There is a clothing optional beach near where I live and despite the threat of nudity being prohibited, there is no reason why it should prohibited. This beach is not near a road or near public view it is secluded and only people who want to walk a trail to go to the beach are exposed to nudity, so the protect the children arguement cannot be used. There is no violence, rape or crime at the beach and any sexual behavior what so ever. It is just a bunch of people who either want to tan or swim nude or just enjoy being in their natural state. How could anyone believe this should be prohibited?

I agree. The fact that does not disturb the peace should make it a right to choose to wear clothing at the beach,

However if parents feel that their children shouldn't see nudity I think that an age restriction should be enforced

Not necessary, if the parents do not want to expose their kids then they just do not go to this beach. There is no need fo someone to "card" beach goers.

true. in that case I dno't see why it should be a problem for local authorities. Have you had any problems with this at all?

Yes and no, whenever nothing is going on in the city and the news stations need something to report they try to get this issue fired up again. The threat is always there. It is really pathetic the state that our news media is in right now.

Personally never understood why the naked body is deemed shameful in American society to begin with. "Protecting" children from nudity just makes them feel guilty and "dirty". This is the most sexually backward society....

My point... the naked body is nothing to be ashamed of and nothing that children need to be protected from in general. As long as people are not engaging in sexual behaviour on the beach then there should be no problem whatsoever.

__________________

There will always be people that think it should be prohibited. But, we've always had little nudie areas in my state. Not that big a deal.

Not that many people even GO to them.

Having been to clothing optional beaches in Europe, and topless beaches in the Caribbean, for most women, I would say--keep your clothes on at the beach. A woman in a barely-there bikini is much more sexy at the beach than a nude woman. I think it's because my imagination is more vivid than are my eyes.....

However, that said, it's no big deal. I think every area should have a few clothing-optional beaches.

__________________
A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.
— Robert Heinlein, Time Enough for Love

I agree with Izzabeth. What's the big deal about the unclothed human body? It's this learned perception that nudity equates to some perverse sexuality.

I've never been to a nude recreational area, nor do I intend to, but the natural state would seem a mild issue in comparison with other social problems.

BTW, my home state of Wisconsin has a number of informally designated clothing optional beaches and the problems have been minimal.