Brattleboro unveils its proposed nudity emergency ordinance

[simonsebs]

Brattleboro unveils its proposed nudity emergency ordinance

I hope this doesn't pass, but if it does it was nice while it lasted. Hopeful one day we can all learn to live together peacefully. Some without clothes, others with them.

[Bobx23456]

Originally posted by simonsebs:
Brattleboro unveils its proposed nudity emergency ordinance

I hope this doesn't pass, but if it does it was nice while it lasted. Hopeful one day we can all learn to live together peacefully. Some without clothes, others with them.

So many uptight people are terrified of the notion that somebody, somewhere, might actually be enjoying their life.

Many small towns spend a lot of promotion money trying to find a niche to promote something unique about their otherwise unknown town. Batterborough has people coming all the way from Arizona to visit and shop. Given half a brain they could double or tripple sales and sales tax collections while greatly increasing the income of local merchants. Its the goose laying golden eggs, but like the usual nominds, they are rushing headlong to get the hatchet.

The only explanation is to remember that half of all people are either totally stupid or of below average intelligence.

Blessings

Bob

[james m]

I to hope it does not pass. It is ashame that a few "uptight" people can destroy ones freedom.

[MJ_KC]

Why is that the most prudish of people gets to determine what should be acceptable for everyone else?

Why can't they learn to just look the other way and mind their own business instead of trying to force their narrow minded views on everyone else?

[Bobx23456]

Originally posted by MJ_KC:
Why is that the most prudish of people gets to determine what should be acceptable for everyone else?

Why can't they learn to just look the other way and mind their own business instead of trying to force their narrow minded views on everyone else?

They probably have people like Stu. He believes that he has a "right" never to see a human body, no matter who else he has to force to conform.

Blessings

Bob

[Evernude]

"The proposed ordinance wouldn't ban public nudity completely from Brattleboro, only along the Route 5 and Route 9 corridors. Outside of the boundaries defined in the ordinance, walking on a public street naked would still be legal as long as it's not within 250 feet of any school, church or place of worship. Living Memorial Park and the village of West Brattleboro were also mentioned as no-nudity zones."

It actually sounds rather reasonable to me. Like everything else, nudity does have it's place. We can't seek to offend people. At least they're not attempting a ban on all nudity everywhere, like most places have done.

[Arnabas]

My first reaction was "Boo!"

But as I read the article and say that they were only naming certain areas as non-nude zones, I started to think it was not too bad. They specifically mention other areas where walking down the street is perfectly acceptable. Can't do that anywhere where I live. They also say being naked in your own yard is no problem. Again, not where I live.

While I think it is unfortunate that they feel the need to put any restrictions on nudity, I accept that we live in a world where compromise is necessary and think that this is actually quite reasonable. I'd LOVE to be able to be (legally) nude in my yard or on my balcony.

[Stu2630]

The article says:

Sondag said Friday she has received an overwhelming number of phone calls complaining about nudity in Brattleboro since a 68-year-old Arizona man wearing only a fanny pack and sandals took a stroll around town during the monthly Gallery Walk July 6. Most of those who have contacted her office, she said, have indicated they would like to see the Selectboard pass a local ordinance banning nudity in town.

This is democracy in action, surely. It's the people's representatives listening to, and acting upon, the will of the people who live in this town.

And they have even compromised:

..but an allowance has been made for homeowners who want to get naked in the privacy of their own backyards, said DeGray

Stu

[tinner666]

When places are defined for or against certain activities, there is less likelyhood of someone being offended. Unless they wander into an area they didn't mean to go to.
On the face of it, it doesn't seem too unreasonable.
Of course, that is how the anti-gunners, as they like to be known, also work. A step at a time until all nudity, or guns are banned.

[WNYjoe17]

It does sound like they are actually taking a reasonable attempt at satisfying both sides, and NOT outlawing all nudity.
One thing we will never know, though is "the town has received numerous complaints." How many is "numerous" 2? 5? 50? 500? What about the fact that those who don't care won't complain? There does come a time when we need to decide if we are "protecting us from ourselves" because of the complaints of a few.
SO, I guess the final part of making it "Democracy in Action" (to quote Stu) is to have meetings, etc and let the town's residents make the final vote.

