Got sagging pants? Not if you go to Plantation High School in Broward County, Florida. That's because two teachers, inspired by President Barack Obama's comment last year that "brothers should pull up their pants," have launched a crusade against baggy offenders. The school recently held a "Pull up your Pants" day; a local Wal-Mart donated 200 belts to help in the effort. "If your pants are saggin' and you want to adopt a jailhouse mentality, that will show in your attitude toward everything," explained Diana Carter, a ninth-grade teacher who helped organize the event. "We're not trying to take their individuality away, but there's a time and a place for everything." The trend apparently has its roots in some unseemly places, not the least of which is jail, where prisoners' belts are confiscated so they won't be used as weapons or to commit suicide. Some celebrities also set a bad example when it comes to undergear exposure. For the most part, Plantation High's students acquiesced. One even claimed he'd given up the baggy look for good. Why? "I asked a girl if she liked it and she said not no more [sic]." Let's hope Carter's next crusade is pulling up some sagging grammar.
"Obama Inspires Florida Students to Pull Up Their Pants," Gil Kaufman, MTV.com, March 27, 2009
"Plantation High students get hand pulling up their pants," Hannah Sampson, Miami Herald, March 27, 2009