Why aren't more people

capitalizing on the endless mirth that can be had by referring to General Petraeus as "The Surge Protector?"

Behold the Burqini (tm)!

This is pretty cool. While marketed towards conservative Muslim women, it has growing appeal with other groups, such as conservative Christians, people with various ailments that make them sensitive to sunlight, as well as women who are just plain uncomfortable in a more modern 1 or 2 piece swimsuit.

Some of the reactions have been interesting as well. One in particular that caught my eye was this comment from Taina Bien-Aimé, executive director of Equality Now, the international women's-rights watchdog:

"Clearly you're not considered a full human being if you're mandated to cover yourself head to toe in this tent"

That got me thinking, and I came to two conclusions: First, I think it's pretty clear that you're not considered a full human being if you're mandated to expose as much flesh as possible without actually violating obscenity laws. Now, it's true that women's dress isn't mandated in our secular Western society in the same manner certain Muslim countries , but I'm sure that all women will agree with me that the societal pressure to be a size 00 (yes, size 4 or even size 2 is too big these days) is inescapable. Just look through.... well look through just about anything: magazines, billboards, network TV ads, cable ads, banners on the internet. Everywhere you turn it is made abundantly clear that the standard of beauty in America is a slim woman with perky boobs, small waist and a tight butt. Fat people who get skinny are applauded, skinny people who get fat are ridiculed. So, while I would not say it's mandated, everyone, Taina Bien-Aimé included, would say there is unbelievable social pressure to bare it all on the beach.

Second, why do we choose to cover those small parts of the female form? I mean, very, very little is left to the imagination on certain beaches in this country; some bikini designs have less fabric than bras and panties, so why bother? Why not just let people go to the beach nude?

It must be because there's something different, something special about these areas. These body parts, the breasts, the butt and pelvic area must be more private, more intimate then the rest of the body put together. These most sensual things must never be seen in public; they are only to be shared within the confines of loving relationship. I know that that is not remotely the case in reality; (you can see enough nipples to last a lifetime, for free, in five minutes, on the net) what I'm trying to get at here is the Cultural Ideal. If that's the reason we keep certain areas of the body sacred, might not Muslim standards of decency be for the same reason? To keep certain sensuous, intimate, even erotic parts of the body out of the public arena? If that's so, then a Burqini is a significant upgrade to the worth and value of the feminine form, far above and beyond the value we generally place on it.