It is an intersting change from the state of Michigan. Their penalty for simple nudity is quite different.

http://www.wlns.com/Global/story.asp?S=6787824&nav=0RbQ


http://www.nac.oshkosh.net/StatesFrames/State_Laws_Fram...y_michigan_laws.html


I also just spotted this in a link from the e-mail about the newest Nudes in the News:

http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister...le_1763606.php

...She said he seemed friendly but was bothered by his nudity. She was so disturbed by the man the neighborhoods had labeled as "Naked Man," she was embarrassed to have visitors over for dinner.

"You don't want to be spending a couple million on your house and find you have a neighbor that's naked," she said.

Interesting quote from another town. But that town's reply: "Generally speaking, we don't want to create an ordinance for one individual," said Councilman Keith Bohr. "That's not something we do if we can help it."
However, if you read the full article, this town is still considering a ban on nudidy.

(sigh)

Joe

[Mosquito_Bait]

As I read this, I am about to go outside to mow my lawn. If my town had a law similar to that proposed for Brattleboro, I would be allowed to mow my lawn nude. I would also be allowed to go on an evening jog nude as long as I stayed off certain streets. After my jog, I would only need to pause long enough to kick off my shoes before jumping into my backyard swimming pool. The elimination of the struggle out of clothes saturated with sweat would be a major improvement. I would also be allowed to ride the local mountain bike trails nude. It sounds pretty good to me! The only other things that I might want are a designated nude section at a local beach and nude swim times at the community pool. Not being allowed to walk through the main business district nude seems like a small loss in comparison to the freedoms that are being preserved.

[MJ_KC]

Originally posted by tinner666:
When places are defined for or against certain activities, there is less likelyhood of someone being offended. Unless they wander into an area they didn't mean to go to.
On the face of it, it doesn't seem too unreasonable.
Of course, that is how the anti-gunners, as they like to be known, also work. A step at a time until all nudity, or guns are banned.

That is my take on it as well. You get the first law on the books that doesn't have a lot of resistance and you let people get used to it. Then you start the small incremental extensions that barely get noticed as well. After awhile, the law becomes a serious restriction.

[Caipora]

"You don't want to be spending a couple million on your house and find you have a neighbor that's naked," she said.

So many people seem to allow their "property values" to overwhelm all their other values. Such as tolerance and compassion, as can best be seen when an issue like a halfway house comes up.

There's a saying in this part of the world that morality is like a rope strung at chest height - the rich go over it, the poor go under it, and the middle class strike it and bounce back.

The Victorian model was "Mrs. Grundy", an embodiment of narrow minded "values". One need merely look at the restrictions of any closed condominium - the horror of bright colors, of clotheslines, of vehicles that suggest a resident performs useful labor for a living instead of shuffling paper - to see how people will willingly stifle their freedom in an attempt to pretend to be something they are not.

That people will tie themselves up is merely sad, while the attempt to stifle the freedom of others, especially those less well off, or less bound by convention, goes beyond sad to tragic.

A few weeks back I took advantage of some historic newspaper archives newly being online to look at the history of some of this. Around the turn of the last century, a bit before, a bit after, I ran across a whole slew of articles objecting to men and boys swimming nude in rivers and other open water. The basis of the objection was always that the sight was an offense to the viewer - and it always seemed that the viewer was someone who could afford indoor plumbing and bathing costumes, while those bathing in the open could not. It was no so much the sight of flesh as the sight of poverty that seemed to be the problem.

- Caipora

[Nude in the North]

The Seat Belt laws are a good example of how that works.

First it's just a warning as long as you are stopped for another violation.
Then it's a small fine, gradually increasing with every session of the legislature.

Now police can pull you over if they notice your not wearing your shoulder strap, and write you a $100 + ticket.

We had a news story about a cow (steer actually) that mooed too much. The Sherrif recieved 21 complaints and finally wrote the owner a summons and charged her with a crime that held a $1000 fine and jail time.

All 21 complaints came from the same disgruntled neighbor. News crews and deputies reported that after hours of observation , the steer rarely mooed at all.

Charges were dropped.

Now exactly how many people complained about the nude man??? 1 person 500 times?

Why can't nudists write and call to complain that they can't be nude when they want to be. Why can't nudists get city counsels motivated to pass laws allowing nudity and banning Prudity.

Vent over

[Stu2630]

banning Prudity

How can you ban "prudity"?



Stu