Just how funny was that story of the man in Fairfax County, Va., who got up early on Monday morning, Oct. 19, walked naked into his own kitchen to make himself a cup of coffee?
The next significant thing that happened to 29-year-old Eric Williamson is the local cops arriving to charge him with indecent exposure. It turns out that while he was brewing the coffee, a mother was taking her 7-year-old son along a path beside Williamson’s house, spied the naked Williamson and called the local precinct, or more likely her husband, who turns out to be a cop.
“Yes, I wasn’t wearing any clothes,” Williamson said later, “but I was alone, in my own home and just got out of bed. It was dark and I had no idea anyone was outside looking in at me.”
The story ended up on TV, starting with Fox, and in the opening rounds, the newscasters and network blogs had merciless sport with the Fairfax police for their absurd behavior. Hasn’t a man the right to walk around his own home (or in this case, rented accommodations) dressed according to his fancy? Answer, obvious to anyone familiar with relevant case law, absolutely not.
By Alexander Cockburn, editor of CounterPunch. Read more at this link.
Something came through in all the posts and I felt it too — if there are not children involved, we seem to be treated differently. All of my fear of trouble is founded in what other people can do to break up my family if they judge me to be an incompetent mother.
Had I no children, no one would be looking. And for that matter – had I not a vindictive evil former spouse, they would not be looking either. Once under the microscope, always under the microscope.
I wonder what will happen when the man-in-his-own-home sues the mother. If the world he is living in made him wrong to begin with, they will probably not make her wrong for being puritanical with her son. Was he, after all, a Peeping Tom? Hmmm or was she?
I wonder if the 7-year old is forced to shower with his bathing suit on so he doesn’t see himself?
And if so, do we have a right to incarcerate the mother for imposing this sexual inhibition upon him?
Interesting times we live in.
I also had something come up around the original story. I was wondering about the guy in his home, comfortable in his nudity and perhaps even sexy. The woman who saw him could be over-reacting to her own response to seeing him. Did seeing this naked man produced a sexual response for her? Did that make her uncomfortable?
There’s something in this video that applies to this conversation, I’m still trying to synthesize it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGLR8wEvRfQ&feature=player_embedded
We can clothe our bodies in celebration, or in shame. We choose.
I loved being naked as a child and I now have a child who loves being naked. I didn’t subscribe to the shaming of my body (naked or otherwise), not sure why I rejected it. I still love my naked body. I have been exploring lately this notion of clothing as a celebration, a more vital expression than my usual utilitarian take on clothing.
I think the shaming around nudity has everything to do with sex and sensuality. The rejection of the physical body is a long-time aspect of many religions. There’s a rejection of the feminine here as well, the Goddess. It’s expressed frequently by the notion that a woman provocatively dressed ‘deserves’ to be raped. There’s a bunch of stuff embedded here around control, and self-control.
eric: “Hey kids, I would love to hear your theory on the underlying reason for all the paranoia about sex and nudity. Beneath the excuses, what is at the core of this emotional trip?”
i think it’s about staring into the void (figuratively speaking. hey – literally if you want 🙂 ). clothes are a form of control – they can control our perceptions of each other and ourselves; and they can control by masking sexuality. sex also holds the implicit or explicit promise of a loss of control.
and with a loss of control, then what do we have potentially: ego death. no personae to prop up a shaky sense of self. we hit the void – which is, for so many of us, a terrifying prospect.
Ooops… as always, there’s more. LOL!
After writing the last response I realized it didn’t really address those who believe in those who have power. What makes THEM paranoid about such things, other than because they’re told to be?
FEAR OF TAKING SELF-RESPONSIBILITY. All the things they hand over to an external authority would suddenly be theirs to contend with. No matter how complicated, obscure, embarrassing, confusing, simple, shameful, etc. They would have to face themselves and “own” their life as “of their own making”, not anyone else’s (including a separate God)… and that scares the heck out of a lot of people. Apparently.
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# Eric Francison 01 Nov 2009 at 6:49 pm
Hey kids, I would love to hear your theory on the underlying reason for all the paranoia about sex and nudity. Beneath the excuses, what is at the core of this emotional trip?”
Symbolically and energetically, sex is representative of our power to create as God Itself. To be naked is to be without guise, falseness, masks, ego, etc. Both of these are key Divinity traits (Creator/Pure). Those in [apparent] power, those who control through fear, cannot allow the people they [seem to] have power over to realize their Divinity (inherent power/divine birthright). Cannot abide these people actualizing their wholeness in form. If it occurs in an individual sovereignty reigns for that person… and no one has power over a sovereign being. Therefore it is vital to control individuals at these intimate levels of Self in order to maintain external power over them. As soon as a person owns their Divinity/sovereignty… game over.
Those who’ve been in [false] power for eons are desperate to hang onto it, though it’s a losing endeavor. When it’s time… it’s time. And now IS the time for people to awaken and reclaim their Divinity (true power). This is a threat of great magnitude to those who rely on fear to maintain a stance of [false, external] power.
In short they’re running scared. We all feel it, especially if we have children. The urge to control rather than allow is strong when one believes they have power over. The belief that one knows better than another and therefore cannot allow… whatever… is a template of human authority. It takes courage and self-reflection to see the folly in it. Many never bother. But under that “authority over others”, always… is fear.
Adam and Eve guilt. Some have it worse than others. I don’t think anyone’s minded their business for years. My kids are in their 30s and I still remember some of the things their teachers would ask, trying to find out what home was like. My son even had a questionaire that asked if I drank, smoke, and named several other vices. The sad thing is that teachers are the ones that always end up running for office, and they are the most self-righteous fuckers in the world who think they have the right to tell you how to live.
