Victimless Crimes

In the movie we viewed Friday we were exposed to different victimless crimes. These crimes don't always effect other people or involve other people but laws are simply put into place to make people behave better, act more civilized to form a healthier society. Some people argue that we hold the free right to do whatever we want to our own bodies. There are also those who feel the need to protect innocent people from living in fear because their streets are unsafe.

When discussing the issue with marijuana and other drugs the movie had made the point that making drugs illegal causes more violence. The drugs are scarce causing people to pay high prices which leads to violence when money isn't handled correctly. If drugs were legal there wouldn't need to be drug dealers and the alley attacks. However, legalizing substances that lead to health problems does not protect our citizens which is something the Government is supposed to enforce.

Another issue was prostitution. Should it be legal for a women to sell her body. This is another debate topic. Prostitution isn't considered moral; it goes against God and religion but should religion have a place in Government and stand as a reason of forbidding something. Isn't it a choice what a woman wants to do with her body. A lady on the film was talking about how it was just her job then she added "I don't think people would scrub toilets for a living" continued by saying because you think people wouldn't do something doesn't mean it should be considered a crime. However there are safety issues that go along with prostitution such as spreading diseases like HIV.

One last topic was the right to die with dignity. Giving people the privilege to demand a doctor to let you die or give you medications when your ready to die. Some people don't want a slow painful death, or to grow to an age where they don't remember their own family; they wish to die with dignity. Should they be allowed medications to speed the dying process. What if a person is not in the right state of mind or capable of making a decision like that. This seems like assisted suicide and the person is abandoning family but do people have the right to do whatever they want when it's their body?

All of these victimless crimes seem debatable. The questions remains; should freedom and free rights come before causing harm to ones own body or hurting the image of the society in which we live?