The 'Naked Rambler' jailed for 22 months, following arrest within 60 seconds of his release!

[kebabking]

We seem to be a society devoid of humour...

i disagree - the evidence suggests that the Police/courts in England go out of their way to not prosecute/convict him, they repeatedly ask him for a little bit of flexibility (oo-er missus..) in his stance but he gives them nothing, they give him chance after chance to make potential prosecutions/convictions go away if only he'd put clothes on for 10 minutes and then go about his business, but he won't.

i admire his strength of charactor, and i think he has a point with regards to public nudity - but he's a fool because he's been trying the same tactic for a dogs age and its not working, but he won't change tack. theres little admirable in foolishness.

 

[redcogs]

You seem to be saying that the 'authorities' have no alternative other than continuing to punish this curious man kebabking. In fact they do, and they could decide that there is no public interest in wasting resource on punishing someone who has developed an inconvenient mindset.

Leave the bloke alone would be the best policy response - relax, and learn to celebrate diversity and eccentricity.

 

[kebabking]

even when the law is an ass, and i think it is, he flouts the law. the law is either the law or its not, and he gives the authorities little choice but to implement the law when, if he was a bit cleverer about it, they'd happily ignore him.

would i call the police if i saw him - bollocks, boots and rucksack - walk down my street? no, i wouldn't, but i'd rather he kept his au naturel in the, err... au naturel.

 

[silverfish]

He's changing nowt, his obssesion, bordering on mental illness isn't achieving anything other than giving him somewhere warm to kip and three meals a day.

If his plan is publicity through noteriety people are getting bored of him. Like kebabking pointed out, if he shook up his "Tactics" he may change public perception of what he is doing and get some support.

But he is basically a fucking idiot/a broken rcord

 

[DotCommunist]

why don't we just all pretend he isn't naked, that way nobody needs to get offended and he won't get nicked. Untill a small kid breaks the consensual mass delusion and says 'Look mummy that mans got no clothes!'

 

[redcogs]

Lots of laws are flouted everyday. The law isn't applied equal handedly and at all times, far from it. Judgements are made by those within the judicial process about when to prosecute and when not to. Often blind eyes are turned - consider tax avoidance amongst the wealthy for example.

Real human beings are making interconnected decisions about whether its appropriate or not to prosecute this naked rambling man for very trivial matters. i would prefer that they stop being so dogmatically inclined to persecute him and instead focus public attention upon real criminals who violate against society. Why isn't Blair (among others) before the courts for war crimes for example - were his crimes invisible?

 

[Spymaster]

would any one on here call he police and complain if they saw him walking down the road, booted and backpacked?

It would depend where he was.

The thing is there are a fucking lot of people who don't want to see this geezer walking around their towns and cities starkers. Why do his wishes trump theirs?

Whilst the hip and right-on folk of Urban may consider him to be an eccentric oddity, others may be genuinely alarmed or offended. I'd be extremely pissed off if he were traipsing around/near schools for example.

I couldn't give a fuck if he wants to wander naked through country fields, we can leave that up to the farmers and their dogs, but he's been told time and time again to put some gear on in certain situations and he refuses. This cunt has no message that I'm aware of beyond sticking two fingers up to authority and shouting a hearty "fuck you" with regards to the feelings of those he forces to see him in the buff.

He's fucking idiot.

 

[youngian]

i disagree - the evidence suggests that the Police/courts in England go out of their way to not prosecute/convict him, they repeatedly ask him for a little bit of flexibility (oo-er missus..) in his stance but he gives them nothing, they give him chance after chance to make potential prosecutions/convictions go away if only he'd put clothes on for 10 minutes and then go about his business, but he won't.

i admire his strength of charactor, and i think he has a point with regards to public nudity - but he's a fool because he's been trying the same tactic for a dogs age and its not working, but he won't change tack. theres little admirable in foolishness.

Indeed, he's gone to jail for contempt of court rather than the nudity offence. This man has failed to attract a single follower to start a social movement of mass naked rambling so that should tell him something. He's not a man who has shown much desire to reach a social compromise on the issue either.

 

[Spymaster]

We seem to be a society devoid of humour.

Yeah, cos he's fucking hilarious.

 

[Spymaster]

Lots of laws are flouted everyday. The law isn't applied equal handedly and at all times, far from it. Judgements are made by those within the judicial process about when to prosecute and when not to. Often blind eyes are turned - consider tax avoidance amongst the wealthy for example.

This is a stupid, reductive argument which if extrapolated would see practically none but the worst crimes prosecuted. The fact is that hundreds of people have complained about this dickhead. There were over 30 formal complaints in Hampshire alone which led to the asbo that he's just been jailed for breaching. Should the authorities ignore these complaints from the public? If so, why?

 

[joustmaster]

a vocal minority of people who are terrified of their bodies probably should just stay at home reading their dailymails.

 

[Spymaster]

a vocal minority of people who are terrified of their bodies probably should just stay at home reading their dailymails.

How do you know that's who they are?

How do you know that they aren't just older people who don't see things the way that you do, or people who've been sexually abused, or intimidated by men, or have cultural beliefs that are offended by public nudity, or folk who simply want to control for themselves how their children are introduced to nakedness?

For that matter, how do you know it's a "vocal minority" that take offence?

 

[redcogs]

a vocal minority of people who are terrified of their bodies probably should just stay at home reading their dailymails.

Particularly in Hampshire it seems..

 

[Spymaster]

Particularly in Hampshire it seems..

Scotland's where he's done the most time.

Personally I don't think anything else needs to be done with the bloke unless it's decided that he should be sectioned.
Let the cycle continue. Release him, then bust him when he takes his gear off outside the jail and throw him back inside for another year. It's not like it's costing a fortune in policing or court time.

