Consensual Crimes

High Mage Serratus

A consensual crime is a crime where no one can be adversely affected other than the person commiting the crime. Consensual crimes include drug use, prostitution, gambling and not wearing a seatbelt.

So, the question before us today, should consensual crimes really be considered crimes? There are two main standpoints in this debate;

1. Yes. Governments and law enforcement are there to protect people. Sometimes this includes protecting them from themselves. We should stop people from taking drugs, selling their bodies, gambling money and not wearing seatbelts if they're too naive or stupid to stop themselves.

2. No. Humans have free will and the power to consent to do things to their own bodies. It is their human right to take drugs, sell their bodies, gamble money and not wear a seatbelt. If you force them not to, you're infringing on their basic human right to self-determination and free will.

I'll state my opinion later. What are yours?
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If you see dreadlocks and a staff coming towards you very rapidly, you're in trouble.

High Prophet Crozeus

Hmm, a tricky one. Well, people can do whatever they want to their body, even if it is a risk to themselves and is completely moronic, like drugs. I think some countries calling them "crimes" and enforcing them as such is fair, but only if the police force is capable. The law is the law, and they have to abide by it.

Then again, seeing the police spending time and manpower on enforcing petty offences like the ones you mentioned, is infuriating when there are people out there who are genuine threats to society. In an ideal world, these things would be crimes and would be enforced as such, but we don't live in one. This pathetic "democracy" is all about free will, so they can go ahead for all I care.
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Supreme Prophet Praxeum

Seeing the role of government as only established to protect the population of the country, my solution would be yes. I see the general use of the government’s finance being spent on far too much, when the government was established to provide protection for their citizens alone.

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