I have long used the term "victimless" crimes to discuss nanny legislation I would personally prefer to see abolished. While I knew the term was less than perfect, I used it as it was a generally accepted term with which most readers could identify.

But, as we learn, we grow and evolve, and one of my latest readings has been the Peter McWilliams book "Ain't Nobody's Business if You Do", which speaks of consensual crimes in America. He uses the term "consensual" crimes because many defendants have used the fact that their crimes were "victimless" in instances where they were most decidedly not, in addition to the fact that, to some degree, virtually everything in the category has a "victim" on some level if you want to call them that (although, in the case of consensual crimes, the "victim" is usually onesself).

And so, as I thought about it, I felt it necessary to blog this change of terminology, in part to explain why the terms have been changed, and also to clarify the fact that when I speak of "consensual" crimes, I am speaking EXPLICITLY of adults who are capable of making an informed decision for themselves (this is necessary for me to state because a certain pedophile advocacy group has been pushing the concept of "consensual" sex with children too young to make such an informed decision; not only do I not want any of my statements identified with or used in defense of said group, I personally wish to see those individuals prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law for any actions they may take consistent with their vile beliefs).

I don't want to have to add this qualifier to all of my articles on such subjects, so I'm posting the definition here for later reference.