of expression so rude tend to lean towards an older generation, but as was referenced in Are Your Jeans Sagging? Go Directly to Jail, every generation has their own fads. Hot pants are long hair were especially popular in the 70s. These trends weren't accepted with open arms back then, but younger generations did it anyway. Besides how are shorts that are too short all that different from pants that sag down? In other words, it is impossible for the legislators to decide what people should and should not be wearing based merely on the fact that they don't like it. If they could, everyone would probably be stuck wearing a trash bag, but I'm sure that would offend somebody.
ReplyDeleteThe laws suggested have some validity, such as no texting in a crosswalk, but as far as the bracelets and the pants go, I don't see it as being a "crime" to look a certain way. Sure, from a social standpoint it does look a little ridiculous, and it also reflects a famously “violent” culture, but our government isn't set up to abide by social propaganda. (If it were, we would still be dressed in petticoats and stockings, as pants for women would be deemed inappropriate). It's not even public nudity, seeing as they have underwear on as well. Personal expression does not affect anyone other than the person employing it, so it should not be banned, even if someone doesn't like it. So what if it reflects a stereotype? No violent or abusive acts have been committed.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the bracelets go, people take things too seriously. Calm down and be adults. It can and should be talked about even at a middle school age, and not just with a bunch of euphemistic, ingenuine terms. Perhaps all of the immaturity surrounding the female anatomy at that age is because adults DONT set the example and talk about it. Breast cancer should not be a hush hush topic, and young women should be aware of risks to their health. I don't see the comment "I love boobies" as being crude or even demeaning toward the breast cancer cause; it is simply a genuine statement. The female anatomy should not be given such a big bad scary connotation in middle school, because young girls need to learn to love and care for their bodies, and so do boys. Using the term “breast cancer,” though appropriate objectifies the subject. Wearing a bracelet brings the topic down to a personal level. And it doesn’t hurt the teachers. I mean seriously. You have a master’s degree and you can’t acknowledge the existence of a simple part of human anatomy?
I don't agree with this at all. Just because we wear things that the government in this country doesn't understand a law always has to be made. Its not fair that boobies bracelets are band. They support a good cause. Let people with the disease know that we care and want to support them in anyway we can.Some many find it offensive but since when has that ever stopped any of the generations before us from wear doing or protesting what they want.The government needs to take a step back and really think about what they should be putting their minds on because wearing low pants , cancer benefiting bracelets and listen to i pod while walking is a choice and should not be controlled by the law. There has to be something that we should have some say of in our lives. If there isn't then the government will control everything and no one wants that. The way the economy is today what we wear are listen to shouldn't be of anyone's concern.
ReplyDeleteBased off of these articles the law makers seem more interested in controlling the public than protecting the people. These articles tell of ridiculous attempts at instead of, enforcing the rights and protecting individuals, of controlling and limiting a person’s individuality. A perfect example with this is the new laws coming out of legislation of smaller towns on the indecency of sagging pants. Instead of putting laws out that protect and limit the idea people seem to find behind this styling of clothes, which is “worn as a badge of delinquency, with its distinctive walk conveying thuggish swagger and a disrespect for authority” they decide to limit personal liberties. In my humble opinion law makers’ first need to understand the culture behind things such as “sagging” pants, as Dr. Chavis explains: “That they wear their pants the way they do is a statement of the reality that they’re struggling with on a day-to-day basis.” That is why I 100% agree that for our laws to be successful law makers should make sure “the focus should be on cleaning up the social conditions that the sagging pants comes out of.” I simple think that law makers have lost their focus of upholding out rights and instead have focused to much on trivial matters.
ReplyDeleteLaws are supposed to maintain order in society. So sometimes laws violate basic rights because the government feels certain things could disrupt society. An example is the distraction listening to your I-pod or texting on your phone while walking. The woman who was so busy texting she fell into a pool could have instead walked in front of oncoming traffic. If this happened there would a loss of order in that area because of the mess that would be created. Also what if someone was very religious and took offense to a guy sagging his jeans so that his boxers are showing not letting that person make a law takes away his or her first amendment rights. This same concept applies to the bracelet the two boys wore. Another reason basic rights are violated in some laws might have to do with the beliefs that if you give people too much freedom they will abuse it. So to main order you have to put some limits on what people can do. So although I understand why these laws are still proposed I don't agree with them. The government should not be let laws pass that proposed because one person or small group is against it. A person should be allowed to run with their music or wear what they want. These types of laws do not actually protect anyone they just are made because someone's feelings got hurt.
