Friday, January 27, 2012

BAN PJ's IN PUBLIC?

Marion Pellicano Ambrose
Michael Williams, Caddo Parish Disctrict 3 Commissioner, Shreveport, LA, is pushing for an ordinance that would ban the wearing of pajamas in public. While in a local Walmart, Williams and other elderly customers were offended by other customers in PJ’s.
"I saw a group of young men wearing pajama pants and house shoes," he said. "At the part where there should have been underwear," his private parts were showing through the fabric.

This ordinance may not be so easy to pass First, how will they define “pajamas”? ( Williams said it could be defined as a garment sold in the sleepwear section of department stores, and violators should not go to jail but perform community service.)
Second, Marjorie R. Esman, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana, last week sent Williams a letter saying clothing is a form of expression protected by the Constitution.

“To ban the wearing of pajamas, like any other form of attire,” Esman wrote, “would violate a liberty interest guaranteed under the 14th amendment of the U.S. Constitution. … The government must demonstrate a rational basis for its ban – and Caddo Parish’s has no legitimate rational basis for regulating the attire of its residents."

 The city of Shreveport has a no-sagging law. In 2011, Shreveport police reported 31 incidents involving "wearing of pants below the waist in public and the offenders were issued misdemeanor summons, according to police spokesman Bill Goodin .
Despite the obstacles, Williams is determined to pursue getting this ordinance on the books.

 "Pajamas are designed to be worn in the bedroom at night," Williams said. "If you can't (wear pajamas) at the Boardwalk or courthouse, why are you going to do it in a restaurant or in public? Today it's pajamas," Williams said. "Tomorrow it's underwear. Where does it stop?"
Check out this facebook page dedicated to the issue: https://www.facebook.com/pages/I-CANT-STAND-WHEN-PEOPLE-WEAR-PAJAMAS-IN-PUBLIC/186057801571

What do you think? Should wearing PJ’s in public be banned?  Comment YES if you agree or NO if you don’t. We’d love to hear your opinions!

3 comments:

  1. If I go through the trouble of putting real clothes on, everyone should also. Are we really this lazy people? Really?

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  2. I for one don't want to see grownups in their pj's. I understand babies and very young children OCCASIONALLY, like running late for work type thing, but come on, act like a human and get dressed!

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  3. No! We have the right to wear what we want to wear. Some schools even have pajama days. I can understand banning see-through pj's but regular pj's, no! Banning pj's in public takes away my freedom of speech. If I like legos, I might wear a t-shirt with legos on it, so why not pajamas with legos?

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