Reflection

Well, our blog needed some excitement, and it came just in time with Loy's enthusiastic post about premarital sex, or lack thereof. Now, I am one who is of opinion that every coin has two faces, therefore I am going to present a counter-modification to Loy's post. I hope that no one, especially Loy, will take offence at this response. It is not a personal attack at Loy, nor is it a vilification of his ideals. Rather, it is an attempt to portray a alternate picture of prenuptial fornication.

I do not think that teenagers who have premarital sex are a burden to society. I'm sure most would agree that whether one has sex or not does not contribute to the Gross Domestic Product of a country, nor does it influence the KLCI Index.

However, I do think that ignorant teenagers having premarital sex represent a risk to the lowering of society. I do not condemn the act, just the consequences. It is this that is noticeably lacking in Loy's post. Unwanted babies do contribute to the degradation of society, as do the spreading of sexually-transmitted diseases. I reiterate, I do not see how an act of sex, premarital or not, renders a country desolate. Come to think of it, it does the opposite.

Affection towards partners... I concur that lust is not the only way. But am I wrong if i were to claim that it is one of the avenues to display one's affection towards one's partner? Granted, if a party is unwilling, then no forced acts should take place. But if both are savvy to the idea, why not? The keyword here is RESPONSIBLY. And i do wish to add that there is a huge difference between a cigarette and a person.

In his post, Loy claims that teenagers do not have self-control. Such a generalization is hardly admissible, but that is beside the point. He goes on to claim that "after having sex, they blame the world, but not themselves." My question is: blame the world for what? If the intended answer was 'for them having sex', then this case needs to be seriously reconsidered. However, the more logical answer would be 'for the consequences of ignorant premarital sex'. Therein lies the conundrum. If people are ignorant, they do not know what are the consequences of premarital sex, hence they are more suspect to ending up with them. The ignorance needs to be cured. That is why the government spends money on sex education and campaigns. (but are apparently non-existent.) They did not choose to be ignorant of the consequences. And I find the idea of reducing crime by masturbating to be paradigmic, if not amusing.

People who cannot control themselves should not get a partner. That's an interesting proposition. Who CAN control themselves, then? Adults? There are plenty of irresponsible adults out there as there are adventurous teenagers. When are we "old enough"? Is there a universal age limit as to when we are officially old enough to have sex? The age of consent in Malaysia is 18. In Japan, it is 13. Go figure. Loy's implication that we should only use verbal displays of affection when we are 'old enough' is also thought-provoking. What are the criteria to be truly ready for a relationship? I would really like to know that. If there is one, we should compile a checklist to be distributed to guys and girls around Malaysia, or even the world. The world's economy should be soaring by then.

Loy's patriotism and conviction is indeed admirable. My point here is, I am of opinion that premarital sex is not bad.(Notice that i did not say that it is good. That is another matter altogether) It doesn't destroy countries. The fallouts of premarital sex as a result of disregard or ignorance towards the consequences are bad. We should scrutinize the ends, not the means.

I see nothing wrong with sex. I see something wrong with unwanted babies, with STDs, and with jackrabbits not using condoms. I also think that ignorant people need to be educated so as to let them open their eyes and comprehend how limited their horizons are. Only thus can we help our country prosper.

And yes, go get yourself a condom. Or play two sets of tennis. In a nutshell? Enjoy. But know what you are enjoying.