This is one of those asinine issues that has gotten way more attention than it deserves, which is why I've decided to pile on along with everybody else.

The prevailing fashion trend for a certain cohort of the community is to wear one's trousers hanging down around one's butt as a statement. They are emulating prisoners who, deprived of their belts by the authorities, can't keep their pants up. Why they want to do this is their own business.

To me, it's the essence of the First Amendment right of free expression to make a statement of identification with whomever you want, as long as you're not exposing something fleshy and private. As a visual person, I find the panoply of underwear patterns a welcome distraction from the cheesy sameness that characterizes South Florida architecture and dress.

This doesn't mean that their sartorial habits aren't something they won't regret when they're older. When we were young, we all presented ourselves in ways that now make us blush (see Yours Truly at left, taken in 1973). And, there was no more effective way to make us continue in our folly than for authority figures to register disapproval and try to thwart us.

With all the problems facing this state, there was even an attempt in Tallahassee to legislate against saggy pants (which, of course, merited both this cartoon, and this one). It ultimately failed, I believe.

The overturning of this silly law on constitutional grounds is not only the right thing to do, but as I have intimated in the above drawing, it will probably help relegate this unfortunate fashion trend to the obscurity it deserves.