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February 10, 2001
Pastor Ralph Ovadal
PO Box 771
Monroe, WI 53566
Governor Scott McCallum
PO Box 7863
Madison, WI 53702
Dear Governor McCallum:
As the new Governor of the State of Wisconsin, please
accept my congratulations. It is my prayer that God will use you greatly
in that office. I am writing to encourage you, as chief executive of our
state, to take action to end the nudity on the DNR beach near Mazomanie.
As the DNR's own files attest, this beach has been a
magnet for dangerous, reckless, and sexually perverted behavior (see
enclosed flyer). Governor McCallum, children are taken to this beach! It
is against the law to show children drawings, photographs, or any other
depictions of human genitalia; yet the State of Wisconsin is paying to
maintain a beach where adults, family members, and strangers parade naked
in front of children! And yes, contrary to the statements of DNR
officials, adult beachgoers do take cameras to the beach. I have proof of
that if you want to see it. The Supreme Court has ruled that local
governments may forbid nudity in private adult entertainment
establishments; yet the DNR says that it cannot put up a sign which
forbids nudity on a public, tax-funded beach! Whenever a nude person shows
up in public anywhere in Wisconsin, he or she is immediately arrested and
charged, even in Madison. Yet, the DNR continues to whine that they cannot
stop the nudity on the Mazo beach! The fact is, they can stop it. Aside
from enforcing state and local laws forbidding nudity, the DNR can simply
regulate that swimsuits must be worn on DNR beaches and then arrest those
who fail to comply with DNR regulations, just as they do when people
ignore other regulations such as no snowmobiling or campfires in certain
areas. Even liberal Dane County has a swimsuit rule and enforces it
(53.09(6))!
Governor McCallum, as chief executive for the State of
Wisconsin, you are charged by our state constitution to "take care
that the laws be faithfully executed" (Article V, Section 4). Once
you look into this grievous situation on Mazo beach, I am sure that you
will come to the conclusion that those who say public nudity in itself is
not unlawful are simply parsing the law for their own reasons. I sincerely
hope that you will then issue an order to DNR Secretary Darrell Bazzell to
take appropriate steps to put an end to the nudity on Mazo beach. In doing
this, you will once again make that beautiful beach the property of all of
the citizens of the state of Wisconsin, and once again youth groups and
church groups will be able to canoe that portion of the river.
In several days, a WCU-sponsored lawsuit against the
beach at Mazo will be filed on behalf of Harvey and Ruth Bender. We have
given the DNR well over the requisite 120 days since serving a notice of
our intent on June 5, 2000. Now we intend to take this matter to court.
The Benders are a hard-working couple who own a canoe business across the
river from the nude beach. Ruth, who grew up on the Wisconsin River, and
Harvey, a veteran of WWII, have lost thousands of dollars and suffered
greatly in other ways due to the DNR-sponsored nudity. Does the State of
Wisconsin care more about lawless nudists than about law-abiding,
hard-working business people? I sincerely hope not under the McCallum
Administration.
Please take a stand for decency and the children of
Wisconsin. I fail to see how such a courageous, even thrilling, stand
could do anything but get your administration off on the right foot and
earn you the gratitude of the vast majority of your fellow citizens.
Sincerely,
Pastor Ralph Ovadal
Director
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