Huh? What the heck do would the two of them have to do with each other? Hear me out. It makes for an interesting contrast.
A lot of people, including a lot of naturists, assume we're all tree hugging atheist liberals. Instead what you find is that we're all over the map. Some of us, like myself, are politically conservative Christians. And others are in fact tree hugging atheist liberals. Most people fall somewhere in between.
Politically and socially I have more of a libertarian point of view than that of a fire breathing Bible thumper. I work in a very culturally, religiously, and racially diverse company, and I love it that way. I have gay friends who are now legally married and I'm happy for them (just don't expect Church and God to be OK with it). Even so, I part ways with many on the issue of guns, and of course, on the issue of naturism.
After several weeks of being without power and civil protection during the hurricane year from hell here in Florida (2004), my wife and I decided we should have a gun in the house after the kids are grown and out. A few years later, we bought a 9 mm pistol from a neighbor who was selling it. Understanding the responsibilities that go with it, we joined a club and got some training. Along the way, we were convinced that we should get permits to carry. We live close to a school and there's some strict federal laws regarding the movement of firearms anywhere nearby, which includes where we live. That and many other laws are eased or eliminated here if you have a permit to carry.
I continued to take classes to the point that I've been taking advanced courses with state law enforcement instructors alongside officers who were trying to get training beyond that which available to them in their jobs. They and our sheriff convinced me that trained people should routinely carry and not just have a permit. As the sheriff put it, they'll be to the scene in around 7 minutes. But by then, you might bleed out and be dead. When stuff hits the fan, it's up to individuals to stop that from happening to themselves and to their loved ones, and not just to law enforcement, who often just document what happened, after the fact.
Because I wouldn't be able to carry concealed otherwise in this land of endless summer wearing shorts and tee shirts, I bought a small .380 pistol that I carry loaded in a pocket holster. If you see me out and about town, I'm probably carrying. You might not like that, but too bad. I will protect myself and my family if I have to, and I will lawfully carry the tools to do it. I personally believe that having a significant portion of the population silently armed is a deterrent. Violent crime here in Florida has dropped for maybe a number of reasons. But having more than 5 percent of the entire population of my state actively permitted to carry concealed firearms, is probably one of those reasons.
So what does that have to do with nudism? In both cases when I'm out and about town, I'm hiding something. I'm hiding both what I am (human), and what my capabilities to defend myself are. One can assume what I look like without clothing and probably be pretty close. But one also must assume here that I, or that person over there, or that one over there, might be armed. So maybe its not a good idea to rob us, rape us, or shoot at us in our movie theaters or in our malls. One thing you learn from hanging around LEOs is that criminals, even the crazy ones, are cowards when it comes to the possibility of getting themselves killed if they think they're at risk doing those sorts of crimes.
So, you might ask (and I have been asked), where does a nudist conceal a firearm? The answer is in the small backpack that I carry my clothes, sunscreen, wallet, and hat when I'm at the beach. Clubs, being private, are free to welcome or ban firearms from their properties. For what it's worth, I either leave the firearm locked in the car, or don't bring it at all when I'm visiting a club. They are probably the safest place on Earth.
Sunday, July 5, 2015
How they see us, Part II
It's easy to just go about one's business reading stuff off the web, watching your preferred news sources, and talking to friends who probably believe in the same things you do or you probably wouldn't be associating with them. The problem with that walled garden is that you begin to think that your beliefs are "middle of the road" and that others will soon see things your way, if they'd just open their eyes.
It doesn't work that way. It's easy for those of us who have crossed over to the other side to lose sight of how the public perceives who we are and what we're doing. If you go searching for material on the web about naturism or only consume news that has a socially liberal or has libertarian bent, you'll think the world is coming around to our way of thinking. Instead we become frustrated when it doesn't.
I have strong opinions on a lot of things. Even so, I take the time to read all sides of issues from various sources, US and foreign, conservative to liberal, business point of view to environmentalist. But most of all, I keep my eyes and ears open to what the general media and public, and friends say about naturism, or nudism, or whatever else they call it. I try to take it in as if I'm an unbiased observer, to see how others might be seeing it.