 

[redcogs]

The youtube video above shows a naked man receiving a pasting from a few males who appear to be offended by a combination of nudity and car top dancing. i found it quite instructive, and it reminded me of just how rapidly lynchmob mentality can gather pace in certain circumstances.

Some seem to believe that the naked rambler is seeking to spearhead a mass movement for nakedity - but this isn't clear to me. More likely that he's a harmless unfortunate (lacking any insight into accepted social mores).

But the idea that imprisonment fits the 'crime' is just laughable. There are more important matters to become irate about. People failing to clear up their dogshit for example.

 

[joustmaster]

How do you know that's who they are?

How do you know that they aren't just older people who don't see things the way that you do, or people who've been sexually abused, or intimidated by men, or have cultural beliefs that are offended by public nudity, or folk who simply want to control for themselves how their children are introduced to nakedness?

For that matter, how do you know it's a "vocal minority" that take offence?

You can always find some people to be offended by something. Trying to cater for this is pointless.
You have to accept that you are owed no special shield from being offended. Why should the rest of the world care if you are offended. So what? I am offended by one of my neighbours awful hats. I'm not crying and asking anyone to do anything about it. I would be if he was wearing aweful hats and wanking in the post office, but I don't think he is.

And I said "minority" from the small number of complaint the police get from having spent the last decade rambling about naked.

 

[Spymaster]

But the idea that imprisonment fits the 'crime' is just laughable.

No it's not. This is about more than the nudity issue. It's about contempt of court and breaching asbo's.

Gough has given the authorities no choice but to jail him. He's the one being unreasonable, nobody else.

 

[Spymaster]

You can always find some people to be offended by something. Trying to cater for this is pointless.
You have to accept that you are owed no special shield from being offended. Why should the rest of the world care if you are offended. So what? I am offended by one of my neighbours awful hats. I'm not crying and asking anyone to do anything about it. I would be if he was wearing aweful hats and wanking in the post office, but I don't think he is.

It's not just offensive though is it? You've conveniently avoided the examples I gave where folk could be genuinely alarmed or intimidated.

And I said "minority" from the small number of complaint the police get from having spent the last decade rambling about naked.

The number of complaints is not the number of people that don't want it happening.

 

[redcogs]

i'd be happy to see people thrown in prison for smoking outside public buildings, shops and pubs and the like. But, i imagine this is a minority view, so i shrug and accept that loads of people will offend me with their activities on a daily basis.

There ought to be a mass shrug about the naked rambler, not shrill calls for persecution and klink.

 

[Teaboy]

Some seem to believe that the naked rambler is seeking to spearhead a mass movement for nakedity - but this isn't clear to me. More likely that he's a harmless unfortunate (lacking any insight into accepted social mores).

I think its a bit more complicated then that, I believe he is an ex soldier so at one point understood what is expected of him. I agree his 'protest' appears to be an individual act with no desire to start any sort of mass movement, but frankly he comes across as damaged quite badly.

But the idea that imprisonment fits the 'crime' is just laughable. There are more important matters to become irate about. People failing to clear up their dogshit for example.

It was said further up the thread that the crime in this case was contempt of court which is taken very seriously and if found guilt you should always expect a jail sentence.

 

[Spymaster]

i'd be happy to see people thrown in prison for smoking outside public buildings, shops and pubs and the like.

Again you miss the point.

There is no law against smoking outside public buildings and the people doing it haven't been issued orders to stop and aren't in contempt or court.

 

[Teaboy]

There ought to be a mass shrug about the naked rambler, not shrill calls for persecution and klink.

I suspect you'd be hard pushed to find a single shrill call and klink as you put it. I think mostly people just want him to put some shreddies on and I suspect the courts would be happy if they never saw him again.

 

[joustmaster]

It's not just offensive though is it? You've conveniently avoided the examples I gave where folk could be genuinely alarmed or intimidated.

I would say that its their own problem to deal with, and they shouldn't expect other people to tip toe round them.
My point is that there isn't anything wrong with nudity. And anyone who has a problem with it needs to deal with that themselves, rather than expecting the world to revolve around them.

 

[Spymaster]

My point is that there isn't anything wrong with nudity.

This isn't just nudity though. It's public nudity bordering exhibitionism, the flouting of ASBO's and being in contempt of court!

And anyone who has a problem with it needs to deal with that themselves ....

No they don't. The law is on their side and Gough will continue to get busted unless and until he changes his behaviour.

 

[redcogs]

i wouldn't dispute at all that this man may be quite damaged Teaboy.

But isn't it quite sad to think that the only way of dealing with damaged humans is to further inflict them with prison sentences? Maybe treatment and kindness fit the bill? Someone prepared to go to prison for contempt when the original charges were pretty trivial don't seem to have much of a grasp of what being part of a society involves, and imprisonment is unlikely to 'reform' their difficult behaviour?

 

[joustmaster]

This isn't just nudity though. It's public nudity bordering exhibitionism, the flouting of ASBO's and being in contempt of court!

You are demented if you think this is exhibitionism.

No they don't. The law is on their side and Gough will continue to get busted unless and until he changes his behaviour.

It shouldn't be

 

[Spymaster]

Maybe treatment and kindness fit the bill?

This has been tried.

He cannot be treated against his will without being sectioned, and he has refused to be mentally assessed.

 

[Spymaster]

It shouldn't be

I disagree.

 

[joustmaster]

I disagree.

 

[DotCommunist]

what if he just grew his pubes out so the bush hides the offending cock and balls? a compromise surely?