Standing Up To Be Counted

[stringsinger]

March 16, 2010

Standing Up To Be Counted

It is census time here in the U.S.A. I just received my form in the mail yesterday. When I sat down to fill out the form this morning, I couldn't help noticing the bold message on the front of the envelope: "U.S. Census Form Enclosed YOUR RESPONSE IS REQUIRED BY LAW." 'Ok' I thought, 'if I must be counted, at least I will be counted as I am.' Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with the premise behind the decennial population count or the legal requirement to participate. I just thought that if I must be counted, I would do so just as God made me. Right then and there, I decided that I would fill out the form and take it out to my mailbox as naked as the day I was born. Not a big adjustment there, since I was already nude when I sat down to fill out the form. After I was done and sealed the envelope though, I walked it out to the mailbox without first putting something on to cover up. It was only a few steps outside my door, and I've no idea if any of my neighbors saw me do it. (No one has knocked on the door so far, so I guess there have been no complaints.) Being seen was not the point though. This was my own personal expression of my humanity and protest of my society's rejection of the same. We are not just numbers to be counted, we are fully human as God created us! This includes our bodies, which ought to be regarded as acceptable in the state He created them--nude.

This was my personal protest for the human right to be as God intended. But if you are of like mind, I would invite you to join me. If you do so, do this with full intentionality. Know that in many (perhaps most) places in the U.S. it is not legal to set foot outside your front door naked, so you may be risking prosecution. "Protest" has sometimes been upheld in the courts as a legitimate reason for being publicly nude, but one might be hard-pressed to prove that such an individual act may be counted as a protest in this legal sense. I suppose one could always refer to myself and this article as the instigator of the protest. That, I presume, is the risk of liability I am also assuming by posting this.

-Gregg Gatewood, Garden Grove CA
g_gatewood@yahoo.com

[larryk1052]

As much as I would like to take it out to the mail box nude, my wife would throw a fit. So I wouldn't be doing that. But, I will only give them the information the constitution mandates and that is how many people live in the house. My race, ownership status, birthday are none of their business. The census is meant to determine representation in congress nothing more.

It's past time to start standing up for our constitution and the unconstitutional programs and actions of our government.

[Jon-Marc]

Since I live in a nudist resort, I mail everything while nude--unless it's too cold, and even in Florida it gets cold.

[Strandloper]

Hi, Stringsinger —
while I admire the fact that you have taken a stand, I wonder whether you chose the right moment to do so.
If a neighbour does complain, and you are charged in court, you certainly will have the opportunity to state your case.
But if not, nothing comes of it.
Did you indicate on your census form that you are a nudist? Probably not, but that might have been a more worthwhile protest.
Some bean counter in some federal building would hopefully note it down. If other nudists have also indicated their preference for nudism, the government will have statistics showing that X number of people are nudists.
Since they are (presumably) voters, they are people politicians will need to canvass for support.

Larry, my census form asks questions about home ownership and church membership (among other things) because the government wants to make use of the information for the benefit of the public. So I answer these questions.
It also asks my race — which census forms in South Africa have done from time immemorial. But this question I refuse to answer.
I refused to answer this question under the apartheid regime, because it indicated that I was a person entitled to privileges.
I still refuse to answer this question, since under the post-apartheid regime it indicates that I am a person whose privileges must be restricted for the greater good of the nation.
It was immoral before 1994, and is even more immoral today.
Shalom,
Strandloper

[rama93]

Careful, String. You could be filling out a different form behind bars. Are there kids around?

[upnorthguy]

I just posted a long venting post on how this nudism issue needs to be handled. We need to stand up and organize the various nudist groups within each state to go out and educate the public on the REAL reasons and benefits of nudism (most people know this already; it's the minority mental midgets out there that are making all the noise. So, in their infinite wisdom, the politicians believe that the minority are the mainstream). Once the education has begun, the petition drive needs to start...the one where the necessary number of signatures is gathered to place the issue on the state ballot, thus removing it from the control of the politicians, the small minded minority, and the courts who are influenced by the closed minds. You know the courts; they're the ones who like to legislate from the bench in breach of the constitution.
Anyway, a simple ballot question could read: "Should the right of the people to enjoy non-sexual nudism be extended to legally designated beaches and other public places, including one's own yard?"
Of course, this is very simplistic in its wording, but you get the idea. State by state, this is not impossible. In taking into consideration such organizations as the NAC out of Oshkosh, WI, and the AANR headquartered in FL. (with their expertise in fighting for this sort of thing), putting the vote in the hands of the people is a realistic possibility.
Even in Upper Michigan where I live, it is not uncommon to come across small groups of people, or families, skinny dipping, sunbathing, etc. nude. But they are forced to do it in secluded, bug-infested places and hide as if they are doing something wrong or shameful. Seeing things like this, and reading countless internet pages regarding closet (and open) nudists, tells me that there are definitely enough people from state to state to actually accomplish getting favorable laws passed.
I think we need to discuss this further and see if we can't come up with ideas. We need to stop complaining about the way things are and stand up and fight to bring about the change we know is 40 years late in coming.