Dear Editor:

Betty Karl's Feb. 21 letter asks, "If I am walking down
the street with one of my granddaughters, how do I answer
their questions should we meet a bare-breasted woman on the
street?" Here are my suggestions.

First, she could explain that the human body is the product
of billions of years of evolution, and is nothing to be
ashamed of.  The breasts of mammals evolved to feed infants
with nourishing milk.

Second, she could explain that in many cultures, female breasts
are left uncovered, and the sight of a naked breast in public is
nothing unusual.

Third, she could explain that some narrow-minded bigots want
the government to restrict actions that hurt no one, simply
because some deem them offensive.  

Finally, she could explain that we are lucky to live in Canada,
which by and large respects the right of people to be
different, and does not enforce laws against victimless
behaviour out of some misguided allegiance to "traditional
morality".

Jeffrey Shallit