Residents of Oklahoma have expressed concern over a proposed law that would make them unable to publicly wear a hooded sweatshirt. The bill charges a $500 fine for wearing the particular style of clothing wherein an individual would seem like he is concealing his identity in a public place.
Hoodies or any piece of clothing that covers the head during the commission of a crime has been banned in some places since the 1920s. Originally, the law's intention is to curb violence and has credited the Ku Klux Klan as the perpetrators. However, the new bill would mean that, even when there's no criminal act being done, simply wearing the hoodie in public would also be considered unlawful and therefore would have to be fined.
Oklamoha City attorney James Siderias believes that the new bill is a violation of the right of an individual to choose any piece of clothing that he wants to wear as long as he doesn't violate the rules on public decency and that he doesn't t break society's moral values.
"I think this could be very problematic," Siderias said. "I think the legislature is just trying to make Oklahoma a little bit safer, and in doing so, I think they just over-reached a little bit."
Similar laws have been observed in other areas across the nation. These include New York, Washington D.C., Florida and California. High schools and a number of banks, such as Provident and PNC, have also banned the wearing of hoodies. In the meantime, Cross Country Federal Savings Bank bans both the wearing of hoodies and sunglasses.
Proponents of the bill say that banning hoodies would help deter crime since it would prevent people from keeping themselves disguised as they enter a store or any public place.
However, critics view it as a restriction of one's freedom of expression. Moreover, it could create more problems when it comes to racial profiling among communities that have issues with color.
"The intent of Senate Bill 13 is to make businesses and public places safer by ensuring that people cannot conceal their identities for the purpose of crime or harassment," said Sen. Don Barrington of Lawton, the bill's author. "Oklahoma businesses want state leaders to be responsive to their safety concerns, and this is one way we can provide protection."
