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gofree

Founder of clothesFREE

From: Hong Kong

Registered: 2006-07-18

Posts: 1,179

Nudity isn't evil but your view on it might be

It's not going to breed a society of deviants, devoid of morality who publicly procreate because it seems normal. It's just nudity. I guess I'm just fed up with the constant argument against nudity where they complain 'The children! What about the children? I don't want my three year old seeing naked people's.. Bits!' And they say 'bits' because they are afraid of the real words. These people aren't afraid for their children, they're afraid for themselves.

Nudity isn't inherently sexual. It is only that way when you make so by sexualizing it yourself. If you're walking down the street with your six year old and along comes a nude old lady, hop-skip-jumping for joy, her bosom dangling in the freedom of the cool breeze and a heart warming smile on her face, I don't think your child is suddenly going to think 'Oh boy, that gave me an erection. How shall I celebrate my newfound rigidity? I guess I have no choice but to run that woman down and have my way with her. After that I'll go home, start cussing and stealing and, heck, I may just have my way with the family dog, too!' In fact, I'd wager, he'll simply laugh at the jiggling the way we all would.

If, however, upon seeing this woman, your reaction is to hold your hands over your child's eyes and whisper that he was not to see it, that it's wrong and he isn't ready for it, then it is you who has done the real damage. You've now taught this child that nudity is a dark and dangerous thing. You've prematurely opened his or her eyes to the unnatural idea that sex and nudity are intertwined. What's more is, with the nature of children being one of curiosity and boundary pushing, you've made it taboo, encouraging them to seek it out in secret.

I should mention here that if nudity was suddenly rendered completely acceptable in public that I would by no means be the first to strip down and dangle my dong for the crowds. No sir, not for me. That may make me sound like a hypocrite, but my intentions are altruistic. I'll admit it: I am somewhat ashamed of my body, not in an 'Oh Jesus, I'm HIDEOUS' way, just more that I'd prefer it only to be seen by those I trust. Or those I'm horrendously drunk around. I also like clothing, it keeps me warm and it looks good. I am, however, completely okay with the idea of anyone else wanting freedom from the shackles of cotton, silk and archaic ideals of innocence.

I'm also not saying this because I, as most boys do, spent an embarrassingly large percent of my teen years wishing lustfully to see a girl, as natural and naked as possible, just wandering around in public. Because, really, if nudity wasn't such a big issue for people, I would never have found that idea so exciting in the first place. I do find the naked form attractive, I do look upon some people in the flesh and think thoughts not entirely pure, but only in the right context.

You see, if that old woman turned to the six year old and thought to have her way with him, that would be an exposure and a loss of innocence the likes of which any parent has a right to protect their kid from. Truthfully, though, if that woman were indecently inclined that way she would have those thoughts anyway, her lack of clothing wouldn't be a part of the problem.

I will say that as a child I saw my fair share of skin, especially on television – I was the night owl and had no curfew and found the TV stations rather generous after dark – and the only negative aspect I remember was wondering if I was adequately hiding my shame (a word I was taught to use to describe an erection by my parents and other's negative view of nudity.) Those times were sexualized by their context, for sure, but even so they did not expose me to an adult side of nudity before I was ready, they did not cause me to become a rampaging beast of sexual deviancy. Public nudity doesn't even come close to that sort of atmosphere, it doesn't have that intention and we need to have faith that the average person, young or old, will understand that. We can all but guarantee they will know that, provided they are taught and shown from the start that nudity in itself if harmless.

The last thing I should mention, and this is most important, is that if you've ever been to a nude resort (or read about them, or seen them on TV etc.) you would know that not only is it entirely about freedom and feeling natural, it is also mostly devoid of sexuality because of the people themselves. They aren't horny twenty year olds with bodies to die for. They are old, they are saggy, they are wrinkled and they are, in their own way, beautiful people who generally mean no harm. Let them be, and let them go where they want. They are celebrating themselves and their bodies in a chaste way because that is what makes them comfortable. Teach your children about strangers who carry knives, who hand out laced candy and who hide away in vans with tinted windows. They are dangerous, and I assure you, they are almost always fully clothed.

2013.04.26 Filterness