Baring the Truth
Insert the standard disclaimer here. I am not a lawyer nor am I giving legal opinions. These are my own views.
While California is many times viewed as a liberal state, that is not true in all cases and in all counties. For example, the Orange County, California Court of Appeal has opined that women convicted of sunning themsleves while topeless must be listed on the Internet as being convicted sex offenders.
Why is tanning oneself considered to be a sex offence in this county? I have no answer other than to say when you insert sexual morals into the law, you start down a very slippery slope that soon leads to results like this.
The larger question is why is tanning oneself, while topless, legal for men but not women? Are male breasts not lewd but women's are? Yes, some men think of women's breasts only as sexual objects so, naturally, other men would love to suppress/cover/deny any such attraction.
But of all the things a county should have as a high priority, whether women are tanning topless should not be one of them. Of course, Orange County is a Republican stronghold so is should not be a surprise to anyone that an appeals court has ruled thus.
But what rationale is used to make this illegal? Is there a public health hazard from women's breasts? Will little children get cancer from seeing uncovered skin? Will Orange County men, as opposed to the men in Florida, Hawai'i, or much of the civilized world where topless sunbathing is not usually prosecuted, somehow become sexual deviants and begin attacking such women? Why do Republicans, who say they are for individual rights and keeping Big Government out of it are invariably so invovled in suppressing women's issues?
I don't have any answers to this question but I would stay out of Orange County if I were you because there be idiots seriously flawed people there. Come to Hawai'i instead.
Aloha!
Comments
Yep, I think sunbathing should only be allowed for women when they are wearing a burka ...
Posted by: sjon | January 25, 2005 09:31 PM