I'm no prude, but a protest by female activists to parade around Pack Square in Asheville, NC Sunday bare-breasted goes beyond the pale (yes, pun intended).
The protest, one of several planned throughout the U.S. by GoTopless.org, rallies against what members consider unfair laws and social stigmas regarding the right to go topless. To my surprise, and chagrin, the North Carolina indecent exposure statute bans only "private parts," (sadly, not the Howard Stern movie), or parts below the waist. And yes, women are allowed to breastfeed in public or private in North Carolina. Organizers believe it's unfair that men can take off their shirts while they can't. Now there's a reason to shed your inhibitions and dignity.
"We just want to raise awareness about this 'inequality'," said local protest organizer Livienne Love. "I know that women may be uncomfortable doing this, and that's part of the issue."
I'm thinking any woman with dignity and self-respect will not be parading around Pack Square semi-nude.
The event is slated for 1 p.m., the same time and place the Gateway Christian Community Church conducts its Sunday services, officials say. The topless group will gather near the Vance Monument, a symbol of intolerance that rises skyward in the heart of liberal Asheville. The church reserved the Roger McGuire Green near the Buncombe County Courthouse and Asheville City Hall, both symbols of decorum and dignity. Jon Fillman, Asheville outdoor event coordinator, said the two groups will be some distance apart (philosophically as well as physically), and if need be will turn their events so they're facing the other direction.
I have two impressionable children. No doubt there will be a few within a bra snap of the protesters Sunday. Was that ever considered by Fillman?
Asheville is a beautiful city. I lived there in the early 1980s, before it morphed into a haven of divergent and eclectic souls, a mecca for the young. Asheville seems the ideal locale to hold such a protest. But there is no law to challenge here. And besides, there are other issues affecting women that seem to me more worthy of protest, such as fighting the proverbial glass ceiling (equitable pay), abortion rights, and domestic violence, to name just three.
This boils down to the fact that protestors would just rather see men in bras and bikini tops (as they hope will happen Sunday) and be able to free themselves from those annoying bra straps while shopping for Berkenstocks.
It is said that to put privileges above prinicpals risks losing both. Sunday's protest reveals this sad truism all too well.
My opinion is: Let them protest. I don't have to witness it and you don't either.
ReplyDeleteI'm no prude either butIMHO, isn't there anything more worthwhile to rally for other than encouraging women to go topless? Sad commentary on our country that organizers would devote so much attention to something with such little significance instead of things that really matter. Wonder how many of these protestors actually work and earn a living that they have time to pursue such inequalities?
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