WALKING home after meeting with the officers, I found myself musing about the ways that Those in Power have taken/maintained power using sex throughout our history such as Firstborn to everywoman a King’s bastard, or at least his representative’s bastard etc. Rape before murder (or after) when pillaging etc.
One of the biggest messages I’ve been getting lately is that it’s “not OK” to be female, fifty, conscious and hot.
Some kinda big threat there.
xo
Hey kids, I would love to hear your theory on the underlying reason for all the paranoia about sex and nudity. Beneath the excuses, what is at the core of this emotional trip?
On Vashon Island, official corporate home of Planet Waves, they were busy making walking an offense there a few years back. If you were seen walking on the ‘wrong side of the road’, i.e., a desolate road called Vashon Highway in the middle of the night, you would be harassed and even arrested. It seemed so utterly trivial I could not believe it was happening.
I posted the previous post, logged off computer (at public library up the street from my home) and began to walk home with intention of walking back in an hour for more computer time.
Within a block of the library’s front door, a squad car slowed down and pulled into a driveway just in front of me. As I approached, both officers got out and approached me in what I consider to be an intimidating way (perhaps that is just the way they always get out of a car.)
I KNEW I had just crossed the street legally and had done nothing else wrong – and yet, I also knew that these people had the power to do/say whatever the hell they wanted if they wanted. So what did they want with me? Perhaps my adreline was running a tad too high because I had just written a post here concerning NUDITY and SEX? LOL!
I felt them wallow in my discomfort, then one asked me if I had heard any cars racing loudly down the street. ? I had not and that was that. But her line of dialog let something slip, “I see you walking all the time….and so I thought maybe you had heard something.” Now, if any of us had thought it through (and I did), it would have been apparent that the officers in the squad car would have experienced the same “cars racing loudly past ” that I would have experienced in the just preceeding minutes. Therefore no need to stop ME and question me. So why?
I think the answer is in the “slip” — “I see you walking all the time”. Walking places here is “not normal”. Perhaps the BPD has a new agenda to be sure they’re keeping tabs on people who don’t exactly fit local protocol? (whatever that is)?
Whatever it was, the experience – especially on the heels of this article and some other experiences yesterday and recently – made me realize that a lot of what we fear now – regarding the power we have given away to others – is right here in our laps.
I believe I held onto my “power” in this situation — that I said and did the “right” things — but WHY should I have to? Even if I misinterpreted……my interpretation is based on many other experiences over the last ten years that led to my wariness here.
BTW sadly, I’m one of those exceptionally squeeky-clean types; nothing illegal, not even any traffic tickets. (But hey, I like to get naked – oh! and have sex.)
Auxiliary story short because this post is already long enough, I coached my daughter through a scary situation yesterday via text-messaging (there’s that technology-to-the rescue thing again!)….one where people she’s calling “friend” were attempting to violate her in a way that I consider a form of rape.
SOMETHING is coming to a head. SOMETHING about authority/power opposing our fundamental personal power based in our SEX.
It might take a miracle to see us through; I for One, believe in Miracles.
Sad but true, I’ve thought for years it was only a matter of time before I read a story like this one.
Considering there no legal nude beaches in CA anymore – and many people don’t know this – and innocently get “caught” – thereby being labeled for the rest of their life as a “sex offender” – something made public to all your neighbors and potential neighbors. Of course, none of them will ever know that the “crime” was something like sunning topless on a secluded piece of sand.
As for me, I prefer to do most things I do inside my home without the restriction of clothing, or much clothing (working out, housework, artwork, play, work oh, and sex…)
BUT I do nothing without clothes on around my children — and even take pains to be sure I wear “mom appropriate” clothing when they are home, or I am going out among other people’s children. And I have greatly modified my lack-of-clothing preferences in my home based on what I think my neighbors can see – especially since I love sunshine, light and open windows as well.
I too, thought it used to be the right of an individual to be naked in their own home and the responsibility of other people to mind their own business.
I hope this story stays in the light – and in the media.
If I imagine you naked on your porch, can you be arrested for indecent exposure?
Wouldn’t I have to press charges? (Do not — I repeat, NOT– hold your breath.)
And speaking of, I suppose this gentle citizen might be advised by counsel to do just that. Pretty sure it’s the mom who would go to the hoozgow, though. Unless we’ve started incarcerating 7 year olds*.
*Hmmm… only if they’re ‘undocumented’ – apparently.
I don’t know where Cockburn gets his info about the courts having ruled that you can’t be naked in your house. That’s my understanding – that you can be, and those who look in are the ones breaking the privacy laws; it’s called being a peeping tom. I guess it will come down to: can you be naked in the shower? Can you think about your neighbor being naked? If I imagine you naked on your porch, can you be arrested for indecent exposure? Do breasts hurt children?
What about dogs and cats seeing one another naked? I am surprised that’s allowed.
This story brings back a memory dating back to the early 80’s…..(I’m feeling my age) I was living in an apartment complex with my mother. One day while I was doing the dishes, to my surprise as I looked out the window above the sink, into my neighbors sliding glass doors ( the rear of his apartment faced ours), I noted him on his couch masturbating. At a tender age of 16, all kinds of things went through my mind however to keep to the context of the story, I started paying quite a bit of attention to the sliding glass doors of my neighbor. This went on for quite some time, until apparently another next door neighbor took it upon herself to call the cops. Whats amusing is that the cops told her to shut her blinds as he has the right to do whatever he wants in his apartment. In this instance the nosy neighbor was the criminal…not the masturbator. aaaahhh what happened to the good ol days?