AANR Weekly Report 1/15/2010
*Erich Schuttauf, Executive Director***
*Our Thoughts and Prayers for the People of Haiti*
We, as the rest of the world, were so, so, sorry to hear about the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti this week. Stories of heroic work by the brave people responding to this crisis, tempered with news of the painful losses endured by so many victims, have this country on our minds. This event provides a strong reminder to cherish the time we can spend with those with whom we love.
*Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Observed*
This weekend marks the occasion for honoring slain civil rights leader Dr. King. He was famous for voicing his dream that people would not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. AANR clubs help take this one step further by recognizing that when we are all stripped down to our bare skins rather than clothed with many of the trappings of society, who we are on the inside becomes that much more important. Members, and indeed our leadership, come from all walks of life in so many shapes, sizes, from many diverse backgrounds. That’s something worth celebrating too!
Our office will be closed on Monday next week and will reopen on Tuesday during regular hours.
*AANR Releases on Air Travel Generate Much Media, Prompt Debate*
AANR distributed two press releases commenting on the state of aviation this week and much of the online world took note.
First, we encouraged passengers to think about the installation of new machines in airports–which produce an electronic scan of travelers in their birthday suits–as a “virtual skinny dip.” The release generated considerable response from newspapers, radio, Internet bloggers, and television stations who covered, re-posted, and commented on our position.
Similarly, AANR members soon responded with thoughts of their own. With a membership as large and diverse as ours it’s unsurprising that there have been many opinions expressed on the Alltogether blog at http://www.aanr.com. A number of these did not appreciate what they viewed as trivializing further erosions of personal liberties and privacy rights. Their points are well-taken.
As Executive Director of an organization with the mission to advocate for nudity (in addition to nude recreation) within appropriate settings, and to inform society of the potential benefits of such, I would not ask them to agree with the release, but to understand the spirit in which it was prepared.
During a week when there has been so much tension and bad news surrounding travel–from a devastating earthquake to security fears–many have found the AANR release a refreshing pause. There are also many polls which show that a great majority of the traveling public believe that scanning is an infringement whose benefits outweigh its concerns.
For AANR it IS important that we challenge the public to think differently about nudity and the human body. We know, for example, that simple embarrassment causes women to forgo mammograms or men to skip procedures that would detect testicular cancer early.
Several years ago when concerns about chemical and biological weapons caused disaster officials to re-evaluate procedures for dealing with casualties after an attack, planners made an interesting discovery: One of the most effective ways to treat large groups of people exposed to an agent released into, say, a building was to evacuate them immediately, have them disrobe from all clothing which may trap such agents against the body, and cleanse themselves in mass portable showers brought to the scene. When faced with such a scenario, the research uncovered that many people would “rather die” than have others see them naked. Is this healthy?
For those who will counter by asking whether changes to security procedures that make them more invasive are healthy, we can say touche’ and leave it to travelers to make up their own minds.
(A second AANR release about taking a Nakation to beat increased baggage fees is also gaining traction as noted in Carolyn’s report below.)
*Note from Lucy Heide, AANR-Southwest President*
The AANR-Southwest Board Meeting at Bluebonnet has postponed until February 26-27.
*Note from Mike Parker, AANR Nominations Chair*
The deadline for AANR Officer and Trustee nominations is March 15. There is an online location to download the nomination forms and view the ruling documents/qualification tables. At www.aanr.com, you log in to the members area and go to the download zone then to ruling documents. The forms are all there (officer, member and club trustee, guidelines for candidate profiles). Endorsements can be sent by mail to 1703 N. Main St., Suite E, Kissimmee, FL 34744, by fax to 407/933-7577 or e-mail to execasst@aanr.com. No late submissions will be accepted.
To complete the nominations process, a number of endorsements are required. If you think that you qualify to run for a position but need more information, contact Nanette Wickersham at the AANR office at 800/879-6833 or e-mail her at execasst@aanr.com.
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*2010 Elections Forum Online at AANR.com*
As the 2010 AANR elections are just around the corner, a new forum has been created for viewing and comments on AANR’s blog, The Alltogether. The purpose of the 2010 Elections Forum section is to facilitate discussions about candidates who will be running for AANR Officer and Trustee positions in 2010. In the left-hand margin of the page, click on the 2010 Elections Forum category http://blog.aanr.com/category/2010-elections-forum/
Feel free to post comments about the proposed bylaw amendments, candidates and issues, or pose questions to candidates. This is YOUR association and we’re pleased to offer this opportunity. When the time comes, we hope you’ll cast your vote.
Already online: the Proposed Bylaw Amendments .
*Carolyn Hawkins, Public Relations Coordinator*
PR has been a little busy this week from the body scanner release we sent out. You can view the release at http://blog.aanr.com/2010/01/08/nudists-agree-airport-scanning-that-takes-it-off-is-good-for-america/ .
Check out the links below to see just a few of the hits.
http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2010/01/nudists-fully-support-peeping-airport-scanners/#more-377833
http://www.gckoopi.com/news/2010/01/13/nudists-fully-suppor…
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34846903/ns/travel-tips/
http://www.economist.com/blogs/gulliver/2010/01/nudists_and_body-scanners
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/travel/detail?&entry_id=55315
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/13/nudists-support-airport-s_n_421643.html
Erich had an interview with the Chicago Tribune regarding Nakations which should run in a couple of weeks.
I also had an interview with Global Times based out of Washington DC for an article in China.
*Terry Justice, Club/Member Liaison*
I have a new phone number for Arbutus Park in British Columbia, Canada, which is:
250-472-1805
Also, please remove Central Florida Naturists from all lists; the club has closed. *DEBRA SUE STEVENS, GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS*
*REQUEST: Print the following in your Club Newsletter or send to your members in your E-News, when timely and appropriate. We want the members to know what GAT does for them!*
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*AANR Legislative Tracking*
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*Statistics for 2009:*
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*In Session: *There are 29 states, DC and US in Regular Session. There are 3 states in Special Session. There are 10 states currently prefiling/filing legislation for upcoming sessions.
*States in Regular Session:* AL, AZ, CA, CO, DC, DE, IA, ID, IN, KS, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MO, MS, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, RI, SC, SD, TN, US, VA, VT, WA, WV
*AANR Statistics: *
o *603* bills have been reviewed personally by AANR in 2010.
o *55 *bills have been reviewed in full text by AANR in 2010.
o *166 *bills are being monitored for movement/amendments. This figure includes some carryovers from 2009.
o *14 *bills have been moved to the “Archived 2009 List”
AANR encourages our membership and like-minded nudists and naturists to assist in the process of tracking bills and news impacting nude recreation. *Always contact the AANR Office before taking action.* This ensures that your actions are aligned with the strategy underway for any particular bill or advocacy effort. Remember, AANR GAT works for you! _______________________________________________ eNews mailing list eNews@aanr-nw.org http://aanr-nw.org/mailman/listinfo/enews_aanr-nw.org
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