I think the right to do it should be availible to the woman if she should choose to do so. The problem comes from society and the linking a womens breast to sexuallity and sex. The whole U.S. is caught on sex and that it should be a hush hush thing. So what a woman has breasts, some are small some are large. So what....!

Now grant it I am sure there are some I wouldn't want to see, just like there are some men that I see while swimming that that just well..... You get the idea! I just think as a society, a woman should have the option to shed her shirt on a hot summer day and not be looked at any different. Hell, the english have topless models doing orange juice commercials....! American society condems parts of our bodies, because there is so much repression of sex and sexuallity in the country, we can thank many different groups for this one, but at some point the attitudes need to be changed, and new norms established. less

Jesibel420 --- Don't take any offense to this (none is intended) but your statements align perfectly with my point so I hope you don't mind me using them as an example.

And my point is; that is exactly why going topless is and always will be a big issue in America. Too many people think of it in terms of "What I want to see" or "What looks sexy." Alan & I have been to nudist colonies before, and you learn to understand nudity in any form *can* be about comfort only. Every piece of exposed flesh doesn't have to be part of a walking meat market for everyone to feast their eyes on and judge whether it's arousing or not.

As for only wanting to see boobs that are "pretty"... well that's a little off when you think about it. Our society doesn't ban people with ugly legs from wearing shorts, or require butt-ugly people to go out with bags over their heads, so what's the diff really? You simply look at something else when something "ugly" crosses your line of vision. less

The majority of women would choose not to because they don't want to.

Even in places where it's permitted - like Europe - it's restricted to beaches and other appropriate locations. You don't really think women walk the streets of Paris, London, or Berlin topless do you? less

I'd not be comfortable walking around without a shirt on and don't really want to see women walking around the mall topless. That said there are certainly places such as some beaches - where the option should be available.

Yet at the same time I'm all for breast feeding in almost any location on any occasion (just thinking it would be kinda weird in the middle of a wedding reception!!) less

Jobthingy;

Lets face it - breasts are used to feed babies maybe 1/2 to 2 years per woman - who on average is going to live 80+ years. It's no wonder feeding babies is minimized - that's only 1% of a woman's life time.

Breasts are sexualized because for many (I don't know about most) they respond to sexual stimuli by engorging and becoming more sensitive when touched. Many women I have know have told me that they often begin lubricating vaginally when their breast are stimulated.

Some social morays are reasonable and warranted by 'the facts of the case'. By and large men don't walk around with their dicks out - why? It's a practical restriction in a civilized society. You really wouldn't want to live in a society with no limits - even if you don't agree with some of them. less

Men's nipples, on average, are just as sensitive as women's on average. So if being erogenous was a factor in obscuring them, men should have to cover theirs too. And only in highly industrialized countries and only for a few centuries have the time line for breast feeding been reduced that far. In most of the world and for most of human existence, humans have breast fed their off spring for a minimum of 3 years and up to 6 or 7. (And breasts are their for feeding, any sexual pleasure derived from them are merely a perk biologically.)

(This part isn't part of the argument, but a good and interesting lesson in why breasts are awesome for anyone that has them or loves them.) Why? Because breast milk is awesome. 1. It's free. And most of the world isn't as well off as the U.S. 2. It provides absolute complete nutrition for the young and they can live solely off breast milk for years. So in countries that are impoverished or are going through a famine, they only have to feed the mother in order to nutritionally support her AND her young kids. 3. Doesn't require sterilized water as formula does which also leaves third world countries to relying on what's biologically given to them. 4. During the first few days after birth, the "milk" is more clear and is called "colostrum" which provides newborns with antibodies to help prevent, or fight, infections because newborns aren't producing their own yet and depend on their mother for it.

Breasts are awesome.

Speaking of, this month is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Is everyone doing their personal monthly checks? And people over the age of 35 or with high risk family history getting their mammograms?

And to the men: It's not just for the ladies! Though only 2% of cases of breast cancer are male, about 300 men die every year for undiagnosed breast cancer. And alcoholics, or those with a history, are at higher risk because cirrhosis of the liver can result in higher levels of estrogen.

This has been a friendly EF public service announncement. less

Jobthingy;

Lets face it - breasts are used to feed babies maybe 1/2 to 2 years per woman - who on average is going to live 80+ years. It's no wonder feeding babies is minimized - that's only 1% of a woman's life time.

Breasts are sexualized because for many (I don't know about most) they respond to sexual stimuli by engorging and becoming more sensitive when touched. Many women I have know have told me that they often begin lubricating vaginally when their breast are stimulated.

Some social morays are reasonable and warranted by 'the facts of the case'. By and large men don't walk around with their dicks out - why? It's a practical restriction in a civilized society. You really wouldn't want to live in a society with no limits - even if you don't agree with some of them. less