[Jim Scott]

Waiting, searching, and finding the one right person becomes a lot less valuable, even for those who are so inclined, if everyone has to do it.

No one has to do any such thing. The generally accepted morality that we've abandoned is a loss to society as a whole, especially to the out-of-wedlock children these casual relationships produce which is almost as bad as the soul-deadening fact of a million-plus abortions performed in American every year, most on white, middle-class women who are not married.

Serial sexual 'relationships' between unmarried young adults are ultimately depressing and the fact that this is now considered 'normal' does nothing for the men and women involved who end up wondering why (eventual) marriage is no big deal and often divorce in a few years as the marriage was just a nother 'relationship' and held little meaning after all the sexual affairs that came before it. It's sad and although there are always exceptions, this tends to be quite common in today's 'anything goes' society where sex between unmarried young adults is taken for granted, if not expected.

Forty-plus years ago young adult men and women still had casual relationships, sometimes many before marriage, but sex was not automatic or expected, although of course some did engage in it. There was no perceived need to 'try it out' much less play house and pretend it was a committed relationship - except that either one could flee at the first sign of a problem, boredom or a better sexual partner.

We've lost something important as a society in the name of, what else? Freedom. Well, we're free alright. Free to be promiscuous and call it a 'relationship'. Free to have a million abortions a year. Free to contract STD's by the millions and many women are free to face thirty-five unmarried and feeling used with all illusions shattered and possibly a fatherless child in tow.

No, no one is forced to remain chaste before marriage (and it was never a law in America that anyone had to) but with the permissiveness and frat-boy mentality we've adopted when it comes to sex between unmarrieds and the meaning of 'relationships' being one of sex and convenience and little more, we've lost a lot, even if it was voluntary.

[BikerNYC]

Freedom always leads to things that many people would prefer not to have around. And, yes, freedom does have its risks. That is why freedom is stifled in so many parts of the world, so as to eliminate that which many find offensive and to avoid whatever risks that are attending.

One hundred years ago we couldn't even have this discussion amongst polite society, since it touched upon such vulgar and salacious topics. There was no law, per se, that deprived people of the opportunity to discuss these things amongst themselves; it simply wasn't done. And, admittedly, there was a risk that the mere speaking of such things would awaken in people the desire to experiement and to experience, exactly, what people were talking about.

Now, certainly, those who cared not to partake of such discussion should have been allowered to excuse themselves from the room; that would be fair. But I prefer -- and I guess that's what it is, a preference -- to live in a society that allows people to take risks, to live the way they believe is best for them (subject to a few commonly agreed upon limitations that are always changing), than to feel a social pressure to hide away what would make them happy.

Yes, freedom can be ugly, sickening, disease-ridden, it can lead to all sorts of behaviors that many find objectionable, it can be obscene and taken to extremes, it can also be used to maintain older conventions and to express whatever feelings one might have on any subject...but I wouldn't have it any other way.