Would society be better off if the world removed clothing from the equation and become nudist? Some argue it would.

Should we convert into a nudist society?

Duh, of course

By: Zane Ecklund

Posted: 2/23/07

Patrick de Man of Hetera, Netherlands, is striking a blow for civil rights. Owner of Fitworld Gym, de Man recently announced that starting March 4, his facility will offer "Naked Sunday" for those who wish to exercise sans clothing, according to a Yahoo! News story. I say we take de Man's lead one step further.

Nudists have been persecuted for too long. If you don't believe this, then take a walk down the street or across campus. Everyone is wearing clothes. Go to a restaurant and chances are there will be a sign on the door saying "no shirt, no shoes, no service." Public nudity is also a crime. If you walk the streets in the buff, you are hauled off by the authorities and charged with indecent exposure.

This is an egregious display of discrimination. An ethnic group is a cluster of individuals who are united by traits such as common language, religious beliefs, cultures or behavior. What this means is that if you get enough people together with a common characteristic then technically they are an ethnic group, and nudists are included.

In the United States, these naked ethnics are persecuted each and every day. Personally I find this sickening. The America I grew up in was a place where everyone had equal opportunities. After all, these are the principles on which this great land of ours was founded.

Instead nudists' activities are confined to beaches, private residences and camps. This is unacceptable, especially the thought of sending people with different beliefs to nudist camps - it brings thoughts of World War II atrocities to the forefront of human consciousness. Granted, nudists go to these camps willingly, but they should still be able to wander freely if they choose to.

Perhaps the reason nudists have yet to achieve equality is because they've never had a vocal leader. It took Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. to get the ball rolling on the Civil Rights Movement. Equality could come to those who reject society's cloth shackles if they could just find someone to articulate their motives and desires. A naked revolutionary must step forward.

Nudity receives a bad rap, but society as a whole needs to take the time to realize only good things could happen from discarding clothing. It is ironic that people are born naked.

For starters, society would not be nearly as violent. No one wants to fight a nude person because people are conservative about their personal space when clothed, let alone naked. Additionally, if you got angry and there was a naked person standing in front of you, chances are you would just start laughing and your anger would subside.

Being naked throughout the summer would also provide exceptional health benefits. First, an individual would undoubtedly receive a perfect all-over tan. This may sound vain, but consider that the best way to receive Vitamin D is from the sun. Vitamin D helps bone formation, regulates calcium in the blood and suppresses tumor development.

There is also a religious element to nudity in Christianity. In the book of Genesis, Adam and Eve are ashamed of themselves after eating the forbidden fruit. They realize they are naked and fashion clothes for themselves, and if what the Bible says is true, then this is when the garment oppression of the body began. If people start prancing around naked again, then they could become closer to God. It would be like going back to a time before sin, and humanity would have an opportunity to start over.

Discarding clothing would also eliminate the afflictions that result from fabric. No longer would people have to worry about wet socks or chafing, itchy wool. People would also spend less time deciding what they would wear on any particular day. This would amount to people getting to work on time with relative ease. Also, it could usher in a society where people were not as materialistic. Multitudes of cash would not into the economy, and advertising would no longer tattoo every conceivable surface of the planet.

Nudity is a natural part of life. If human beings were meant to wear clothes, then our mothers would have put outfits in their uteruses for us. Let nature take its course, and don't just be naked in the shower.