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Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!polaris!charliep
From: charliep@polaris.UUCP (Charlie Perkins)
Newsgroups: net.rec.nude,net.misc
Subject: Re: Sunbather is Cleared in Public Nudity Case
Message-ID: <239@polaris.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 1-Nov-85 01:14:12 EST
Article-I.D.: polaris.239
Posted: Fri Nov  1 01:14:12 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 3-Nov-85 14:20:06 EST
References: <508@rdin.UUCP>
Reply-To: charliep@polaris.UUCP (Charlie Perkins)
Organization: IBM Research, Yorktown Heights, N.Y.
Lines: 41
Xref: linus net.rec.nude:1279 net.misc:7454

=============
Thanks, Robert, for this encouraging news.  According to
what I read in "Clothed with the Sun", Floridian nudists have
recently been subjected to many unpleasant experiences at
the hands of the state law enforcement agencies there.

What constantly dismays me is the attitude that, because
some (apparently a vocal minority) find public nudity
"outrageous", "distasteful", or "offensive", we must all
endure laws which I consider to be unconstitutional.
I long for the day when arriving at work in the nude
would be acceptable -- when going to movies or museums
or sailing or dining in the nude (weather permitting!)
is tolerated.  I wouldn't even mind a few disdainful
stares!  But I feel certain that I'd be locked up or
fired or beat up or generally treated inhumanely if I
ever did try to do those things.  And to think that these
actions are, at their very heart, an affirmation that we
as humans are good and worthy of respect just as we
REALLY ARE!

I find myself drawn to works of art that display the beauty
of the human body.  Surely there is nothing "intrinsically
evil" about the sight of it.  I suppose that the immediacy
of real nude human bodies creates the apprehension, in many
people, that illicit sexual energy is crowding their personal
lives and that such energies must never find public expression.
Certainly there is a sensual wonderfulness about nudity that
mingles easily with our sexuality.  But I have always found
that the sensuality is very very nice in and of itself.
Therefore I feel frustrated and dismayed that this wonderful
part of existence is practically never available to me.
It is worse than if I were suddenly required to "practically
never" drink wine or eat fresh spinach salad.

I'm afraid I'll die before these thoughts about nudity
become common sense.
-- 

Charlie Perkins, IBM T.J. Watson Research	philabs!polaris!charliep,
		perk%YKTVMX.BITNET@berkeley,  perk.yktvmx.ibm@csnet-relay