Posted on 11/14/2008 11:31:46 AM PST by AngelesCrestHighway
SEATTLE - When it comes to public nudity, Seattle may be the most liberal city in the country, but a number of organized, naked bike rides prompted the parks department to reconsider nudity on beaches and city parks.
But Thursday night, the city's parks board refused to ban non-offensive public nudity despite some complaints from the public.
Nude events will therefore likely continue in the future, although perhaps under tighter scrutiny.
The parks board decided that to limit nudists would be to single them out. If nudists follow the rules, they can continue to use the parks.
Naked bike rides are a Seattle tradition. In Seattle it's illegal to flash someone, but perfectly legal to run around nude and police officers take action only if a nudist is lewd or obscene.
"The bare facts of the law are that if you knowingly show yourself naked with the intent to alarm and offend people that's illegal, said Sergeant Sean Whitcom, of the Seattle Police Department. "Just being nude is not against the law."
The city issues permits for a variety of naked events.
"We've issued permits for picnics, for indoor pool rentals and for bike rides," spokesperson Joelle Ligon said.
It's a touchy topic. The police chief even wrote a letter explaining to citizens that his officers can intervene only if a nudist engages in conduct that's likely to cause reasonable affront or alarm.
That line was apparently crossed in July when motorists got an eyeful of nude cyclists hanging out at Dexter and Mercer. And Seattle Center visitors saw others skinny dipping in the Seattle Center fountain.
I’m trying to get my beliefs straight, which is difficult with so much misinformation. If we want to take this country back we’re going to need solid reasoning. As for whether I belong here, I guess I’ll wait and see.
Not really the case in Europe, at least. My wife's family is Danish and we've spent some time on the beaches there. Worth a visit during the summer, let me tell you. Scandinavians don't have much of an issue with public nudity.
And let's not forget the beaches along the Med....
I’m sure if someone posted a thread, we could find out exactly which people, by name, could perpetrate “non-offensive public nudity.” And I’ll bet not a single one of those people would be found riding a bicycle naked in Seattle.
AMEN. I can think of a few bicyclists that would be nice to see running around in the buff but I am not sure I want to see all these earth-muffins perched on their bikes at a stop light in front of me. Most of them look like they’ve got Buckwheat in a headlock when they wear sleeveless shirts so I can’t imagine what the full nude picture would be.
Them most likely to do stuff nekkid are them least likely to look good doin’ it.
“If we want to take this country back we’re going to need solid reasoning.”
There are bigger issues to debate than something like this, which only exists in Seattle or San Francisco AFAIK.
We need to stay focused on the future of the country and the issues that are most important.
So does anybody else see how strange it is that the Seattle PD is engaging in “thought police”?
“...if you knowingly show yourself naked with the intent to alarm and offend people that’s illegal,”
Make sure you report anybody that has the “INTENT to alarm” you. If you are just alarmed by one’s behavior it is not enough in Seattle...
So, where will they draw the line in Seattle? Where will their rights end? If disrupting a child’s birthday party is not enough, how about in a first grade classroom? I suspect most people do not want to have to explain “adult” issues to their children. Some people may actually want to let their children play in parks in Seattle in the summer without complications. I presume playing in the park in the winter is safe. If not, maybe they can have the offenders hospitalized for being a danger to self. In any case, I would wonder about the real estate market when too many families have trouble just simply taking their children to the park.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.