ReplyDeleteThese laws would be classified under Nanny Laws. A Nanny Law is a law that looks out for the welfare of citizens. Many people argue that Nanny Laws are too strict and deprive us of our rights. I agree. My biggest argument against these three laws is that so many people commit these 'crimes' so there is no way to regulate the use of ipods or cell phones on the street or stop every person from wearing a certain type of bracelet. I think it is appropriate to enforce these laws in a work environment, such as a school or office, where there are rules to help maintain a work environment or business status. In school we have a dress code for a reason, we don't want people focusing on how someone else looks and not on their academics. It is too extreme to bring these laws outside of a maintained environment. If the government is worried about people being offended then these laws certainly shouldn't be created because someone will always be offended. When it comes to the 'no texting while walking' law I think that it is too extreme. The case of the woman walking into a fountain while texting is an extreme case. Thousands of people text and walk at the same time and there never seem to be extreme cases like the woman in Pennsylvania on a daily basis. I think a rule saying not to text while crossing a street is appropriate, because you always have a risk while crossing a street, but couldn't be enforced. On the topic of the 'I love boobies' bracelets I could side either way. I believe that because it was in a school setting that the girls could be told not to wear them but I think a direct school dress code policy against the bracelets would've had to be created. If their school could've given them warnings before suspending them as well as shown them where in the school policy it stated that they couldn't wear such items. Personal opinion comes into play as well because the person who disliked the bracelets could have seen the word boobies as immodest and profane. However the girls only saw it as a was to help raise breast cancer awareness. They even claimed that they saw teachers wearing shirts to raise awareness during Breast Cancer Awareness month. If they're not going to let the girls raise awareness for a harmful disease then why should the school allow people to raise awareness of teen pregnancy or drug use? All of these laws are frivolous and would never be readily enforced; therefore I do not support these laws.
ReplyDeleteThese laws are being created in order to protect the ignorant in our country who simply do not have the common sense to survive in society, thus legislators feel that these laws are necessary so that these types of people have a specific guideline that they can understand and follow. However, for a majority of these situations, such laws are also being proposed so that further lawsuits and conflicts can be avoided in the future. Although this may seem to deter any future wastes of time, in reality, the arduous process of attempting to pass and develop these laws in the first place wastes just as much time. Our government should not even bother trying to establish these guidelines for people, and should just let them do as they wish with natural selection being their judge. People have the free will to text or listen to their music devices whenever they want, but whether or not their choice is the best and safest choice should not be determined by law. If their choice just so happens to result in their injury, then this is nature telling them that it clearly was not a good choice. We do not need to take time to make a law to protect those with poor judgment. If a lawsuit or some other conflict does indeed rise up, then some judge can simply set a precedent and deem that it was the person’s own fault for their injury. The same goes for the sagging of pants in the “hip-hop” style. People are free to express themselves however they wish to through their clothing. The correlation between this style and African Americans of poor social status and city life is not the issue; it is a stereotype that inevitably exists. Thus, if people wish to express themselves with sagging pants, a style that will be associated with a lack of education, they can. They will be subjecting themselves to judgment by the professional community in job searches and other endeavors, but that is their own choice. No law should deem how people dress, as each person should have the knowledge of what their clothing choices are conveying to others. As for the “I love Boobies” bracelets, this is not an actual law, but something banned by schools. The school has all the jurisdiction they would like in this manner as they have the power to ban anything that they deem distracting for the school environment. In addition, despite their great message, I do not think these middle school children are mature enough to understand the implications of the bracelets. The importance of the message of supporting breast cancer cannot possibly be understood by the majority middle school children, as their juvenile minds will simply see it as a joke. In addition, these bracelets can be seen as further objectification of women. I do not see any “I love balls” or “I love penis” bracelets for prostate cancer, or any “I love anus” bracelets for rectal cancer. Women’s breasts have been so itemized in our society that it is appropriate for such a statement to be worn on people’s wrists everywhere, whereas these forms of support for prostate or rectal cancer would never be allowed in schools and would be highly disapproved of in society. While the bracelets may be spreading a good message, the vector through middle school children does not seem appropriate. These types of laws need to be thrown out, and natural selection should be allowed to take its course.
