LIBERTARIANplace

Victimless Crimes
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If an adult enters into any activity with full knowledge of the potential consequences and implications of his or her activities and there are no direct unwelcome effects or consequences of such action on any other person or property, can any such action be a crime under any circumstances?

And what if certain activities defined above are deemed criminal? If they are done in privacy, what is required of the state to apprehend such criminals? Are we willing to sacrifice our constitutional rights to allow the government to spy on private personal behavior? Are we willing to commit the resources to pay for policing, prosecution and punishment of such "crimes?" And if we do, what other things of value must be sacrificed in order to pay this price?

Drug use for instance... See The War on Drugs.

Sex workers, for instance...  If sex workers were allowed to practice their craft legally, would they not be more likely to seek and undergo constant medical monitoring? Would they not be more likely to report crimes committed against them by their clients? Wouldn't their environment be safer for themselves and their children? Wouldn't it remove one more enterprise from the menu of services of organized crime?

Gambling, for instance...   The government runs legal gambling operations, or licenses it, so how can we say those who choose to operate their own gambling syndicates are criminals?

When you think of the cost to society in...

• invasion of privacy
• collateral damage
• policing behavior that produces no direct victims
• housing and feeding those convicted of such crimes

Is there really any "vice," crime or victimless crime of any kind that is worth it to society to be categorized as a crime.
 
Delving Deeper: We have provided a special link to this article to explain briefly and succinctly our position all issues, and another, to explain why the position we we are taking on this page is in your best interest..