Public Decency?

[SeaCat]

In your opinion what is this? Where do we draw the line and why? Who determines it?

Believe me when I say this is something that has been on my mind for a long time.

Please give me your ideas and discuss without flaming.

Cat

 

[fifty5]

In your opinion what is this? Where do we draw the line and why? Who determines it?

Believe me when I say this is something that has been on my mind for a long time.

Please give me your ideas and discuss without flaming.

Cat

I'm from the "make love, not war" generation, so my standards may not be contemporary, but as a bottom line, public breast feeding is fine!

 

[SlickTony]

It amuses me, as well as exasperates, when people in my country get their panties in a wad over public breastfeeding.

I once sat down and nursed my daughter at the foot of a staircase in Persepolis. Persepolis, mind you. In Iran, a bastion of modesty fanaticism. Nobody even blinked.

 

[WRJames]

Personally I like to be naked. I'd like to be able to swim naked, jog naked, canoe naked, etc. Actually, I do those things quite a bit as it is, but not so much "in public."

So I guess the question is -- how many people are going to be offended by that?

I think some of the European countries (Denmark in particular) have a very high tolerance for nudity. In Moslem countries it's totally taboo. In the US we have a mix of cultures, so it's hard to know how people are going to react.

 

[fifty5]

It amuses me, as well as exasperates, when people in my country get their panties in a wad over public breastfeeding.

I once sat down and nursed my daughter at the foot of a staircase in Persepolis. Persepolis, mind you. In Iran, a bastion of modesty fanaticism. Nobody even blinked.

Odd when you think about it - nursing mothers are sexy as can be! See my sig ("should that read suck") for one take on that!

 

[SweetPrettyAss]

Anybody who thinks it's indecent for a mother to nurse her baby is sick beyond belief.

 

[fifty5]

Anybody who thinks it's indecent for a mother to nurse her baby is sick beyond belief.

That depends on exactly what you mean by "indecent". I'm totally with you in general, but as I said before, I find nursing mothers very, very sexy - which is a synonym for "indecent" - it depends on your definition of "decency"...

 

[Roxanne Appleby]

The OP said nothing about breastfeeding; I generally agree with what others have said about that here. I can imagine the owner of a private establishment that's trying to establish an elegant ambience wanting to prohibit feeding in a way that seems "flaunting," and would not prohibit such a property owner from choosing to enforce regulations on his or her own property. But that's a pretty far-out scenario.

The standards for "public decency" are arbitrary, based on cultural preferences. I believe that a government which enforces a society's concensus about such standards in public places is not acting improperly, within reason. I think segregated "nude beaches" and the like are a good idea.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

Feeding babies is the primary "purpose" of breasts. Others are delightful but babies come first and anyone who doesn't understand that should probably never have any. Select against prudery.

 

[Guest]

I took this thread in a different vein, I must confess. I don't equate decency with nudity.

I thought it had more to do with the manner in which we treated others.

(Breastfeeding is natural and normal. Enough said.)

But at the last Litogether in Chicago, we were lucky to have several naturists, people completely comfortable in their nudity, as part of the attendees.

Was anyone offended by the fact a few people decided to be nekkid? Nope.

This was not an affront to decency. It just was.

 

[Boxlicker101]

Anybody who thinks it's indecent for a mother to nurse her baby is sick beyond belief.

I agree 100%, I think a nursing woman is one of the most pleasant things to see, and I don't mean because it is erotic. It isn't. When I see a woman nursing a baby, I think of the rightness of what they are doing. She is doing what she should be doing, and so is the baby, and that makes me feel good.

 

[WRJames]

The standards for "public decency" are arbitrary, based on cultural preferences. I believe that a government which enforces a society's concensus about such standards in public places is not acting improperly, within reason. I think segregated "nude beaches" and the like are a good idea.

There have been court decisions in favor of nudity -- at the federal level as a First Amendment issue, and in New York State (allowing topless for women) as an equality issue.

Like many decisions, such as the ones repealing sodomy laws, these go beyond "consensus". Of course, it is controversial when the legal system pushes beyond consensus -- just look at the continuing furor over Roe vs Wade -- or what is happening in California with the gay marriage decision.

When we try to enforce cultural preferences through laws, we are usually making a mistake.

 

[Boxlicker101]

There have been court decisions in favor of nudity -- at the federal level as a First Amendment issue, and in New York State (allowing topless for women) as an equality issue.

Like many decisions, such as the ones repealing sodomy laws, these go beyond "consensus". Of course, it is controversial when the legal system pushes beyond consensus -- just look at the continuing furor over Roe vs Wade -- or what is happening in California with the gay marriage decision.

When we try to enforce cultural preferences through laws, we are usually making a mistake.

This is true, but I believe the public consensus would not prohibit nursing in public. The majority might object to a person walking around naked, but they would not object to a woman nursing in public.

 

[WRJames]

This is true, but I believe the public consensus would not prohibit nursing in public. The majority might object to a person walking around naked, but they would not object to a woman nursing in public.

Oh -- of course not. This thread started out (I think) on the broad topic of public decency (or indecency) in general.

I'm not sure nudity is really that taboo. Haven't our celebrities been popularizing it? At least the no panties look? And who is going to object to that? Certainly not me.

 

[emap]

Nudity in public is something of a double standard though. I mean think about it this way, would you be offended by a 300 pound woman walking around nude, doing jumpjacks and the like?

What about if an 18 year old 108 pound woman was doing the same thing?

Turning it around, would you be offended by a 300 pound guy doing that?

What about a 180 pound muscular guy?

