June 24: LETTERS
FOR HEAVEN'S sake! Get over it! The Sun's fixation with breasts is getting
just a little tiresome. It reminds me of nothing so much as a bunch of 3-year-olds
giggling about "boobies." The only difference? Three-year-olds get bored
of it eventually, while the Sun's snickering and slavering goes on ad nauseam. It
speaks volumes about the mentality of those writing and/or editing your paper (not
to mention suggesting their sex lives are in a sorry state if they get this excited
about a naked breast!) that day after day you continue to devote your front page
to this issue -- which is really a non-issue, given that it's legal! You don't give
such coverage to other legal (non)events. Imagine the headlines: "Man Wears
Shoes On Downtown Street!" Or, "Dog Is Walked On A Leash!"
A.Gorbould
(Hey, it beats murder and mayhem)
MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS Minister Al Leach is forgetting half the equation in the
controversy over municipalities controlling women going topless in public places
(June 19, "City Dress Codes Pushed.") The Ontario Appeal Court issued
a two-part ruling, saying it is not inherently indecent for women to appear bare-chested
in public places. Here is the important part though: the court also said it is unconstitutional
to discriminate against women by passing laws that require them to wear tops in
places where men are not required to. So if a town doesn't want women walking along
the streets with nothing on top, that's fine -- pass a bylaw forbidding toplessness.
The only catch is, the bylaw must apply tomen too. The town will also have to make
sure the local constabulary enforces the bylaw equally for both men and women, or
it may be overturned by the courts because of selective enforcement. To solve the
public pool problem we must either get used to gals swimming with nothing on top,
or bring back 1920s'-style tank suits for men. There was a reason men ditched them
in the 1930s, you know. Maybe it's time to let the ladies do the same.
Steve Ross
Toronto
(Pardon us if we're suspicious of male motives on this issue)