Once again, I find myself faintly amused and more than faintly irritated at the brouhaha caused over a young woman’s choice to clad herself in swimwear and sell coffee. I grow weary of the morally uptight attempting to govern the way the rest of us should think, speak and behave.
Two things stand out to me. The first: The lack of respect shown to the patrons of this coffee stand. Quite frankly, I’m appalled that the people who frequent this business are immediately labeled as “perverts” or “dirty old men.” I realize women who are militantly feminist or overly religious are determined to make all men out to be as evil and morally corrupt as possible, but did it ever occur to them that these men go there for … oh, I don’t know … coffee? This assumption that any man who frequents a bikini coffee stand is a foaming-at-the-mouth lust monster is just sad and an insult to men in general. Men are not children; they do have some modicum of dignity and self-control. You also cannot expect me to believe that men are the only people patronizing this stand.
The second: I’m staggered by the hypocrisy of the Thursday letter writer who talks about choice, yet wants to limit the choices young women make. (“Protesting stands honors sexuality.”) Women have unlimited choices these days — they can choose to marry or stay single, to terminate a pregnancy or have a baby, to go to college or not. They can choose to be a college professor, a police officer, a blackjack dealer or a bus driver. They can also choose to don a bikini and serve lattes. The freedom to choose should mean all reasonable choices should be available, not just the choices that are comfortable.
Would I feel comfortable with my husband patronizing this business? Absolutely — because a) he’s a grown-up and makes his own choices, b) I trust him and c) he’s capable of appreciating the female form without turning into an drooling animal.
As a mature and confident woman, I find it amusing how outraged other women are by these perceived “dens of iniquity.” Perhaps those who protest against such stands should take a good long look at themselves and figure out exactly why they feel so threatened by a pretty girl in a bikini serving coffee.
Jeannette McCarty
Marysville
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