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DEF is a non-partisan, independent political blog based in the
City of St. Louis, Missouri. Our goal is to cast a critical eye
on lawmakers, their policies, and those that have influence upon
them, and to educate our readers about legislation and the political
processes that affect our daily lives.
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I'm hoping it was overlooked because of the busy news week and not because you people only like controversy, but the least-watched video this week was Gabe's great piece on a group of local kids that spent their Saturday morning learning about hip-hop journalism.
Young Jacqueline Mack dreams of starting her own magazine (Good luck, sister. It's a tough racket.). M.K. Stallings is a young man who volunteers his time to teach young(er) people the beauty and power of words.
This is a story about young people doing good. So watch it, you cynical bastards!
About a dozen teenagers attended a free hip-hop journalism seminar today at the University of Missouri in St. Louis. Instructor MK Stallings taught the students composition, reporting and interviewing techniques. The seminar was sponsored by the Urban Artist Alliance for Child Development.
On Monday, Pine Lawn became the first town in Missouri to ban sagging pants.
According to the ordinance, pants are illegally sagging if they show underwear or skin below the waist. This law applies to males and females.
Those who violate the law face a $100 fine and the parents of violating minors can be charged $500 or sentenced to 90 days in jail.
Mayor Sylvester Caldwell says he received complaints about the fashion from elderly members of the community. Also, he thinks the law will make Pine Lawn more appealing to developers, although no developers specifically said they had a problem with excessively loose pants.
The law has come under fire as a way for police to target young people. Pine Lawn Police Chief Rickey Collins says this is not the case. He points to specific language in the ordinance that says sagging pants are not grounds for search and arrest, and he said he will only issue fines to people who repeatedly sag their pants in public.
Despite criticism, Caldwell believes he has made the right decision by sponsoring the law. He also said other municipalities are interested in similar bans.
Coming Soon: New Gang Documentary features Local Pols, Young People
By Antonio D. French
Filed
Monday, November 05, 2007 at 8:37 AM
The final touches are being put on a new documentary, co-produced by local filmmaker Larry Bastain (brother of State Rep. Talibdin El-Amin), which takes a closer look at the often violent lives of many of our city's young men and boys.
"Off the Record" features interviews with gang members, local community leaders, and elected officials, including El-Amin, State Rep. Rodney Hubbard and State Senator Jeff Smith.
