No such things as 'victimless crimes'

I was taking a poll on Facebook the other day when the question came up of doing away with laws governing “victimless” crimes such as drugs, gambling, prostitution and the like.
My gut reaction was fast and firm – no, no, no, and a thousand times no! There are no such things as “victimless crimes.” It infuriates me that people think what they do in the privacy of their own homes doesn’t affect others. It does. And with negative actions come negative reactions.
Mankind is inherently evil. We are born to sin. Humans spend their first years learning to overcome their innate selfishness. We are naturally greedy and self-serving. Some of us never overcome any of that and all of us never overcome all of it. If we did, there would be no such thing as temptation. We would be perfect beings and not in need of the grace of God.
There has been much clamoring of late in this nation for the legalization of marijuana. The argument is that it doesn’t affect anyone else – it’s a victimless crime. Let’s explore that, shall we?
First of all, the users victimize themselves in the damage they do to their lungs and brains. Smoking marijuana is as addictive and cancer-causing as cigarettes.
The user suffers permanent brain damage from pot. It diminishes their capacity to reason and function in society. They lose time from work (and thus productivity) and being high causes them to have negative interactions with others around them.
Then there is the issue of second-hand smoke. The second-hand smoke has the same effect on those who breathe it as it does on the user, and it is not always the bystander’s choice to be exposed to it, especially children.
Those under the influence of marijuana are as dangerous as a drunk, especially when they drive. That puts everyone on the road at risk. And those who are high on the job have more accidents, lost productivity and more screw-ups than those who are sober. That victimizes everyone around the user.
As for pornography and prostitution – sex addiction in general, I could write a whole book on the subject. Both destroy marriages and wreck families. The worlds of porn and prostitution are wrought with slaves and drug addicts (many of them children). They spread disease and teach us to devalue other humans, especially women.
How many men do you know who feel their home life would be improved by prostitution? Will they become a better husband and father by viewing pornography? How much more productive will you be at work with a picture of a naked woman on your computer?
A great resource on this subject is the XXX Church (www.xxxchurch.com). It’s a ministry aimed at rescuing porn actors and actresses from the industry, but it has numerous resources to help those caught in the trap of using porn.
Gambling is a compulsive, addictive crime that causes a lot of damage, especially that which is unseen. Gamblers not only place their addiction above their families, they often sacrifice their fortunes and the well being of those dependent on them for their survival, just for another toss of the dice or pull of a lever.
The reason casinos are in business is because they make money – they win. Their customers lose. Oh sure, some come away with the jackpot, but most of the time it is the gambler who will walk out with less than he started. And too often there is a spouse and/or child at home who will have to do with less, in addition to the time lost with the person who is gambling.
When it comes to state-run lotteries, well, I quit paying those taxes when they became optional. Don’t be fooled for a minute – lotteries are taxes. It’s a gullibility tax.
There are reasons we have these various laws on our books. These so-called victimless crimes are mired in a sea of victims and only the willfully ignorant refuse to see it.
As you can see, it’s not a matter of a bunch of goody-goody puritans trying to force their own viewpoints and beliefs on others that we have these laws. Those laws are there to protect not only the true victims, but the stupid from themselves.
These self-gratifying pleasure seekers who think there are no consequences to their actions need to know and understand that there are very grave consequences to the things they do in private.
So, should we do away with these laws and get government out of our homes? I think not. As long as others are at risk from the behaviors of those who lack self-control, there will always be a need for laws to protect us.