BEYOND THIS POINT

As far as I can tell, swim suits were invented in the late 1900s. That means before the swim suit, all beaches were nude beaches. When Captain Cook first anchored off of Hawaii, he was greeted by naked natives. Eventually, though, the missionaries who followed were able to enforce a ban on nudity. How sad that the original nude beaches, like pristine wilderness, have been in rapid decline since the 19th Century.

Today, it is no longer natural to strip off one's clothes in the sun and leap in the surf. Now, it is illegal--considered "indecent." How has the mere sight of another human's body has become so taboo that teh very last of the nude beaches are strictly segregated, with signs to caution visitors. They are not even called "nude" beaches anymore, but rather "clothing optional," as if the option of wearing clothes should never be forgotten.

Here's to the last of the endangered nude beaches, and the right to feel sun on skin, sand and water. Here's to the beauty of being natural in nature. Here's to those who "dare to bare." You are brave, and you make me proud.


I, myself, am not a nudist. I do not frequent nude beaches. But I am glad there are still a few in America. If our natural and wild areas are the legacy we inherited and will pass down to the next generation, then it is a great shame to see a sign that says: Public Nudity Prohibited. That is an embarrassing sign of our narrow mindedness and fear toward the body. To me, such signs are "indecent" and "obscene."

To anyone who has stood up to these silly regulations and restrictions, I thank you. You set a good example for others to follow with the simple message that it's ok to be comfortable and not ashamed in our own skin.