Re: Public Nudity - Our Community

[Daniel Kronemann <kron4155@uidaho.edu>]

There are a few things I would like to bring into the discuss, if only
just to state them and then we can either include it if people feel the
necessity or ignore them.

I think there are two issues here which the Public Nudity Ordinance has
brought to our discussions.  The first one is public nudity of course.
How much clothing should be required and how much of the human body in
public view is too much.  That one is simple enough.  The other issue that
I think is more hidden (although we have definately discussed it so its
not like its a deep secret) is the sexism issue.  I really don't think
anyone has a problem with requiring certain amounts of clothing before
presenting one's self in public.  What bothers a lot of people such as Dr.
Huskey, myself, Ms Opyr, and others is that this requirement of clothing
is targeted, as it reads in the ordinance, only at women.  If you are
going to have a law requiring clothes, have it, but you must apply it to
every citizen under the jurisdiction of that law equally.  Men should not
be allowed to go shirtless.  That is the problem.  Not requiring clothes
but that its directed only at one sex.  Its like segregation.

Another thing I'd like to say, actually ask, is about the wording.  I've
read some people's rendition of the new law and they use the word "anus."
Just from my perspective as a biology student, anus is the term used for
the orafice through which excrement is purged from the body.  Even if you
were totally nude (northern, southern, western, and eastern hemispheres)
you would not be able to see the anus without very strategic and
non-routine movements.   I say this because I remember something about the
"cleft of the anus" and would just like to point out that buttocks should
be used.  But I've since deleted the email I saw that in and thus can't
refer to it.

Another issue that I'd like to bring up is the lobbying of some people to
re-establish an environment of apathy.  To just let these things slide
into silence and to ignore them.  As I have stated above, there are more
issues at stake here and ignoring something never made it go away.
Ignoring something never helps the victim but the aggressors.  I'm
saddened to see that feminist issues are "a silly debate" and not
important.

Daniel