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[at-l] Re: More on Nudity

I'm not much on nude hiking myself (I get enough scratches as it is), 
but I just wanted to respond to Nancy's recent post about public nudity 
and lawlessness.  It's too easy, I think, to blame the LA riots on 
"lawlessness."  There were several other dynamics at work, such as the 
long-standing, insidious racisim that pervades such places, the 
frustration of poverty that the government has only waved its hand to 
and, most notably, the slap of the denial of justice in the Rodney King 
case.  One person's lawlessness is sometimes another person's civil 
disobedience, and there's a case to be made that the only true change 
comes from daring to oppose society's unfair rules and disobey them.  
(E.g. Rosa Parks.)  Indeed, it was from such "lawlessness" that this 
nation was founded.

Also, the US Constitution makes no mention of God.  The Founding Fathers 
were very clear about their intention to keep such concepts rigorously 
separated from governance, as expressed in their very first Amendment.

With last year's murders, I suspect rangers and police might be less 
tolerant of public nudity on the Trail.

David



  bogey1@worldlynx.net (Robinson, Nancy)
Subject: [at-l] More on Nudity

On the Baltimore, MD news Channel 2,  Sunday May 4th, a man was arrested
for exposing himself in public to a few children.  He did nothing more 
than
to show himself.  Was this a problem the children had with nudity or 
just a
problem the police and parents have with nudity?  You are right that we 
are
all free to choose what we wish to do and where we want to do it but we
have to be prepared to accept the consequences of those choices.
       As far as judging,  this is a necessary part of learning and
growing.  How are we to govern ourselves if we have no standards by 
which
to judge right from wrong?  As a Christian,  I never judge the sinner 
and
if you thought that from my previous post, I'm sorry.  We judge our 
"acts"
to be be acceptable or unacceptable to God by His standards.
     When our forefathers set up this great nation under God it was 
never
intended as a "do whatever makes you feel good" society.  That is why 
they
wrote laws.  That is why we have a Judicial system built into the
constitution, to judge what is right and to uphold the laws of society.
     I work with youth and I listen to the wayward.  When asked why they
are rebelling and doing things that would hurt themselves or others
"always" the reply is, "I just want to do what "I" want to do." How many
kids have quit school, live on the streets, do drugs and get into 
trouble
with the law because of that attitude?  No, I say, civilized society is
governed by laws and does not work well without them as we see in many
countries involved in civil strife.  Look at the riots in LA, look at
Boznia, Ethopia, Russia.  Many people become lawless animals when there 
are
no laws.  In our exercise of freedom we must remember that we are all
governed by societal standards because left to our own devices many  
would
say anything goes.
Happy Hiking and God Bless,
Slim
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