Are the Republicans taking a Bath in Israel?

During a Congressional trip to Israel in August of 2011, after a hot day of Holy Land sightseeing in which alcohol may have been one of the attractions, a group of GOP congressman, staff and others, as reported on Politico, went for a late night swim in the Sea of Galilee, Yam Kinneret.

Joining in that plunge was Congressman Kevin Yoder, a Republican from Kansas, who took off his clothes and jumped into the body of water which the New Testament says Jesus walked on.

Said the report:

"Other participants, including the daughter of another congressman, swam fully clothed, while some lawmakers partially disrobed. More than 20 people took part in the late-night dip in the sea, according to sources who were participants in the trip."

"I feel incredibly remorseful that I have caused embarrassment to my constituents and I have caused folks who believe in me to be disappointed," Yoder told the Kansas City Star after the story broke.

But Congressman, hold that embarrassment. If you had only waited a few weeks more, you could have participated in an even bolder nude water event in Israel that frankly puts your international splash to shame.

In September, American photographer, Spencer Tunick, who is famous for his large scale naked shoots, organized a group shot of over a 1000 nude volunteers while they were floating in the Dead Sea to demonstrate both Israel's openness, and to draw attention to the body of water which is drying up.

"Everyone was attired the same, wrinkles and all, and no one could care less," reported Haaretz.

Just imagine Congressman Yoder floating naked belly up, or down in the Red Sea (You choose, and I can understand why you might not want to). Instead of being outraged by his behavior you would have to give him style points for just trying to put his best side forward in an effort to save the environment.

Hey, maybe Tunick could have even shot a Holy Land post card of him for the constituents back home.

Speaking of back home, I wondered how the Congressman's skinny dipping antics might have played at a Kansas water park or lake.

According to an organization called the Naturist Action Committee, which keeps track of laws regarding nudity:

"Kansas has no state statute criminalizing mere nudity in public." That would seem to allow Yoder to take an au naturel dive. However, in Kansas that "Does not mean that instances of public nudity are exempt from state charges, prosecutions and convictions."

Under Kansas law "'Lewd and lascivious behavior'" includes publicly exposing a sex organ or exposing a sex organ in the presence of a person who is not the spouse of the offender and who has not consented thereto, with intent to arouse or gratify the sexual desires of the offender or another."

Though you would think none of this would apply to prospective Yoder Kansas skinny dip, according to the naturists, this is the law Kansas uses to charge and prosecute those who are merely nude.
Uh-oh, in other words if Congressman Yoder tried the same birthday suit swim at home that he did in Israel, he might be subject to prosecution.

Would the penalty sink him? According to the naturist group, a conviction under Kansas law would just be a "class B nonperson misdemeanor," so he still might be in the swim. That is "unless the offense was committed in the presence of someone under the age of 16" then it becomes a felony. In cases involving nudity seen by a person under 18, those convicted "are presently labeled as sex offenders and required to register with the state."

If you were wondering, that Congressman's daughter who was present at Yoder's Galilee skinny dip was 19.

Edmon J. Rodman has written about making his own matzah for JTA, Jewish love music for the Jerusalem Post, yiddisheh legerdemain for the Los Angeles Jewish Journal, a Bernie Madoff Halloween mask for the Forward, and what really gets stuck in the La Brea Tar Pits for the Los Angeles Times. He has edited several Jewish population studies, and is one of the founders of the Movable Minyan, an over twenty-year-old chavura-size, independent congregation. He once designed a pop-up seder plate. In 2011 Rodman received a First Place Simon Rockower Award for "Excellence in Feature Writing" from the American Jewish Press Association."