Should women be allowed to go topless?

[Fist and Faith]

Well, you certainly have a point. But it's possible that the difference in the way pot smokers go about smoking and the way we're discussing women going around topless would lead to a difference in the way the law would deal with the issues. Could the police possibly arrest thousands of topless women or pot smokers every day, if they were just walking around in public doing whichever crime?

[Plissken]

Sort of the "They can't get us all!" strategy?

[Fist and Faith]

No, more the "My god, we arrested 100,000 people nationwide for this today! Some of the smaller villages are keeping the criminals locked up in the squad cars because there's no other place to put them. Every single officer in NYC has been working the past two shifts, and they're not able to arrest anywhere near all of the people who are so blatantly breaking the law!" strategy.

[Kymbierlee]

Fisty- You'd make one Hell of an anarchist!

[Fist and Faith]

Aw, shucks.

[Avatar]

Aah, if only we could convince everybody to do it though.

Actually, I had exactly the same thought as Plissken did, but my rebuttal to myself was pretty much the same as Fist's, so I never posted it.

--A

[matrixman]

I have no problem with women going topless in public, but because I'm a guy saying that, I open myself to a lot of flak. Which is why I won't say it in public.

[Cagliostro]

Third world countries can do it, why can't we? I say this falls under the category of "victimless crime."

Honestly. Can you imagine going to jail for this?

"What are you in for?"
"Well, I murdered someone while I was robbing their house so that I could get my next fix. You?"
"Oh, I showed my boobies during one of the camera pans on the Today Show."
"GUARD!!!!! I NEED A NEW CELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

[duchess of malfi]

It's a rather common thing in first world countries as well. The kids on the school trip were amazed by all of the topless women on the beaches of France.

Civilization did not end.

I would hate to get a sunburn on my boobs, though. Talk about ouchies!!

[Cagliostro]

It's a rather common thing in first world countries as well.

Yeah. My girlfriend (kicks himself) fiance loves going to "clothing optional" hot springs.

To be honest, I like them too.

[Fist and Faith]

Who's the other guy whose wife loves going to these places? Do you guys meet these women at the clothing optional places?

[Avatar]

I rather doubt it, to your probable disappointment Fist. (But hey, I could be wrong.)

--A

[Fist and Faith]

Just trying to figure out how I can get me one of these kinds of wives.

[oconnellc]

Not going to say how I feel about the topless issue (more specifically, breastfeeding in public), but I have a problem with the 'it is natural' argument. So is urinating. So is picking my nose. Or worse, my dingleberries. Cleaning toe jam. Number 2. Sexual Intercourse. Eating ear wax. Etc. Etc.

"Natural" and "Good idea to do in public" are not the same thing. One need not be a prude or disturbed in any other way to not want to see other people do natural stuff.

[Avatar]

Welcome to the 'Tank Oconnelc, hope you join in on the other topics too.

Guess you did actually say how you felt about the "topless" issue, and breastfeeding in public too, which you're welcome to debate. (Does it fall under the reason mentioned in the rest of your post?)

Still, that said, I think you make an interesting point in drawing that distinction, and I'll agree that not wanting to see anybody doing that stuff in public is not an indication of being disturbed, and, I guess, not even of being a "prude".

Still, those "sensibilities" if you like, that make us feel that way, have nothing at all to do with anything but socialisation. Sure, socialisation that has lasted for centuries at least, but still socialisation.

Living in Africa, for example, it's not uncommon to see people urinating on the side of the road. Often pulling their car onto the shoulder of the highway to do so. It certainly doesn't offend me, you simply don't watch, nor pay it any mind.

And all that said, you still have an excellent point in terms of society not accepting things that are "natural". Whether it's a good thing or not, perhaps we could discuss as well.

--Avatar

[matrixman]

So I'm supposed to take seriously a post that equates going topless with urinating and nose picking?

[duchess of malfi]

The post was not clear to me if he was talking about bare breasts in public, or breastfeeding in public.

You know, when you have a baby, the doctors and hospital staff really encourage you to breastfeed your child, as it gives your baby the healthiest start in life. Your immunities are in your milk, and you pass those immunities on to the baby for a time. Breast milk is also much healthier for babies in its fat content, etc than many cows-milk based formulas. But breastfeeding is not easy. It hurts, it means you get very little sleep, and its a total commitment. You can't feed the baby now and then and keep a good milk supply. You have to feed the baby every time the baby is hungry. Its a sacrifice of convenience, time, and sleep. The only reason anyone would do it is because its an act of love for another human being.

I would find it very disturbing to hear it compared to pooping in public.

As for bare breasts -- i have yet to hear why female nipples so much more threatening than male nipples? Guys walk around with bare boobs all the time. No one has fainted or died from that yet.

[Avatar]

I don't think he was necessarily making that comparison for any reason except to make the point that "natural" is not always the same as "publicly acceptable."

I certainly agree with Duchess about the value of breast-feeding, and I for one see no reason why women shouldn't be allowed to do so in public.

It's not as though you can't look away if it does bother you.

Perhaps, Duchess, the threat lies in the way that men will react, becoming at least seriously distracted from whatever they're trying to do?

--A

[duchess of malfi]

Believe me, Av, been there done that -- there's nothing remotely sexy or sensually stimulating about breastfeeding.

If women are strong enough to deal with constant man-boob exposure, I'm sure guys can suck it up if they have to and deal with woman boob.

[Plissken]

It's not as though you can't look away if it does bother you.

Which pretty much covers my objections to all of the "Censorship for the Public Good" arguments I've ever heard.