Shame on you, Seattle Parks and Recreation

I am glad this story [“Cancer survivor fights city, wins right to swim topless,” page one, June 21] was on the front page. I have a number of friends who have suffered with mastectomy-surgery scaring.

I go to a YMCA pool in Tacoma and know a number of women who benefit from pool therapy after surgery — they do talk about the pain. I have never seen a woman go topless and certainly would not be offended if I did. If you have any sense, you’d know why.

The idea of “protecting children” (my god, let us protect those precious children above all!) was from seeing bare-breasted women, God forbid! What kind of excuse is that? Women have had to fight to breast-feed their children in public. What a screwed up society we live in. Breasts are part of the mammalian body — we are mammals!

Has anyone ever brought up the subject of elderly men who have had prostrate therapy and need estrogen? They develop breasts that are quite large and look like female breasts. Are they made to wear a top? Not that I’ve seen, and I’ve seen a number of elderly men with “breasts.” It’s not their fault, it is a medical condition. Should anyone be ban them from the public because they are suffering from cancer?

What is going on? I am really disappointed in Seattle Parks and Recreation. What is inappropriate? Jodi Jaecks doesn’t have any breasts, she has scars. Shame on Seattle Parks and Rec — permission to swim topless should be on a case-by-case basis.

— Judith Fredrich, Tacoma