Re: Public Nudity - Our Community

[Mitch Parks <mitch@mochaoflove.org>]

On Thu, 18 Jul 2002, John Guyer wrote:

[snip]
> I would like to use this opportunity to draw your attention to that fact
> that we have NOT had local nor state police rounding up parents changing
> diapers, nor our young when they "violate" the ordinance or statute in
> this regard.  I, for one, do not expect that to change.  We do have
> common sense peace officers.

Just because our peace officers have more common sense than our city
council doesn't mean the public has to allow this kind of chicanery to
continue. 

The practice of selective enforcement only serves to benefit those making
the selection, and those who can influence the selectors. I find this kind
of lawmaking even more appalling than the amount of time the council has
spent on this issue.

> also recognize that we have an obligation to spend the time to handle
> the issues that divide the community.  This one is dividing us.   
> 
> Putting the community through the referendum process is not going to
> bring us together.  Rehashing this will continue to divide us.  

I agree that rehashing this may divide us, but if we were to forget about
it, it should have been after the first article in the paper (or maybe
even before). Now that the City Council has chosen to blemish on an
international scale what many of us believed to be an "open and
welcoming" community spirit, how can we in good conscience sit idly by?
 
> In summary, I would ask you to please consider a helpful phrase that I
> use regularly in my own life:  Just because you can, doesn't mean you
> should.

I wish the city council would have given serious consideration to your
helpful phrase before it acted.


Mitch Parks
Moscow, ID