Recently, people have showed concern about the fact that women are allowed to
roam around topless in the streets of Toronto, and there is no question that
some people find public nudity offensive. However, whether people should be
offended is debatable; their reaction is often closer to confusion or
embarrassment.
The human body deserves to be shown and respected both for its beauty and its
so-called “imperfections”. In the appropriate places and situations, public
nudity can be comfortable, healthy and can ultimately break social barriers,
which hinder communication between people. There are appropriate times and
places for anyone who would like to roam around nude. Exposing oneself in the
city might not be a good idea. It could lead to sexual harassment or legal
consequences.
But what is wrong with people expressing themselves at a local park, beach or
on their own front lawn? Anyone who has spent any amount of time in ill-fitting,
uncomfortable clothing knows how good it feels when clothing is not being worn.
Clothing is, by nature, something foreign to the body, and its presence is
always known to the wearer.
Clothing does have some practical uses. It keeps us warm from the harsh
conditions of the environment and protects us when doing dangerous work. Clothes
do not exist to “hide” our bodies. There is a tremendous feeling of freedom when
nude. Once you have been swimming nude, you'll never understand why anyone would
ever want to wear clothes in the water.
Medical research has shown that clothing can be unhealthy in certain
situations. For example, evidence supports the hypothesis that wet, clingy
swimsuits can constrict the flow of bodily fluids. Eliminate the swimsuit, and
you've eliminated that problem. Furthermore, it is beneficial to ones mental
health to be expressive. In a free society, people should be free to express
themselves and do what they want as long as their freedom doesn’t impede the
freedom of others, endanger them, or remove their fundamental rights.
