It's been a very wet Labor Day weekend here and you would think I would have gotten a lot accomplished being pretty much holed up inside. Wrong. I've been quite lazy throughout it all and I've just decided I am not going to feel guilty about it. It's a long wait until the next holiday, which is Thanksgiving. I know that those of you who are not in the education field are used to going long stretches without a holiday, but I'll be the first to admit that I'm spoiled and I look forward to each and every one. I have to comment on something I read a few days back as it spurred quite a lively discussion between myself and a few other friends. It concerned the dress style of some of our youth, particularly the boys and, specifically the "baggy, underwear-bearing, crotch-hugging pants" so popular with some of them. I have always considered myself pretty much a "live and let live" sort of person and remember that in my younger days my parents occasionally raised an eyebrow at what I was wearing. I agree that each generation has adopted its own dress style usually in an attempt to declare their independence from their parents' generation. That's fine. Nothing wrong with that. However, this fashion of wearing the baggy pants, such as I mentioned above, goes further than just rebelling against the "establishment", here where I am anyway. Most of the boys (maybe not all, but most) sporting this trend are associated in one way or another with gang activity and have absolutely no work ethics whether it be in school or outside. Visit a middle or high school some day and you'll see that these people are disruptive, disrespectful, and arrogant, and the majority of them will end up living off the government if they are not in prison for assault, murder, theft, or selling drugs. I'm sorry, but as a working, middle-class citizen trying to make ends meet all on my own, I resent any of my money going to support these worthless people in any manner. I don't begrudge people who truly need help and I regularly contribute to a couple of local agencies, including the food and clothing banks. Given half a chance there are many people who, down on their luck now, will take the help offered and work hard toward turning their lives around. I think that's great and I think it's a good thing to help them all we can. But, most of the time, you won't find these people sauntering up and down the streets with their pants practically down around their ankles. And, by the way, that underwear they are so proud of can also be a symbol of their gang association. I intend no disrespect to the author of that piece. I consider her a good friend. But I think she's way off base here. If it were just a case of youthful rebellion, that would be one thing. But where I come from, it's much, much more than that. She mentions also the mode of dress for a lot of young women today. I totally and without hesitation agree with her on every point. The saying is, "you can't judge a book by its cover." Unfortunately, in many of these cases, you can. Bueno bye.

Next time, feel free to use my name when you comment on something I write, Debb. I have no problem with that and continue to stand behind what I wrote. But that's what's great about this country: we can all have our opinions and still remain friends. If everyone thought exactly the same way, what a boring world we'd have.