When Common Sense Fails, Bad Laws Follow
Here’s a quick civics lesson. For a bill to become law, it must be proposed in the legislature, argued, amended, and voted on by the house or houses and sent to the executive for their signature or veto. There are also referendums and other chances for the public to propose and present laws for direct voting by the people, but the usual process is a bill sponsored, argued, and moved either up or down for action.
These bills originate from a multitude of sources. Actions people find shocking or appalling lead to someone saying, “There ought to be a law!” or a group or individual with a particular cause decides to propose a law to correct an inequity they see in society or a situation they see as so heinous it needs to be outlawed.
Simple nudity seems to be one of those things that rises to the level of needing action every year. Sometimes it’s the neighbor who suns themselves in their front yard, or decides their lawn mowing doesn’t require special clothing, or any for that matter. Or it can be actions while nude that rise to needing that law. Some of these laws are honestly designed to protect the public from outrageous behavior, but too many we are seeing are just plain bad law.
Society doesn’t need to be protected by laws when common sense will dictate what is needed. I don’t go out in cold weather naked because it’s uncomfortable. Clothes serve a purpose, but not all situations require being dressed from head to toe. Nudity has been equated with initiating sexual activity in some of these proposed laws. In others, children seeing adult’s nude is perceived as something sinister. The absence of clothing has become, by itself, a warning of sinister thoughts or actions about to follow.
There was a time when ripping your pants or skirt was embarrassing, but now it’s considered foreplay. What is wrong with us when we can’t just observe others with an open mind? Someone nude is not of itself threatening, but the first thought now is why that person is threatening me by their nudity. We now have laws being proposed where simple nudity is a crime.
In order to prevent people from being nude, they are proposing fines for being nude. The newest twist is the amount of the fines. By increasing the amount on a daily basis, they can make fighting the law and the risk of losing make a person plea bargain to a lesser offense than their simple nudity. Wild concept, but it does bring in money to the municipality that passed the law! They are creating a financial incentive for people to acquiesce to admitting to a crime they did not commit because fighting to protect their simple nudity is so scary from a fiscal standpoint. We fight to protect your freedom every day.
Tim Mullins
Government Affairs Chair
