City Council Update?

["Saundra Lund" <sslund@moscow.com>]

Due to such notice, I was unable to attend the meeting tonight & have
been anxiously watching for any news of tonight's meeting and the
"indecent" breast proposal.  Can anyone share with me what happened
tonight?

In response to Mike Thompson's recent requests, I envision a Moscow
where genders are treated equally.  With respect to the "indecency"
proposal, I want to see equal protection and liberties among the sexes:
either both genders are free to go topless (assuming no lewd behavior)
or both genders are required to wear shirts in public.

Lest any of my neighbors be wondering, I won't be taking my top off when
watering the garden or hanging out laundry :-), but I COMPLETELY and
TOTALLY support the entitlement of other women to do so as long as adult
males are entitled to do the same.

If we're going to talk about indecency, I'm sorry there was no
discussion of all those males who think it's "cool", or are perhaps
oblivious, to the fact that the upper portion of the buttocks that shows
when they bend over might be considered offensive to many of us.  I
*really* hate that!

As a woman . . . and as a mother . . . what I find offensive is using
the word 'breast' and 'indecent' in the same sentence or breath.
Contrary to the apparent opinion of all too many males (and perhaps all
to many females), the *primary* purpose of breasts is to be prepared to
provide nourishment to our young.  The fact that this *primary* purpose
has been perverted by some in this country through time is NOT my fault,
and I genuinely resent being penalized by the thoughts of those who have
bought into this perversion.

My daughter is now twelve years old, which means I was nursing . . . in
Moscow . . . in 1990.  I am a *very* modest person, but, let me tell
you, trying to nurse, as modest as I was (believe me, no one *ever* saw
a hint of my breast . . . other than maybe a nursing pad fall out), in
Moscow in 1990 was *not* a pleasant experience.  I was subject to no end
of derogatory sexually-oriented comments . . . by males and females
alike.  And, being a modest person, these comments made me feel very
badly.

I envision a Moscow where *my* daughter will be free to comfortable meet
the nutritional needs of her future children, my future grandchildren,
in public or in private.

While you won't find me topless around town (or even in my own home . .
. too often, anyway), I was *so PROUD* of our previous city council for
making progress!  How on earth can anyone consider a part of the body
designed to nurture our children "indecent"?!?!  Regardless of what some
believe, I do not think that as long as we link 'breast' and 'indecent'
and continue to stigmatize that part of a woman's anatomy that we are
making progress.

I'm deeply saddened by the apparent current climate of some City Council
members to move backward . . . to regress . . . rather than to promote
progress.

And, I think it stinks that this discussion was pushed forward so
rapidly, particularly with Peg Hamlett, who was around for the previous
discussions, on a scheduled vacation, and with our mayor and city
supervisor conveniently "unavailable" to the citizens of Moscow.

Guess it was just politics when City Supervisor Gary Riedner said, "We
don't want to have a knee-jerk reaction," just last Tuesday.  I guess
some consider a week sufficient time to avoid the appearance of a
knee-jerk reaction, but I certainly don't.

And, I guess we know where City Attorney Randy Fife stands on the issue.
How else would the City Council have come up with one of the most
restrictive proposals in the state so quickly without assistance from
the City Attorney's office?  (I could be wrong on this part, so please
feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.)

FWIW . . . and lacking sufficient time, due to the knee-jerk reaction of
those In Power, to provide previous comment


Saundra Lund
Moscow, Idaho

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to
do nothing.
Edmund Burke