The Griffon News

By Brennan David

BATON ROUGE, La. - Tensions were high as afternoon turned to dusk, and residents of Brazoria, Texas, wanted the conflict resolved. Young and old, white and black, all wanted their chance at the microphone to voice their concerns to the mayor and city council.

Everyone had a different reason for not wanting a city ordinance banning the use of a certain racial slur. Not only because of the $500 fine, but because not everyone has the same standards of morality.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson called for a ban of the word by entertainers in late November, just one day after comedian Michael Richards appeared on Jackson’s radio show to apologize for his racist rant the week before.

Jackson’s call for a ban wasn’t accepted well by some entertainers, and it is one of many efforts some perceive as trying to impose morality upon the masses.

Some legislators, including Louisiana state Rep. William Daniel of Baton Rouge, think morality issues will be more frequently discussed and voted on in the future.

“I think it is growing,” Daniel said. “I think religious issues are best left to religious places. It becomes very difficult to separate what is a religious issue from a legal issue.”

Daniel said morality issues are the hardest to debate because there is no right and no wrong. Stem cell research has been debated on the floor of the Louisiana House of  Representatives in past years, and Daniel said lawmakers will raise the issue again in future legislative sessions. He said he thinks stem cell research is an issue of science rather than morals.

Across the South in Plains, Ga., some residents in the hometown of former President Jimmy Carter are calling for a crackdown on low-waisted pants.

Members of the Plains City Council said they plan to ask the town’s attorney to determine if they have the authority to regulate the fad known as “sagging.” They said it offends some of the town’s 600 residents and could defer some of the 68,000 tourists.

“It’s gotten to the place where it borders on indecent exposure,” said Councilman Eugene Edge to the Associated Press. “We have a lot of tourists coming here. To have a lot of young men walking around like that, it creates a bad image of the place.”

In 2004, Louisiana lawmakers rejected a similar proposal. The bill would have made it a crime to wear clothing in public that “intentionally exposes” undergarments or certain body parts.

In South Dakota, legislators introduced anti-abortion bill Wednesday that supporters think will lead to a legal challenge of Roe v. Wade. The issue was decided by constituents in a November election, where it failed 56 percent to 44 percent but has since resurfaced.

In Utah a state House committee voted Tuesday six to two to ban abortion, setting the stage for a legal battle if the bill is signed into law. The committee sent the measure to the full House.

As moral legislation continues to draw media attention, University political science professor Jas Sullivan, who specializes in racial and ethnic politics, said morality could become a centerpiece of political platforms for candidates seeking office.

U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., defeated Republican incumbent Sen. Jim Talent during this year’s midterm elections and did so with the help of actor Michael J. Fox.

The former actor, who battles Parkinson’s Disease, appeared in television commercials that endorsed McCaskill and her backing of stem cell research. The advertisement influenced national attention to the issue and proved moral issues can define a political campaign.

“People are raised to have certain and different types of values,” Sullivan said. “Abortion is a classic example. It’s a values issue. People have their opinions. You usually can’t change people’s mind. You usually can’t convince people because these are deeply rooted values. You can pass all the legislation you want, but people will make a decision.”