Integrity Sold
| September 12th, 2008 by Robert | Word Count: 646 | Reading Time 2:37 | 2,210 views |
We have all seen the commercials on television, in print, and online featuring precious events or heartfelt moments rightfully labeled as “priceless.” But, is there really anything that doesn’t have a price on it in our world today? Take anything you can possibly think of and I’m sure that you and I, rational individuals, can honestly make a list of things that would never be open for sale or trade. Not because they cannot be priced, but because their value to each of us cannot be measured. These items make us who we are and some of them are only valuable to us and no one else. However, our world has seemed to create a marketplace where almost anything of value can, and will, be bartered and sold.
What are some of the most important aspects of living you value and place the priceless tag upon? Life itself, children, love, happiness, achieving your dreams, respect of your parents… the list could go on forever because we all determine our own lists of unsellable “things.” There are those among us, and it seems to be an ever growing segment, that kneel to the almighty power of wealth and proceed to trade or sell their perceived priceless items. Wealth is easily attainable for people willing to sell their most important objects of self because the market is scarce of this product. It’s a simple supply and demand issue. Low, or rare, supply will equal higher prices given any perceived demand.
Recently, one 22 year old female has taken this knowledge of the market and is offering her virginity to the highest bidder. She is planning on “auctioning” off her “product” in an effort to create a financially secure start for her life. Student loans, among other things, are piling up on her and she is in hopes that her “wares” will generate up to a million dollar windfall. This isn’t a novel idea, but it is one that generates a lot of media attention. In the end, she is nothing more than a prostitute. Prostitution is an age-old “profession” even though it is against most ideas of moral and ethical correctness.
Integrity, once revered, now shows up regularly on the auction block. Whether it comes in the form of this young lady, or in the form of steroid use, or lawyers twisting facts to free a criminal, or even the average “white lie” being told amongst co-workers, integrity is for sale. Everyone wonders why it’s so hard to trust anyone, or be honest with people without fear of retribution, it’s because there is a price tag on even the most basic core principles that make us who we are.
We are always looking for the true motives around us rather than take people’s actions at face value. We have to. It’s just the current state of the world. Integrity is readily sold and rarely protected. In a free market, why not sell a valuable asset when given the chance? Doing the right thing “costs” money…
What surprises me about the state of our world is that the mere mention of this young woman auctioning off her virginity hasn’t resulted in an old fashioned media lynching. Instead, we are given sensationalistic reporting with some even trying to support her decision. Is this something that we want to see reoccur? What will we see next time, an 18 year old selling herself? There of course are many worse incarnations of this action if we continue to support its “legal correctness.”
Our society must return back to one where integrity means something. We must truly believe there are priceless “things” which cannot be sold or valued. Until that happens, we will see auctions such as this litter our news and more than likely, at an increasing rate. Money comes and goes, but who you are stays with you forever.
Citation: http://www.foxnews.com/
on September 12th, 2008 at 8:34 pm:
It sure doesn’t say much about our society, when the media cares less about a woman auctioning herself off. I’m sure if we listen close enough we’ll hear a few “it’s her body” or “she’s a good entrepreneur” etc..
People are becoming more and more indifferent. They focus on their small piece of the world, never bothering to look beyond and wonder how things like this girl selling herself might affect their lives or their children’s lives down the road.
on September 12th, 2008 at 8:42 pm:
While it is a “right” to do as you wish (leaving illegal activities out), supporting something so intensely “wrong” is beyond me. However, with many other choices and rights deemed to be untouchable, it only makes sense that an “enterprising” woman would eventually choose to auction off one of her most valuable assets for wealth.
Given the lack of standards we have amongst our society, there will be a buyer, although not necessarily a million dollar buyer. Another problem with the mentality of selling your priceless items opens up a pandora’s box of issues.
What will the next person try to offer in an attempt to trump the media attention she has received? How can they bring the focus upon them? What can they sell that will shock our nation and open up an entirely new arena of morally and ethically disgusting markets?
on September 12th, 2008 at 11:18 pm:
In some of the places that I have worked, the managers didn’t want to hear the truth,so you had the option to tell a lie or just keep your mouth shut.
I was in a meeting some time ago involving some new machines and the production expectations, one supervisor stood up and told the President and owner of the company, that we would be able to make 40 parts per hour. I had to laugh to myself at this stupidity that these people were buying, I knew from past experience that the maximum that could be produced was 10 parts per hour,under perfect conditions, but they were enjoying the lies so I just kept quiet. 8 parts per hour was the average that was actually produced.
So yes, integrity can be bought and given away,But I also would question this young lady’s claim to virginity, as there are several places that you supposedly can have your virginity restored. So I guess that my question would be, how many times has she given it away or sold it, and how many more times will it be for sale??
Maybe this lady is really telling the truth, but to me it sounds a little bit shady.
on September 13th, 2008 at 9:58 am:
I agree there are places that reverse the usefulness of honesty and appear to survive only on misinformation. These particular places aren’t conducive to productive environments and I’m sure you felt the stress from basically “putting your time in” to keep the boat afloat.
As for the woman auctioning off her virginity, she has taken a polygraph “proving” her state of health. She has also agreed to a medical test if necessary. However, even then, medical procedures can be performed to “re-virginify” someone who wishes to spend the money. So, all it takes is a good liar or a shady lie detector test.
I would bet, based only upon the absurdity of this deal, that she is telling the truth.