BRATTLEBORO -- It's springtime, and sun worshippers take their clothes off. (rent, weather)

[jonjj]

I have nothing against nudity but I really do believe most folks should just keep their clothes on. It makes them much more appealing.

[quickdraw]

While I love Vermont, I'm actually a pro-laws guy. In my opinion the more laws the better. I'd prefer people keeping their clothes on because I wouldn't want my pre-teen kids walking around and seeing nude people. I'd also like people to be forced to keep their houses and yards clean. If they can't afford it, I understand. But if they claim poverty and I see a TV dish on their house or $100 sneakers on their feet then there's a problem. While the idea of few laws sounds nice, there are just too many rude and self-centered people around.

I'm also the only pro-taser guy in VT. If the police tell you to stop walking
or put your hands in the air and then you don't....

zzzzzzzzzzzz.

[Dwatted Wabbit]

Originally Posted by quickdraw

While I love Vermont, I'm actually a pro-laws guy. In my opinion the more laws the better. I'd prefer people keeping their clothes on because I wouldn't want my pre-teen kids walking around and seeing nude people. I'd also like people to be forced to keep their houses and yards clean. If they can't afford it, I understand. But if they claim poverty and I see a TV dish on their house or $100 sneakers on their feet then there's a problem. While the idea of few laws sounds nice, there are just too many rude and self-centered people around.

I'm also the only pro-taser guy in VT. If the police tell you to stop walking
or put your hands in the air and then you don't....

zzzzzzzzzzzz.

Some consider it rude and self centered to want to tell other people how to live their lives.

Sounds as if you'd like Germany.

[PatrioticReader]

Originally Posted by quickdraw

While I love Vermont, I'm actually a pro-laws guy. In my opinion the more laws the better. I'd prefer people keeping their clothes on because I wouldn't want my pre-teen kids walking around and seeing nude people. I'd also like people to be forced to keep their houses and yards clean. If they can't afford it, I understand. But if they claim poverty and I see a TV dish on their house or $100 sneakers on their feet then there's a problem. While the idea of few laws sounds nice, there are just too many rude and self-centered people around.

I'm also the only pro-taser guy in VT. If the police tell you to stop walking
or put your hands in the air and then you don't....

zzzzzzzzzzzz.

Nice satire- except that there are actually people who won't recognize it as that.

Some think that authoritarian laws are the only way to keep social harmony.

Some think that pre-teens would actually think twice about seeing a naked body, a meaningless event unless parents or culture has taught them that such a site is nasty or harmful.

Some think that all homes should be identical, that a lawn must have an artificial green glow throughout August drought, a monoculture of imported grasses without a product of nature in sight and that homes must be covered with one of 5 flavors of plastic siding.

Some think the only means of persuasion is force, and that police should be prosocuter, judge, and jury all wrapped up in blue uniforms.


And to those people, likely caught up in their own limitations, my best suggestion is to find a home not in Vermont.

[PatrioticReader]

OK, PETA has brought their dog and pony show to Brattleboro in their quest for attention. What brought them? Why, of course, the attention that the crusaiders fueled and that the Selectboard gave them, the national headlines, the sensational press.

Did they come to Brat because they could be nude here? Of course not, there is no logic to that. They could go nude anyplace in Vermont, or for that matter, anyplace in the US where our constitution grants us the freedom to protest- even in the buff when nudity is a form of political expression.

No, they came for the attention. So rather than let the sleeping dog matter of an ordinance lie, what's selectman Dick DeGray do? Re-wakens the matter by saying he will continue to persue the ordinance, the same ordinance that brought the media attention in the first place! Can't he see that when there was no talk of an ordinance, there was no media attention, no problem with naked people strolling around downtown nude?

Maybe he could look at any other town in Vermont where the selectboard was wise to ignore the occasional streaker or nut who forgot to get dressed before going to town and see that there is no problem with people coming to those towns just to be rudely nude.

[MRVphotog]

Originally Posted by PatrioticReader

OK, PETA has brought their dog and pony show to Brattleboro in their quest for attention. What brought them? Why, of course, the attention that the crusaiders fueled and that the Selectboard gave them, the national headlines, the sensational press.