ReplyDeleteThe "law on texting while walking" is an absurd argument based upon immature actions of youthful tech-addicts. The cell phone is a universal device that allows many individuals to receive a surplus of information at any given time. Being said the location and situation should be the deciding factor on when to use your cellular device. Some laws are placed to help guide us with decisions we can make like drinking and driving, but the law of texting and walking is something controllable by any human with an ounce of sense in them. Although it might be necessary to text someone back while your walking the true harm in doing so is left upon the individual texting. All others around should keep their awareness up and if they happen to be texting as well it is their problem if any action is to come between the two "walking texters". All in all this law is in no condition to be placed upon the civilization in which technology and communication thrives.
ReplyDeleteI do not agree with these ridiculous laws that the government is trying to pass. Although they are trying to promote good behavior and safety they violation our rights. For example, schools banning the "I Heart Boobies" bracelets goes against the first amendment, freedom of speech. In response to the law 'no texting and walking,' it should not be passed. Texting while driving and texting while walking are completely different. If one woman walked into a fountain because she was texting, it is her fault and a law should not be passed to try and control all of our innocent actions.
ReplyDeleteI read the article concerning the issue about the saggy pants. First off, this is a bunch of crap. Throughout the entire article there was no solid information on why they banned it. The only excuse remotely close was the fact that is was "disrespectful" and "a threat to society". I understand that it could be disrespectful but when has that ever been a good enough excuse to throw someone in jail? And a threat to society? Really now? Just because someones boxers are hanging out doesn't mean they are going to rob a bank or shoot up a school. Let's think about it this way. Say this was a girl and instead of saggy pants it was a low cut shirt. Do you see a law going up for girls to pull up their shirt? Instead America decides to build Hooters around the country to show the girls off. This law is not just sexist but goes against the freedom of speech for the people.
ReplyDeleteThere are certain dress codes that school goes by for a reasona nd i understand. Such as not wearing shirts that apply to drugs and alocohol, but not being able to wear a bracelet because they say the word "boobie" is ridiculous. Kids are wearing these bracelets because they think they're cool. Plus the profits the company makes help breast cancer awareness which is good for everyone. Maybe because these kids are wearing the bracelets they'll be more aware and likely to get tested and stay healthier. Along with other ridiciulous bans include the banned on the silly bandz bracelets because of their distraction. And what about the saggy pants...
ReplyDeleteTeachers are always saying how it distracts us but I'm not interested with staring at some kids boxers, beause thats all you're going to see. The law is supposedly protecting us but it's only restricting us. People are told what they can not wear so they want to rebel to show they will still as they please.
Rachel Hunt
All of these laws are outrageous. These laws are starting to remind me of China's communist ways and their one child policy to help stable their ever growing population. These smalls laws that dont allow for personal style or freedom are baby steps to creating a government that controls every persons life. Making a law that bans baggy and low pants is crazy. I personally dont like the style but I dont believe the goverment has any right to make a law against it. As long as their is no nudity, then its fine. The 'I love boobies" bracelets would be outrageous if the goverment made a law banning it, but it was a schools decision. When you walk into a school, every person loses many of their basic rights that you would have. I believe the school's decision is wrong but at the same time they have the right to do so.
ReplyDelete-Hillary Laird
We believe that this law in unnecessary. The origination of this law comes from prison, where you would sag your pants to display sexual persuasion. However this is something that we understand people would not want to be openly displayed, it is the choice of the indivual to dress as they please. To deny them of their rights to dress freely is a violation of the first amendment, and as sagging pants can portray slobishness or thugishness, it is a expression of style and fashion that everybody is entitled to. People have lost sight of the origin of sagging and focus purely on what they want their society to look like, which is something that can not be controlled, and takes away diversity.
ReplyDeleteSHAUNA PUGLIESE AND CODY BERTHIAUME
Texting while walking is a law that, if it comes into being, should be done right. There's obviously a difference between texting while crossing the street, and texting while crossing the hall. The law should provide for different situations, and only punishing someone when they are texting in a situation that is inappropriate/unsafe, and not affecting people who are responsible about their texting habits. The matter of the "I Love Boobies" bracelet is different though. That's a definite infringement on the middle schoolers' right to freedom of speech. I think their rights are being ignored in this case simply because of their age, and it's the school that is passing the judgement. I think it is not up to the school to decide what a person may say or have printed on clothing or accessories, unless they are dangerous, promote illegal activity, or are excessively vulgar. I strongly disagree with the school's notion that the bracelet is too vulgar, I think it is a perfectly acceptable way to promote breast cancer awareness, it puts a humorous swing on it, but not in an offensive way. Besides, if people wanted a more serious sounding bracelet, I'm sure they could find one easy enough. The difference between the texting law and the ban on the bracelets is that, even though both laws aim to dictate certain behaviors and choices of people, the texting law is necessary for safety, while the ban on bracelets is a blatant violation of freedom of speech, and completely unnecessary.