Personally I don't mind either, I'll look at the thinner ones longer, and either drool or be jealous, well both in her case.

Breast feeding in public, funny thing I remember when people would do that in a restaurant, or mall or whatever and nobody would bat an eye besides the teenage virgin boys who would smile and keep sneaking looks. So when that turned into an indecency is something I missed.

Now as for actual indecency, well I suppose that would kinda have to be sex. I'm not talking at the ballpark she pulls her panties aside, pulls up her skirt and sits on him then bounces a little. I'm talking full on porn style sex. Not that I don't want to do sex in public, I actually do, kinda. But sex in public is rather overstepping the bounds, it is illegal and rather shoving your own preferences onto everyone around.

Like say, standing on the street corner get horny and grab up their lover then go right into a bout of golden showers, whipping and clothespins before anal sex. Some people like that, I rather think most don't and subjecting them to it is indecent.

Course I probably should be locked away, I'm sure most of you have different views on that.

 

[keeblercrumb]

My mean-as-sin late mother in law who left us last year at age 92 had an expression which I loved if did not always subscribe to...

"Do anything you want as long as you don't do it in the street and scare the horses"



-KC

 

[CalibratedUnrat]

As a rule, anything you feel comfortable doing in front of your children... if you're a bad parent, don't leave your home because nobody likes to see your 7 year-old on a fucking leash.

 

[Liar]

Anybody who thinks it's indecent for a mother to nurse her baby is sick beyond belief.

I'd usually reserve "sick beyond belief" for child rapists, genocidal dictators and people who buy David Hasselhoff albums, but each to their own.

 

[THROBBS]

related:
A lesbian couple ("dating") and making out at a baseball game (Seattle Mariners).
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,363427,00.html
A recent "stink" about that.

For some it was a problem because they were two women.
I imagine if it was two men it would have been a problem for more.
I also imagine that if it was a man and woman that it would have been a problem for less.

I think the ball park has an announced policy (regardless of gender) prior to each game...? true?

 

[oggbashan]

I live 30 metres from a beach. Topless, bottomless, even when the exposed body is not aesthetic are normal sights. Completely naked bodies from toddlers to great-grandmothers/fathers are acceptable when the weather is suitable. Anything except full penetrative sex is allowed in daylight.

After dark? Anything goes.

Og

PS. Public breastfeeding hasn't been a problem anywhere in the UK we've been. My wife and daughter have breastfed whenever and wherever necessary. Unusual places have been in a Cathedral's coffee shop and in a small dinghy on the Norfolk Broads.

 

[THROBBS]

I know I wouldn't mind breast feeding..in public OR private. But I don't want to frighten the horses.

 

[oggbashan]

Addendum

The local Police are following up reports of dogging sites locally.

The sites seem designed to be in the most exposed place possible such as on a pedestrian bridge above a busy road.

The unofficial Police view is that they have more important issues to address...

Og

 

[SemiColon]

this is funny. I'm actually nursing as I read this. I've nursed everywhere on the assumption that people would rather see my breast than hear my baby cry. And while I don't mind exposing my breast, it's my stomach I try to cover.

when I lived in Key West there was lots of nudity, but it was only the old or fat ones that got arrested.

 

[WRJames]

Nudity in public is something of a double standard though. I mean think about it this way, would you be offended by a 300 pound woman walking around nude, doing jumpjacks and the like?

What about if an 18 year old 108 pound woman was doing the same thing?

Turning it around, would you be offended by a 300 pound guy doing that?

What about a 180 pound muscular guy?

Personally I don't mind either, I'll look at the thinner ones longer, and either drool or be jealous, well both in her case.

One time Al Roker (before he lost weight) made some comment about needing to file an environmental impact statement before he took off his shirt at the beach. That phrase has always stuck in my mind.

My experience with nude beaches is that young firm bodies, especially female ones, are the exception. But sometimes it just gets funny. We were on a cruise a couple of years ago, the next stop was St Martin's, and I had actually convinced my wife that we were going over to Orient Beach while we were there. But the day before we were out on a snorkeling expedition. Most of the folks, as you might expect, were fairly in shape, but there was one woman who was SO enormous. The bathrooms (the "heads") were down little stairways, and she was so fat that she filled the stairwell completely -- I was trying to imagine what gyrations she had to do once she got to the bottom, and it made me just a glad I was using the other bathroom. Anyway, she was starting to talk about how she was looking forward to going over to Orient Beach the next day, and I was thinking -- no! no!

Now as for actual indecency, well I suppose that would kinda have to be sex. I'm not talking at the ballpark she pulls her panties aside, pulls up her skirt and sits on him then bounces a little. I'm talking full on porn style sex. Not that I don't want to do sex in public, I actually do, kinda. But sex in public is rather overstepping the bounds, it is illegal and rather shoving your own preferences onto everyone around.

Well, there's this whole "nude but not lewd" thing that people use as a justification. There is something of a code of conduct -- no erections, no leering, no excessive physical contact. Of course, that's complete bullshit.

I used to travel to Austin a lot on business. There's a nude beach there (yes -- deep in the heart of Texas) with a "bad" reputation. I don't think I ever saw people peeing on each other (although some of them had a distressing habit of peeing into the lake), but other than that ...

There was one guy who was a wannabe porn star. He'd bring out his lady an they would put on shows, actually inviting people to sit around and watch.

I haven't been to Austin for quite a few years now, so I don't know if it has toned down or not.

 

[SemiColon]

I personally am not offended by public sex in adult venues. No children, no problem. If you don't like it, don't watch. And the same for all sorts of naked body types. If you have the courage good on you!