Nudists: Foley's (R) attack on camp is malicious (Florida)

The Miami Herald ^ | 7/7/03 | Peter Wallsten

[LdSentinal]

In his quest for a seat in the U.S. Senate, Rep. Mark Foley has rankled a group that is barely covered in most elections: nudists.

Foley, of West Palm Beach, has hit the national TV and radio talk-show circuit in recent weeks to bash a Tampa-area summer camp not unlike most camps -- except that the boys and girls, ages 11-18, are naked.

Foley, a Republican hoping to replace Sen. Bob Graham, says that letting naked teenagers play together is immoral and potentially dangerous.

But ''naturists'' who say the camp exposes their children to a perfectly healthy and wholesome education see something more calculated: A candidate with a reputation as a social moderate on issues such as gay rights and abortion has found a convenient target to boost his reputation among conservatives who decide GOP primaries.

A group of camp representatives and officials of the American Association for Nude Recreation is scheduled to meet with Foley today in West Palm Beach. ''We're going to tell him that what he's doing is irresponsible and malicious,'' said Shirley Mason, a Miami naturist and former association board member. ``The fact is these children are naturists and have grown up with naturists.''

Foley began his tear last month after reading a feature story about the camp in The New York Times.

The story included interviews with children and camp officials touting the experience as healthy but noted an episode in which a stranger had been seen trying to peep and was led away.

The camp is at Lake Como in Pasco County, which has been a haven for nudists for years.

''This seemed to me to be beyond the pale of something that would be lawful,'' Foley said in a telephone interview last week.

PART OF BID?

Foley, co-chairman of a congressional caucus created to advocate for missing and exploited children, denied that his rail against the camp was related to his bid for the Senate.

The campaign pits him against the socially conservative former Rep. Bill McCollum and possibly other more conservative contenders who have yet to enter the race.

It just so happens, he said, that network television producers and others in the media view the issue as interesting. He said he has not sought out the interviews that he's landed with the likes of Diane Sawyer on ABC's Good Morning America, Harry Smith on CBS's Early Show and Bill O'Reilly on Fox's The O'Reilly Factor.

''This might be an important issue that conservatives want a solution to, but I'm not doing this to energize the base,'' he said. ``I'd be pursuing this with the same vigor as I would if I were just seeking reelection.''

After he read The Times article, Foley sent a letter to Gov. Jeb Bush asking how a camp allowing naked children to play together could be legal.

The governor directed the issue to the Legislature, which might take up a bill to address the camp this month when it convenes for a special session to address medical malpractice insurance rates.

For years, Foley has faced criticism from Christian conservatives -- a key voting bloc in the Republican primary -- for supporting gay rights and for opposing the overturning of the Roe vs. Wade decision that legalized abortion.

CONSERVATIVE ISSUES

Also in recent months, Foley and his advisors have sought out issues to help cast him as a conservative, touting his support for gun rights, pushing for further restrictions to child pornography on the Web, and calling for greater limits on illegal immigration.

By targeting the nudist camp, said Nicky Hoffman, president of the Wisconsin-based Naturist Society, ``He's trying to blur some issues.

``He's trying to take the focus away from himself and put it somewhere. That's the way politicians do things.''

Hoffman said nudist activists took notice recently when Foley demanded that the media respect his privacy regarding rumors about his sexual orientation.

`ASKING FOR PRIVACY'

''We're all parents, and we're just asking for the privacy to raise our children in the way we want to,'' Hoffman said. ``Turnabout is fair play.''

The naturists plan to invite Foley to visit the camp and judge it for himself -- an invitation Foley said he plans to refuse.

''He's uneducated,'' said Marion Hofmann, a St. Petersburg naturist whose three grandchildren, ages 16, 11 and 11, attend the camp.

``These kids come home more mature and comfortable with who they are. If [Foley] wants to see it for himself, he's more than welcome.''

[honeygrl]

"Part of the problem is that the State enforcers (and snitches)are everywhere and the application of law is not flexible (or just). When I was a teen, kids were skinny dipping in local ponds, mooning, and streaking. Don't think laws meant for flashers should be applied. But if there is a prohibiting law, the police (in today's world) will enforce it in a robotic manner and the judge will sentence."

You are right on that. We definitely don't need even more laws. In fact, we need to get rid of a few.

[The Red Zone]

Part of the problem is that the State enforcers (and snitches)are everywhere and the application of law is not flexible (or just). When I was a teen, kids were skinny dipping in local ponds, mooning, and streaking. Don't think laws meant for flashers should be applied. But if there is a prohibiting law, the police (in today's world) will enforce it in a robotic manner and the judge will sentence.

It may've been a Constitutional abortion to rival Roe, but IMHO Lawrence will provide all the legal "cover" necessary for this private activity so long as the parents consent.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Foley vs. wrinkled tan gherkins *ping*

[Impy]

Put some clothes on!!