Shock and Awe Conclusion: Spectacular Displays of Force

The final concept of “Shock and Awe” we will consider is spectacular displays of force. Many of the proposed actions already offered in discussing the previous concepts could also fall under this one: Organizational unity, conscientious and consistent involvement in reasonable means of activism, political involvement, public speaking, positive and well articulated explanation of what naturism and nudism is really about in both oral and written forums, positioning ourselves firmly on the moral high ground so as to effect change in the way society views someone who spouts anti-nudism rhetoric. But I really think one of the best means of employing this particular tactic is for large numbers of us to take a cue from gays and start “coming out of the closet.”


This was one of the most prolific and effective tactics used during the Gay Rights movement. While I’m not gay, I think I can safely speculate that like nudists and nudity, gays were never ashamed of being gay any more than we are ashamed of being nude and being nudists. But they as any sane person would be, were inclined to avoid ridicule and abuse given the opportunity. At some point, in large numbers gays and lesbians came to understand that as long as they kept that part of them secret and hidden away, nothing was ever going to change for the better. I think it is now time that nudists come to that same place of enlightened understanding. Coming out will of course not be without its attendant costs. For some that will mean inconvenience and for some real sacrifice with respect to perhaps lost relationships and lost employment opportunities. But those who came before us, that were able to secure the blessings of liberty to themselves and their posterity had the moral courage and fortitude to test their metal under fire, deal with adversity and make the sacrifices necessary. If we naturists and nudists aren’t made of that same stuff, the right stuff, then perhaps we deserve the lot that has fallen to us and we should just gratefully continue on as a perceived rogue, eccentric, fringe element of society and culture and just be happy that we have our gated clubs and resort sanctuaries to retreat to.

Personally I think we need to look deep down inside us and see if we can’t find the courage to openly declare our affinity for wholesome, social nudity to friends, family, co-workers and employers. The sooner we do it, and the more of us who do it, the sooner the discrimination, the ridicule and perhaps even abuse will stop. I know what I’m proposing is not an easy decision, either to make or act upon. But the more I think about, the more I try to hide from others the fact that I’m a nudist, the more I make that a sort of Achilles heel for myself that some unscrupulous person could use as a weapon to bludgeon me with. Secrets tend to come out given enough time, and I think it generally is much more advantageous to out yourself than to have someone do it for you as at least you have some measure of control over the speed and the timing of the disclosure. Secrets on the other hand tend to come out at the most inopportune times and in the most inconvenient places.


Before you make the decision to come out, if you haven’t already, you need to prepare first by educating yourself so that you have readily available arguments that you can articulate effectively to those who disagree with or are apt to ridicule nudists or who may even display hostility towards nudists. Under fire is not the time to learn and develop those kinds of responses. Be ready to defend nudism by explaining why you are a nudist and what the benefits are that you derive from practicing social nudity. The Army uses the shorthand expression of BE-KNOW-DO to concentrate on key factors of leadership. What leaders (DO) emerges from who they are (BE) and what they (KNOW). Leaders are prepared throughout their lifetimes with respect to BE-KNOW-DO so they will be able to act at a moment’s notice and provide leadership for whatever challenge they may face. Here again an illustration that can readily be applied to nudism. What nudists (DO) emerges from who they are (BE) and what they (KNOW). Preparing yourself now with respect to a BE-KNOW-DO mentality will allow you too to be able to act at a moment’s notice and defend your cultural choice effectively regardless of what challenges you might face.

In conclusion, Shock and Awe, also known as rapid dominance, in military doctrine is based on the concepts of: use of overwhelming power, dominant battlefield awareness, dominant maneuvers, and spectacular displays of force to paralyze an adversary's perception of the battlefield and destroy its will to fight; contains key ingredients that naturists and nudists can also employ in our battle to gain respect, understanding, tolerance and more mainstream acceptance as a viable part of culture. This is not a bunch of mindless suggestions I have offered but a clarion call to action. Human beings are prone to always seek and follow the path of least resistance, so believe me I truly understand how difficult it is to let go of an acceptance of the status quo and simply to continue business as usual rather than risk the consequences of applying many of these suggestions. But I ask you to look back in history and see how meager has been the advance of our lifestyle in the past 80 years. Then consider the new wave of conservatism that is sweeping not only this country but many abroad. Don’t kid yourself into believing that the meager rights we now enjoy are in any way secure or that they were cheaply won. Those who came before us, who pioneered the nudist way, Kurt Barthel, Ilsley Boone and more recently Lee Baxandall, all faced their own enemies and their own adversity. It would be a real shame to see the contributions made by those men come to naught but I fear that if we as a community fail to get off our collective duffs, organize, get active, come out and speak out, the nudist way will dissolve into dust and be consigned to the place of a curious footnote in human history.