Sex and Conservatives Like a
Sex and Conservatives
Like a pavlovian dog hearing the bells, I must respond to a recent entry from the blog Libertarian Samizdata. The blogstress Natalija launched a rant after reading this article about a dying boy whose last wish was to experience sex. Some friends obliged and arranged a visit with a prostitute for the 15year-old boy before his death. Now Natalija seems quite upset that conservatives, feminists, and others would not see the story as a touching tribute to true friendship. Well, I for one find it surprising that an intelligent woman such as Natalija would miss the troubling aspects of such a case.
Lets forget for the moment the issues surrounding sex before marriage, etc. that non–Christians find so puritanical. There are still a number of issues involved, herewith some ruminations:
1) Natalija: “How can a woman be ‘demeaned’ by engaging in her chosen profession with a grateful dying boy?” Is it not possible that ones chosen profession can be demeaning and dehumanizing? Is Natalija insinuating that prostitutes live happy, self-fulfilled, emancipated lives? Is it not possible that turning sex into just another market transaction cheapens the act and the people who commit it? One doesn’t have to be a prude to disapprove of prostitution. Does the boys gratitude make the act ok? Might the boy be grateful for all sorts of acts that are nontheless wrong?
2) Natalija again: “I am so very glad that more compassionate souls were there to make the only true moral decision or this story would have reduced me to tears.” So, the moral choice in this case was to conspire to break the law (sex with minors, prostitution?) in order that a 15-year-old boy could have some instant gratification with a prostitute against the wishes of his parents with little or no counseling!!!! First of all, does dying suddenly change what is healthy for a 15 yr. old? Is Natalija arguing that all 15 year olds should be allowed to have sex with prostitutes? Might the compassionate thing to do have been to explain to the child that sex was something best experienced between people who love each other and are mature enough to understand its implications? Does Natalija believe that sex is just another bodily function and that any societal compulsion to see it as otherwise is cruel? If so, then I think she is heading towards the lack of moral boundaries and traditions that the whole dust up with Jonah Goldberg was about.
This post is already too long so I wrap up. Sure sex happens in all sorts of circumstances and situations but that does not make it right. ?Reality? is often the excuse to push things beyond prudent boundaries (just search the net if you want to find some examples). Moral reasoning does not involve simply accepting what happens but deciding what should be happening. There are a lot of things conservatives can and should be chided about, but ethical concern when a 15 year old boy has sex with a prostitute is not one of them.
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I must start off by saying that while I don’t necessarily disagree with your opinion, I definitely think your argument is flawed.
“Is it not possible that ones chosen profession can be demeaning and dehumanizing?”
It’s possible that one may feel that their profession is demeaning and/or dehumanizing. However, we are all bound to the choices we make and if they are truly choosing to work in a profession that they feel is demeaning then they should leave. We all have choices no matter whether we think they are good ones or not.
“Is Natalija insinuating that prostitutes live happy, self-fulfilled, emancipated lives?”
I doubt that she is insinuating this. Do all fortune 500 CEO’s live happy, self-fulfilling, emancipated lives? Hardly. Sure some do, but some don’t. Making blanket statements just tends to show a lack of thought. It’s kind of like saying all blacks are less intelligent than whites. Do you want to be the person to argue that?
“Is it not possible that turning sex into just another market transaction cheapens the act and the people who commit it?”
So are we now working under the assumption that all people who have sex want it to be special in exactly the way that you want it to be special? Believe it or not, many people have differing opinions on how sex is special to them.
“One doesn’t have to be a prude to disapprove of prostitution. Does the boys gratitude make the act ok?”
I have to admit. You have a good point here. What difference does the boys gratitude make when you look at the bare bones of this situation? I mean, would it be ok to shoot him full of heroine because he would then show his gratitude to the drug pushers of the world? It doesn’t change the legality one bit.
“First of all, does dying suddenly change what is healthy for a 15 yr. old?”
Now what exactly is healthy for a 15 year old boy? Is it healthy for him to know that he is going to die at an unnaturally young age never having experienced life as most others have? It’s one thing to live your life knowing you’re different than everyone else. It’s an entirely different thing to die knowoing that you are different than everyone else. In Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs, group acceptance and loving is one of the base needs. (Please don’t cheapen this to the level of “should I want to be accepted by drug addicts?” because it is meant in a more straight forward way.) The child needs to feel like he belongs with the rest of the human race.
“Is Natalija arguing that all 15 year olds should be allowed to have sex with prostitutes?”
Now this just seems to be mudslinging. If she is arguing this point then can we at least have the class to not justify it with an answer? Eminem makes millions of dollars yearly by making comments like this that piss people off. You really want her to win at a game like this?
“Might the compassionate thing to do have been to explain to the child that sex was something best experienced between people who love each other and are mature enough to understand its implications?”
So how would the end of this conversation go? “And I’m sorry son, but you’ll die long before you reach that age so you’re just SOL.” It doesn’t seem like a very compassionate talk to have. “Tough shit son, you’re dying. Buck up and take it like a man… oh wait, we just established that you’re just a boy.”
“There are a lot of things conservatives can and should be chided about, but ethical concern when a 15 year old boy has sex with a prostitute is not one of them.”
I think that anyone who says, in exactly these words, “15 year old boys should be allowed to have sex with prostitutes.” Has more holes in their head that you have in your argument. Well put conclusion.
Peace,
Skitch