2010

Night swimming at a nudist beach. What'sss up. The walk was precarious; fitting of the delicate situation. A steep walk with every kind of ruse was designed to keep amateurs at bay - this was big boy's business. I walked past a sign that read 'If you encounter offensive behaviour, this is an issue for the police to deal with.' I think my canary down the mine just died.

The beach emerged suddenly. We stood on a rocky outcrop while the water swelled only metres away. It would be a fantastic place to jump in during the day time, if only the beach wasn't infested with middle aged slugs, in all their glory. I think it's worth noting that this beach was called 'Ladies Bay.' This is ironic, as almost all of the people who go are men; whether it's an attempt to allure women or a well known joke - as they are all completely aware that it's a sausage fest, who knows.

Unfortunately, I hadn't got the message in time to grab togs - and I wasn't about to expose myself in front of innocent church girls. I sat with a few others while Katrina, Ryan, Josh and Jason seized the day (or night.) The water was reportedly warm; I wouldn't know, I was too much of a sissy. I could have gone in my shorts, or underwear, but I didn't want to sit in the car wet while I drove home. I wish I'd swam.

But, I did get to enjoy a great view. The water seemed especially thick, as though it was lava pouring out of an unseen volcano. As my friends swam, they left luminous wakes which forced the water apart. The stars were especially bright, shining against bold silhouettes of the pohutukawa trees above us. There were high clouds, light and fluffy, moving quickly. Rangitoto reared in the distance, dwarfing the swimmers. It was a really great night.

Today, I've been bored as. All my friends went to the Big Day Out and I had to drop them off. I didn't really have the money to spend. Ryan and I got out a documentary called 'This Divided State.' It is definitely worth watching. Michael Moore is invited to speak at the Utah Valley State College, which is predominantly conservative and Republican. There is immense opposition. The efforts of some of the students is inspiring – they are told they have rejected their families, country and religion. Freedom of speech is foundational in the 21st century; it's guaranteed under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990, s2(14):

Everyone has the right to freedom of expression, including the freedom to seek, receive, and impart information and opinions of any kind in any form.

Just because we vehemently disagree with someone's opinion; we should never prevent them from expressing that view. No matter how abhorrent or extreme we find them, we must grant them that right. We may later find ourselves to be the ones who held the abhorrent or extreme position. (Think about how many New Zealanders defended the right to smack their children - didn't the nation later reject the right to discipline wives? [Under coverture, women held almost identical legal status as children do now.])

It doesn't matter if they are wrong; reason and intelligence will prevail. As the documentary opened with:

If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter. George Washington

It's a fascinating documentary - but more because of how accurately it reflects all societies rather than one.