Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Public Nudity Becoming More Accepted?

Interesting article today about public nudity in Boulder Colorado, where on the surface there seems to be a double standard when it comes to arresting people for public nudity.

Organized events such as The World Naked Bike Ride and the annual Pumpkin Run are tolerated by the law, while a single man jogging naked down a city street is arrested and faces being listed as a sex offender.

It's good news that the police understand the difference between civil disobedience and indecent exposure, but Boulder police Chief Mark Beckner says that if enough people became outraged at all displays of public nudity, he would crack down.

Law enforcement seems to be saying that nudity which is organized and accepted by the public at large is acceptable. It's similar to a Spencer Tunick event, where sometimes thousands of people technically violate anti-nudity laws, but it becomes impractical and against the greater public interest to begin mass arrests.

Safety in numbers.

The reason that jurisdictions pass anti-nudity laws, take away nude beaches, and arrest topfree women is because the number of people voicing their offense is greater than that of the proponents. Politicians will generally always take the side which promises the most votes at election time. It has very little to do with civil rights, human rights, equal rights, or the rights to liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

In the 1960s, people drove without seat belts, smoked in restaurants, dogs and cats ran free, kids skinny-dipped in ponds, homeowners burned their leaves at the curb. Between then and now the Constitution of the United States did not change, so why were these apparent freedoms lost? Because people organized, made noise, and forced lawmakers to bend to their wills.

So it's good news that some public nudity is beginning to become accepted. Simple progress can be made in this climate of change we seem to be going through at the moment. It is not the politicians who are changing, it's the people, who are demanding more responsibility from the government when it comes to the environment and human issues. At the same time we are demanding alternative energy sources, we ought to be demanding more topfree and nude beaches. At the same time we are demanding a reworking of our health care system, we should be demanding a de-criminalization of the human body.

If we are indeed entering a new progressive era, then all progressive ideas have a chance to flourish. It's all about organization.

So, I'll state it once more, join The Naturist Society, or AANR, join and support your local naturist groups, both landed and non-landed, and get involved. We can't change society with mere words, we also need action.

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