What I notice is that nudism and nudists (as they prefer to call us here in the US), is, and always has been, a curiosity that they just can't seem to completely ignore. The public doesn't understand it and for the most part, they really don't care to. Even so, recently both CNN (liberal) and Fox News (conservative) have featured short articles on nude beaches and nudist resorts in a matter of fact to completely positive way. As if it might be something the reader might find interesting, without exploring or explaining why they should.
Last weekend I was at an outdoor bar on the water and overheard a guy at the next table saying something about seeing a "Beyond this point you may encounter nude bathers" sign. I assume he visited Haulover Beach in South Florida, being the only designated and so posted beach here in the Sunshine State.
We had a family gathering in Kissimmee a few months ago and along the way we stopped at the intersection at the entrance to Cypress Cove. It's directly across from Lowes on a four lane road in what's becoming a main suburb of the town, instead of being way out in the boonies like it used to be. The fancy sign facing the intersection says only "Cypress Cove". But some family members in the car who don't know I'm a nudist and that I've been there many times pointed out the fact that there's the local nudist place! Humm... But then, most people in that and nearby communities know it's there.
The public knows we exist and that there's a lot of us out there. We can't expect them to understand or someday try it if we don't explain ourselves to them. The media's opened the door. The rest is up to us.
I do a small part by answering questions on Yahoo answers targeting the keywords "nudist", "naturist", "nudism", "naturism", "nudity", "nude", and "naked". I sometimes answer stupid or demeaning questions, not for the sake of the person who posted, but for the sake of readers who might stumble onto the question out of curiosity. By answering, they might come away learning something new that they didn't seek.
I also write a bit here for the few people who might find it. Other than a few that follow a link that I might sometimes add to an answer, most people who find this probably are already of the same mindset. If so, do your part. If not, keep asking questions :)
It doesn't work that way. It's easy for those of us who have crossed over to the other side to lose sight of how the public perceives who we are and what we're doing. If you go searching for material on the web about naturism or only consume news that has a socially liberal or has libertarian bent, you'll think the world is coming around to our way of thinking. Instead we become frustrated when it doesn't.
I have strong opinions on a lot of things. Even so, I take the time to read all sides of issues from various sources, US and foreign, conservative to liberal, business point of view to environmentalist. But most of all, I keep my eyes and ears open to what the general media and public, and friends say about naturism, or nudism, or whatever else they call it. I try to take it in as if I'm an unbiased observer, to see how others might be seeing it.
What I notice is that nudism and nudists (as they prefer to call us here in the US), is, and always has been, a curiosity that they just can't seem to completely ignore. The public doesn't understand it and for the most part, they really don't care to. Even so, recently both CNN (liberal) and Fox News (conservative) have featured short articles on nude beaches and nudist resorts in a matter of fact to completely positive way. As if it might be something the reader might find interesting, without exploring or explaining why they should.
Last weekend I was at an outdoor bar on the water and overheard a guy at the next table saying something about seeing a "Beyond this point you may encounter nude bathers" sign. I assume he visited Haulover Beach in South Florida, being the only designated and so posted beach here in the Sunshine State.
We had a family gathering in Kissimmee a few months ago and along the way we stopped at the intersection at the entrance to Cypress Cove. It's directly across from Lowes on a four lane road in what's becoming a main suburb of the town, instead of being way out in the boonies like it used to be. The fancy sign facing the intersection says only "Cypress Cove". But some family members in the car who don't know I'm a nudist and that I've been there many times pointed out the fact that there's the local nudist place! Humm... But then, most people in that and nearby communities know it's there.
The public knows we exist and that there's a lot of us out there. We can't expect them to understand or someday try it if we don't explain ourselves to them. The media's opened the door. The rest is up to us.
I do a small part by answering questions on Yahoo answers targeting the keywords "nudist", "naturist", "nudism", "naturism", "nudity", "nude", and "naked". I sometimes answer stupid or demeaning questions, not for the sake of the person who posted, but for the sake of readers who might stumble onto the question out of curiosity. By answering, they might come away learning something new that they didn't seek.
I also write a bit here for the few people who might find it. Other than a few that follow a link that I might sometimes add to an answer, most people who find this probably are already of the same mindset. If so, do your part. If not, keep asking questions :)
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