There's sagging and then there's sagging:

Something will always look stupid for someone else somewhere in the world, but that doesnt make a random teen who sags his pants any less than a teen who doesn't. Why do some people pierce their tongues, or wear all black? Why do some people almost wear nothing at all? It doesn't make a bad person, just a different person who doesn't deserve to be judged.

Yes, they do deserve to be judged. This is not something like a lazy eye, or the color of their skin, or even glasses, none of which can be changed easily or cheaply. This is the way they choose to dress themselves. Specifically, because they think they look good like that, and think others will as well. You're correct that it does not make them bad people, but I'm allowed to decide that, instead of looking good, they look like morons. Also note, I never implied or said that tired, false argument that they cannot dress themselves, because clearly they can. It has to take a lot of work and practice walking to get your pants to hang at just the right height.

There is a line between the judging that you're doing and the judging you say is deserved.

As you said, people can dress themselves. They can do this as they please with scant or no regard for what others may think such is the society we live in.

In your profile picture you appear to be wearing a t-shirt and shorts in public. So you think sagging is stupid, I'm sure those of an older (undefined age ) generation think you look scruffy and under dressed for being out in public because you're not wearing a shirt, tie, smart shoes and smart trousers.

Victorian gentlemen wore a suit, top hat and all of the above when in public.

As for your assertion that allowing her children to dress as they choose is bad parenting and that obviously the cousin is craving affection because he dresses as he pleases.. Oh. My. God.. What an awful, bigoted, sanctimonious, holier-than-thou opinion to hold. Grow Up.

Perhaps slightly harsh, but I still feel that criticising parenting skills over such a trivial thing as the fashion and appearance of the kids is ridiculous.

Bad parenting? Okay, I can see where you got that impression, but that wasn't what I meant. So let me be clear. My cousin and her husband, for all that I can judge, did a great job raising her sons. They are well-mannered (rather better than you are), decently educated, well-rounded in their activities, and best of all see their dreams as ones that can be attained, rather than deferred then denied. They will face very few of the hurdles my cousin and I had to jump to get where we are today, let alone what our parent's had to go through. Not that they won't have their own challenges, but they will be as prepared as any of us can be for adulthood, and my impression is that they are grateful for that.

But as all parent's must, my cousin had to pick and choose which battles with her children were worth fighting, and which were just not important enough to bother with. Clearly, their pant's fell into the latter catagory, where in my own immediete family that would not have been the case. So it makes me wonder what was worth, for her, telling her sons, "no, I will not allow you to do that."

As for my clothing, if I'd had been dressed as you suggested, I'd have been dehydrated hours before that picture had been taken, and then where would we all be? Also, I'll thank you to remember this is my blog and my space. Telling me I am wrong, as Arpeggio and you did is one thing, insulting me and putting words into my mouth (where did I say my cousins, any of the three, crave or lack affection?) is quite another. Please do not do so again.

Sagging is a thing not many people get.

It was just starting to come be popular when I was in High school. They even changed the dress code so people could get in trouble with their pants sagging. We even had an administrator who was known as the Dress Code Nazi.

But the best reason I ever heard for how the fad started was on the Bonnie Hunt show the other day when she was talking to Dick Van Dyke. She asked him how he felt about starting a trend that took so many years to catch on?

I didn't say you were wrong, just disagreed. If you don't want comments that disagree with you in your space and blog, then just delete them or something. ._.

I'll rephrase, in my opinion I don't think it's very nice to judge someone because they dress a certain way. It doesn't make them a bad person.

It also made me wonder if we perhaps needed to have supported my cousin, their mother, a bit more during their teenage years if this is the kind of thing she's letting them get away with

This is the sentence I got all of the information from. I don't think I have put any words in your mouth, if you think I got a wrong impression you need to rephrase what you said. I can easily see how I pulled the idea I expressed directly from your text. Namely that you think the fashion choices of a person's children indicate their ability at parenting.

If you aren't prepared to tolerate people disagreeing with you, either don't post such rot or delete those responses which you disagree with as Arpeggio said.

My manners are fine, thank you. My response was fair and proportional to the ridiculous 'bad parenting' link you made..

I left the original phrasing intact, so that the full discussion, both my original statement, your response, and my response to that, could be read.

As I said, I do not mind other people disagreeing with me. I mind being insulted when they do so. Being called "awful, bigoted, sanctimonious, holier-than-thou," even if you think it is justified, is not acceptable to me here, in this place.

I also said exactly what words you put in my mouth, that my opinions about their dress is in anyway a reflection on affection they may lack or crave. I'll offer no opinions why you chose to ignore my statement to that effect.

Now, had you replied in your first post the same way you did on your third, I would not have said anything at all about manners or what I will and will not tolerate. Note, there is a distinct lack of insults in your third post, but plenty of disagreement. This is what I expect of comments/replies. If you cannot abide by this, please do not comment.

And yes, I can delete comments. Why should I have to?

To Arpeggio: fair enough, you did say you disagreed. And no, it probably isn't nice.

needed to have supported my cousin

Lack of support ie craving affection.

reflection on affection they may lack or crave. I'll offer no opinions why you chose to ignore my statement to that effect.

FYI, you will note that I called your opinion those things, not you. I did imply that you were childish for holding it because it is those things. Therefore, because it was your opinion I spoke about and not you personally, there were no 'insults', and that furthermore my supposed lack of manners is the only insult here.

Well this may be an old blog but I'll just chime in. I dislike the sagging trend. Everytime I see one I wish for someone to come around and just yank them down and teach them a lesson.

That happened at my middle school once, someone came by and just yanked this other guys pants down.

I prefer to dress in neat and fitted clothes, thats how I was raised and thats how I remain today. I think the sagging pants is gross and disrespectable. It's a trend I'll just have to tolerate until the day it dies.