Did they come to Brat because they could be nude here? Of course not, there is no logic to that. They could go nude anyplace in Vermont, or for that matter, anyplace in the US where our constitution grants us the freedom to protest- even in the buff when nudity is a form of political expression.

No, they came for the attention. So rather than let the sleeping dog matter of an ordinance lie, what's selectman Dick DeGray do? Re-wakens the matter by saying he will continue to persue the ordinance, the same ordinance that brought the media attention in the first place! Can't he see that when there was no talk of an ordinance, there was no media attention, no problem with naked people strolling around downtown nude?

Maybe he could look at any other town in Vermont where the selectboard was wise to ignore the occasional streaker or nut who forgot to get dressed before going to town and see that there is no problem with people coming to those towns just to be rudely nude.

I pretty much agree with what your saying but your not being fair to the selectboard. While it's easy to write here that you would do nothing if you were a selectboard member or they should ignore the issue and therefore no media attention is not a sure bet.
Bratt's situation was abit more than the "occasional streaker" and a selectboard member also represents the people who were offended by the "rudely nude".

If you were a selectboard member would you really ignore the situation? Do you think that the issue would have just disappeared into thin air by ignoring it. I respect the selectboard for NOT ignoring the issue and trying the best they could to resolve it.

'm not judging what they did just the fact that they took action and I applaud that. I have been folllowing the situation in the BR, I do agree with you that by bringing the ordinance to the front burner media attention perks up but some people are bothered by the "rudely nude" so I guess we have to let the process work it thru.

[PatrioticReader]

Originally Posted by MRVphotog

If you were a selectboard member would you really ignore the situation? Do you think that the issue would have just disappeared into thin air by ignoring it. I respect the selectboard for NOT ignoring the issue and trying the best they could to resolve it.

Yes, I would have ignored the kids in harmony lot, other than to have had made sure that some good diplomat engaged in a quiet and friendly little chat with them or mom and dad.

I especially would have ignored the moralists with a just plain "No", a lesson learned a few years back. In Wilmington, where they gave the same moralists attention, went through a 2 year ruckus, distraction and waste of time, passed a law, only to have it repealed by the voters. In Whitingham, the same moralists tried for a law, but were firmly shut down by the selectboard, end of publicity, no problem at all.

Keep in mind that other than the original bored teens, a situation that happens in many places, legal or not; the rude nude who came from other states to put Bra to the test did NOT appear until the selectboard gave the matter enough attention to draw national headlines.

I'm not faulting the board, I think overall they have handled it fairly well. But I think if they had known about the experience of the Wilmington and Whitingham boards, they might have found wisdom in letting this thing die a cold death from day one.

I also think the entire matter will go away soon after they learn to say "No" and quit creating headlines- at least to the former status quo which happens to be the status quo of most Vermont towns where kids might streak, women might do breastfeeding or top free demonstrations that no one notices, and people might skinny dip in Vermont skinny dipping holes. And I sure hope that those who don't like that freedom have eyelids to use to protect themselves.

At least one Brat Selectboard member recognizes the same thing. From today's Reformer,
"We've gotten this notoriety in large part because those in favor (of an ordinance) made it a major media issue," said Bouboulis. "Once it's in the media, it takes a while for it to go away," adding people will get bored with the issue and move on to something else.

[PatrioticReader]

From
Brattleboro Reformer - Board tables nudity ruling

[i] "PETA didn't have mental health issues," said Board member Dick DeGray, referring to a recent visit by the animal rights group in which a pair of women disrobed to protest the use of animal fur as clothing.
Moderator cut: do not repost copyrighted articles

[flu189]

Originally Posted by Dwatted Wabbit

Some consider it rude and self centered to want to tell other people how to live their lives.

Sounds as if you'd like Germany.

Been to Isreal lately? Or Putins Russia. Try and pull the stuff we do here in the good ole USA and see where it gets you there. Ah, Germany. Octoberfest!

[Dwatted Wabbit]

Originally Posted by flu189

Been to Isreal lately? Or Putins Russia. Try and pull the stuff we do here in the good ole USA and see where it gets you there. Ah, Germany. Octoberfest!

Part of my Germany comment had to do with neat yards and houses.

As for Russia, I wouldn't go there on the warmest, sunniest day of Garbachov's perrastroiiker.