ReplyDeleteIn response to the "No Texting While Walking" idea, I think that it should be used in major cities but not so much in rural or suburban areas. The reason it should be in cities or in dangerous areas (such as near a construction site) is that people need to be aware of their surroundings or they can get hurt. With texting, people often forget or don't realize where they are going or where they are and often don't realize they are in a dangerous situation at all. They loose themselves in the device. In this country, people often sue for this and honestly its forcing law makers to think about the situation even if many people think its silly. I would think though that it would be extremely hard to enforce especially since there are tons of people in the cities and the police can't monitor them all. Thus many people will probably not take the law seriously. It also infringes on people's rights of freedom. It is is a difficult situation to determine a solution for either way, the lawmakers are going to get some negative feedback no matter what they do or don't do. We make these laws so we can better control the people who are not being responsible. Even though in this country we have rights, we often take them for granted and often do not think before we act. Without some of these laws, we would get a country of people who think way to highly of themselves and can get in serious trouble (ex. die of a certain action) because of their actions.
ReplyDelete-Caitlin Dailey
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ReplyDeleteThe law on sagging pants is rediculous for many reasons. Sagging pants is commonly accepted throughout many parts of the United States. With the amount of people that sag their pants police officers would not have the ability to enforce this law to all. The texting law is the same. Communication has gone farther than the house. We have stretched conversations to resturants and other public places. Few people have had accidents like the one shown in the video. She was belligerent to her surroundings and was unaware of where she was. Therefore thus shouldn't be a law because the base and facts for the foundation of the law is weak.
ReplyDeleteThe proposed law regarding texting while walking a pointless argument that is based on the actions of very few people. The actions of these people such as walking into a fountain don't happen that often and most people are responsible enough to manage texting while walking. While this law is intended to help prevent any future incidents it will not changing anything because people will still text and walk even if there is a law stopping it.
ReplyDeleteI think the no texting while walking law is absolutely ridiculous. Saying that texting or listening to your Ipod is a distraction and "has your mind in a different place" is no reason to make a law against it. They might as well outlaw doing your hair while your walking or chewing gum while you run. The brain is trained to multitask, and to be honest I think people should be able to handle listening to music and not walking into things. And if they are incapable, well, then the outcome will be a good lesson. Overall the use of laws to promote good behavior is quite possibly a violation of our individual rights. If a student wants to wear his pants low, this is acceptable, just like if a girl wants to wear a half top she can. It is the right of the individual to choose when we text, what we wear, and how we live our lives unless it is putting others in danger.
ReplyDelete<3-Kevy and jeffy
By Amanda Furnari and Emily Kinch.
ReplyDeleteThe banning of wearing certain bracelets in school is against our First Amendment right by violating freedom of speech. Wearing these bracelets harms no one, in fact they raise awareness for a very serious disease. For only $4, your money is going to the non profit Keep A Breast Foundation. This money goes to breast cancer research and educational outreach programs. If you ask someone why they're wearing the bracelet, they will most likely tell you "It's for breast cancer." For that reason, these bracelets are a reminder of the harsh reality of breast cancer. These schools are controlling things that are out of their jurisdicition.
The laws that are being discussed in these articles are unnecessary topics. The government should be worried about other issues and not whether or not someones pants are covering their boxers. The texting while walking law is a joke. If you are dumb enough to walk into a fountain while texting then you clearly know you shouldn't be doing it. Not everyone stops paying attention to their surroundigs while texting. As for the pants saging law this is also an unnecessary topic for congressman to be discussing. It is takin away the right to express yourself. Although some may sag to low most do not. Its a style and people need to realize that a law isn't going to make people change how they wear their clothes. Lastly, the I heart boobie bracelets are doing an incredile job of raising awareness amoung young adults. The fact that teachers are suspending kids for wearing them is absurd. This again is a violation of our rights to freedom of speech. Many wear the bracelets because someone they know had breast cancer. All of these laws are poinless and are a waste of time.
