Debate: Do You Think That Nudism Should Be Accepted In Public?
Side: Yes

The main arguments against the legalization of public nudity that I always hear are: 1) I don't want to see ugly/fat people naked 2) It's unsanitary 3) Children shouldn't see naked adults 4) Adults shouldn't see naked children 5) It would increase the rate of rape Now, argument number one is one of the most idiotic things I've ever heard. You don't want to see naked people? Well, maybe I don't want to see people with tongue piercings. Should we outlaw those too? This argument is just immature and closed-minded. As for number two, no one is forcing anyone to be naked. People who choose to go naked do so at their own risk. If we wanted to reduce chances of disease transmission, why not force everyone to wear gloves? They say that the hands are some of the most unsanitary parts of the body. While we're at it, why not make everyone wear full-body hazmat suits? It follows the same principle as forcing everyone to wear clothes. Numbers three and four can be pretty sensitive subjects in today's "pedo-mania" mindset. I'll deal with both issues separately. Number three. People fail to realize that the naked body is not always a sexual thing. We typically associate nudity with sex in today's culture, because most people have sex naked. Now, let's say a kid sees a naked adult. Is he immediately scarred for life? No. A child does not automatically associate nudity with sex, unlike most adults. Most likely, the child will be curious to why the adult's body looks differently than his. It's the overly zealous parents that force the "nudity is shameful" mantra down children's throats. On a related note, do you ever wonder why we have so many suicidal teens hating their bodies nowadays? It's because most teens' first encounter with nudity is pornography, which both sexualizes the human body and presents an impossible ideal for sexual attractiveness. If children were to see real-life adults naked more often, they'd probably be more comfortable in their own skins. Number four. There is a big difference between public nudity and public sexual activity. If an adult were to see a naked child, so what? Unless he's a pedophile, there's no sense of sexuality or dirtiness in a child's body. Now, I know that pedophiles do exist out there, but don't you think it would be pretty obvious if some naked guy were standing outside a playground with an erection? That kind of behavior transgresses the bounds of public nudity, and goes into the realm of public sexual activity. Behavior such as that would still be firmly outlawed. The final argument I often hear is that nudity will increase the rate of rape. First, it must be noted that nudity is actually LESS sexually stimulating than a bikini (in a real life situation). The reason is twofold: one, a bikini draws attention to the sexual organs, while nudity does not draw attention to any particular body part, and two, bikinis allow the viewer to "fill in the blanks" with whatever he finds most stimulating. With nudity, what you see is what you get: warts, blemishes, and all. Now, for the sake of argument, let's pretend that nudity does, in fact, cause increased sexual arousal in viewers. That is still no more reason to ban it than it is to ban short-shorts or mini-skirts. Once again, I must emphasize that nudity is a choice, with risks and benefits, and it is up to the individual to weigh the consequences and decide for himself whether to go naked or not. Well, there you have it. Please don't reply until you've read my entire argument, and please be mature and intelligent about it!