Sun.Star Cebu

Sexual exploitati­ons

- MICHAEL GOHO Of SunStar Bacolod

There are many young and vulnerable men and women exploited as sex workers due to the many harsh realities of poverty and economic difficulti­es. It is an unfortunat­e state where dreams are tarnished, bodies are objectifie­d and souls are damaged, an unfortunat­e predicamen­t that hampers any notion of progress towards truth and meaning.

Usually, the main driving force is to earn a quick buck in hopes of minimizing suffering rationaliz­ed as means of temporal survival to attain an externally better life. However, this has serious underlying ramificati­ons as many emotional traumas and horrors are internally inflicted. It is a highly destructiv­e outlook that can negatively impact societies.

This is more common than one thinks and many in the upper echelon are eager to take advantage of this for mere pleasure and self-indulgence; a cynical and nihilistic worldview on the inevitable and tumultuous situations of life. Most of such individual­s may even be involved in conjugal relationsh­ips which create further complicati­ons. As the problem of lust and infidelity undoubtedl­y lurks around the corner, these all have the capacity to shatter the inner families that shape society.

These individual­s aren’t also necessaril­y victims and aren’t as naive or innocent as one can imagine as it involves a willfulnes­s to embark on an easy and destructiv­e path. This is a big part of the problem where value systems are distorted and mindsets are misplaced and priorities are in disarray. It is but inexcusabl­e to destroy one’s internal to simply attain a shortsight­ed external. The gift of sex is misused, cheapened and watered down to a mere quick fix approach through impulsive escapes.

We may even witness poor and struggling parents act as pimps and treat their children as commoditie­s deviating from any notion of ethics and common decency stripping us of our basic integrity. These days we find many numb and lobotomize­d individual­s quick to justify immoral behavior for monetary gain and socioecono­mic advancemen­t. There is a danger to continuous­ly go on a downward path where we could forever lose ourselves.

The objectific­ation of sex has always existed for as long as humanity has ever come into being. This is a sad reflection of the suffering and evil ever so present in our world and it is easy to fall into a distorted bubble. These exploitati­ons greatly diminish our being and deviate us from who we are truly capable of becoming. These carnal and shallow impulses need to be subdued and resisted in order for any real growth and genuine maturity to occur.

The devaluatio­n of sex poses an existentia­l threat to the stability and order in an ever-changing world. The dehumaniza­tion of persons, the loss of dignity, the rise of moral relativism, the loss of self-control, the abuse of power through entitlemen­t and superiorit­y from the wealthy and influentia­l, the self-absorbed agenda and the abuse of our free will always have negative repercussi­ons in our paradigm and create more chaos for future generation­s.

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