ReplyDeleteI think these that even thinking about creating these types of laws are a waste of money and time. The banning of what you can wear on your wrists or how low your pants are and weather you can text or not wile walking are things that are almost impossible to inforce. These laws are just going to be a big waste of time and arnt going to work. They are just goin to lead to more riots and get people in to more trouble than they should me. If someone is dumb enough to walk into somethign while they are texting they should just be laughed at. Also if someone is supporting an awareness cause they should be able to wear what they want no matter what it says. 15 days in prision for sagging your paints is a very dumb law and is just a waste of money. its easier to just tell someone to pull your paints up if you dont like it. These laws are retarted and shoudnt have the time wasted at all to creat them and enforce them.
ReplyDeleteAs I read the 3 articles I found the" I love boobies" bracelets to be a great one to talk about. It's a big violation of the first amendment and its just as controversial as the silly bands. In the article it even says the schools can't do anything that would violate the first amendment like it is. Even though the school tried to stop people from wearing them, it isn't working at all since the one of the girls mother says that she still wears them to school under her sweatshirts. The reason I think they are creating these laws is because the government doesn't want to hassle with stupid lawsuits that are extreamly pointless and serve no purpose but to the person is suing in general. -Kyle Gutz
ReplyDeleteTexting and driving not only puts yourself in a bad situation but also the people around you. Putting a law up against texting and walking sounds very stupid to me. While texting you should be smart enough not to walk across the street without looking! The lady in the video that walked in the pond of water did not look up once, she just looked at her phone the whole time. I understand though how this puts a person in a bad situation if they hit a person texting because they can then be sued. People should be aware of there surroundings while texting.
ReplyDeleteTo me sagging your pants just makes you look stupid but its a style to some people and were free to dress like that if we want to. Throwing in a fine for people that wear there pants low without showing and private parts would be pointless and unfair. I understand a no sagging rule inside of school possibly but outside of school kids should be able to dress like they want.
The popular boobie bracelets have become well known with the youth. However creating a rule were a child would be suspended for wearing one is completley unfair. The bracelet is not harming anyone so the kid should not be punished for it, the very least I can understand a teacher asking them to take it off during the school day or turning it inside out.
-mike fuss
It should not be the governments responsibility to make laws for it's citizens stupidity or carelessness. If people want to wear their pants saggy and look "gangster" then they will struggle enough in society. They will not easily get a job if they're looking for one, and if someone doesnt have a job in an economy like ours today, they will quickly realize they need to make some changes if they want to get anywhere in life. Plus, why is it that someone that chooses to wear their pants low definitely gang affiliated? That is a snap judgement and a very stereotypical statement made by people supporting this law.
ReplyDeleteAlso, if someone cannot multitask, it is not right to take away the privelege of every other citizen who has that capability to do so. If the government begins to monitor all of these very specific actions of their citizens, the laws will eventually become unenforceable, and no one will take them seriously because there are way too many of them.
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ReplyDeleteThe majority of these laws are created and passed as a response to single events. However, these laws sometimes violate basic human rights because they are created quickly without much planning. Often, they are created as a way to prevent lawsuits or limit behavior that a certain group finds unacceptable. This is largely because people today don't take responsibility for their own actions. People are quick to blame society or anyone else they can blame. Like the woman who fell in the fountain while texting. These laws are a preventative measure taken to minimize the number of frivolous lawsuits. Although texting while walking might be unsafe and could potentially result in someone being hit by a car, it's unnecessary to create a law for it. People should have the common sense to look up from their phone when crossing a street and have the awareness to be able to pay attention to their surroundings while they text. If they can't handle multitasking, then they should make a personal choice to not text while they walk. A law for this isn't necessary. Outlawwing the sagging of pants or the "I <3 Boobies" bracelets doesn't help to maintain order in society. These laws don't protect anyone. Because the people who wear their pants low are often stereotyped as being associated with other criminal behavior, this law can be used as a way to detain individuals without having any real due cause. Law enforcement needs reasonable suspicion to stop an individual. If that individual has already comitted one crime (like sagging his pants) then that itself gives the officer a reason to question/detain someone. As for the "I <3 Boobies" bracelets, the school does have the right to ban whatever they choose. However, the school's reason (which is that they're distracting) seems like a way to ban them without any real cause. It's pretty unlikely that simply wearing a bracelet on your wrist is causing a disruption in the learning process. The school board probably found the bracelets demeaning, even though they spread a good message, and banned them based more on personal feelings rather than the school code. Laws like these should be thrown out. They're becoming too specific and aren't serving the purpose of protecting the country. In the end, it basically comes down to a matter of common sense. People shouldn't need a law to regulate every little thing they do. Common sense should regulate behavior and people should be able to do what they want. After all, it is a basic human right to be able to control your own actions and make your own choices.
ReplyDelete