Quote from ilikefox es:
Well, who gets hurt when someone robs a bank, dodo? It's insured isn't it. You say insurance rates go up, point to indirect effects, well, MANY indirect effects can be pointed out for prostitution too, lunkhead!
I can point out many indirect effects of leaving school at 16, getting drunk, or having unprotected sex. That doesn't mean they are crimes or ought to be made illegal.
Robbing a bank, on the other hand, is causing direct harm to the bank and/or its insurance company - stealing someone's property is a *direct* effect. Big difference.
I think we can put prosecuting people for offences, then committing them yourself, down as a direct effect (voter fraud, adultery).