WHAT'S THE NEWS? Letters to Editor Exchange Different Views About Beach Nudity

4856 Carpinteria Avenue
Carpinteria, CA 93013
Phone: (805) 684-4428 Fax: (805) 684-4650
Email: news@coastalview.com

LETTER TO THE EDITOR:
Printed August 26, 2004

NUDITY NOT ACCEPTABLE AT OUR BEACHES

On Saturday, Aug. 15, at 2:30 I left my Villa Del Mar condo for one of my frequent runs on the beach across Bailard Avenue and down the path onto the beach south toward Rincon Point - a truly glorious experience that most Americans can only dream about having so close to home.

On this occasion it was a good thing that I was alone, and not with my wife or step-daughter, who often accompany me on weekend or weekday evening family walks for a glimpse of sea life and to collect sea glass, because much to my surprise I encountered not one, not two, but three naked men and a fourth nearly naked man.

Not together, but just sort of hanging out on their beach chairs or on a blanket - I won’t begin to assume for what purpose, as that is none of my business, however to say I was shocked and offended is an understatement. I cannot express how relieved I was that I was on my own that day.

Upon my return to work the following Monday I contacted the Carpinteria Sheriff’s office and spoke to a 30-year veteran sergeant (whose name I failed to write down) who was extremely helpful. That gentleman gave me the phone number for the dispatch center that is open 24/7 - and I’ve got that number programmed on my cell phone, so next time I can alert authorities to this ridiculous behavior. Our local deputies will go down and cite our clothing- challenged intruders if dispatched.

I request that fellow Carpinteria citizens program (805) 692-5743 on their phones, also. As an awesome, family- oriented city we need to send a message that this is one of our community beaches, and the nudity laws will be enforced!

Hate to be a snob, but I’d bet those four people were not locals. If they were, they’d know better.

Peter Brown,
Carpenteria

THE SCNA PRESIDENT REPLIES…
Printed September 5, 2004

This letter is in response to Peter Brown’s letter of Aug 26 regarding nudity on the beach.

Sorry to disappoint you Peter, but we ARE your neighbors! Nudity has been on our local beaches for hundreds of years, long before your expensive homes were built along the sand. Moreover since 1979 there has been a state policy in force called the “Cahill” policy that states, “enforcement of nude sunbathing regulations…shall be made only upon the complaint of a private citizen. Citations or arrests shall be made only after attempts are made to elicit voluntary compliance with the regulations.” As enforced by the courts, you must complain to a law enforcement officer specifically about a person on a specific day. The person has the right to get dressed without citation, and he can return the following day and be nude again unless another complaint is specifically made. Anything more than that is called harassment.

I am sorry if these couple of people offended you because they were just sitting on their blankets without clothes. Until a few years ago several hundred nudists practiced their lifestyle on the northernmost corner of Bates Beach away from the crowds, and they self-policed the beach to remove gawkers and perverts who were occasionally drawn to the sight.

In 2000, the nudist community was forced off Bates, so the perverts came back without anyone to chase them away, and now the beach is much less safe. Be careful what you wish for?

Nudists are all around you, Peter, and they come in all sizes, shapes, and ages, men, women and children too. We are not perverts, but local business people, homemakers, and professionals who believe in raising our families according to our own beliefs, just as you do. We pick up our garbage before we leave the sand, and we like to play volleyball on Sundays. We also believe there should be no tolerance for lewd behavior, but nude is not lewd. Ask anyone who has gone to a nude beach and they will tell you it is the safest, friendliest, most benign place you ever saw.

Give us back our corner of the beach, and we will make it safe for you to walk there again.

Then together we can go after the people who pollute the rest of beach with their boom boxes and their beer cans, drugs, unleashed dogs, and trash, all of whom I feel are a much bigger problem than we nudists ever were.

Gary Mussell
President,
Southern California Naturist Association

Affiliated with the Southern California Naturist Association (SCNA) 23679 Calabasas Rd #160 Calabasas CA 91302-1502 (818) 225-2273