Topless Tuesdays continues in Keene, led by a heroic young lady Keeniac who is consistently out week after week, proudly displaying her natural form alongside well over a dozen topless men. Now a local busybody has written a letter to the Sentinel demanding violence be enacted against women who choose to act free:
I recently read a story reported by The Keene Sentinel of the 18-year-old female, a self-proclaimed “Free Stater,” who paraded topless around downtown Keene this past August.
I don’t have any kids but I was outraged (as were the parents of children who reported seeing this spectacle) that the charges of lewd behavior and indecent exposure against the woman who was arrested were dropped.
Just for a moment let’s really look at this situation in an honest manner. I have nothing against a person exercising his or her right to express themselves any way they wish as long as it does not negatively affect the public.
I mean let’s get real here, that’s why there are clothing optional beaches. But to do it in Keene is simply another example of outrageous behavior being perpetrated by people who are nothing less than self-serving, publicity seeking individuals who think that by pushing the envelope they may in effect create change that they support.
On the other hand, my support lies with the parents of the children who were intelligent enough to say something to their parents when they saw something as outrageous and wrong as this spectacle.
Furthermore, I’m of the opinion that this is just another example of people acting first and thinking second. As Erin Foster stated in this article, I support any person’s right to express themselves freely, but not at the expense of exposing themselves to children.
If you ask me, this is yet another example of why people like Sarah Palin and the majority of the Tea Party movement will never be a legitimate political voice in the landscape of government today.
For every law abiding citizen who is an active member of this movement or of a group like the Free Staters who truly feels sincere about the problems that our government fails to address and wishes for change: There are too many people who affiliate themselves with a political faction yet make reckless and poor decisions, and then act before they think about how their actions are perceived by others.
To Cassidy Nicosia: Thank you. On behalf of everyone in this country who feels that there is little difference between “politicians” like Sarah Palin and radio or TV talk show figureheads like Rush Limbaugh or Ann Coulter or any of the other finger-pointing, self-righteous conservative, I hope that other fringe “Free Staters” continue such ridiculous displays that offend the majority of us who read in The Sentinel or see reports on the news about their ludicrous behavior.
I for one will sleep better at night knowing that because of actions like this no one who is unsuited for political office because of their narrow-minded, self-serving motives and outlandish behavior will ever have a chance of representing in a government held office the majority of people in the United States.
To carry on like this in front of a middle school is ridiculous. Respect for the rights of others and common decency is something that should never be dealt with lightly.
JOSEPH CHAIRS
510 Route 12A
Surry
