SEATTLE NEWS ARCHIVES & FEATURES

Evil exists even if we blur the lines

Mar 23, 2017, 4:27 PM

evil, prostitution...

A law-enforcement guide to human trafficking sits on a table at The Genesis Project on Feb. 27, 2017, a drop-in center for victims of sex trafficking in SeaTac, Wash. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

(AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

One of the consistent themes we look at on the Todd Herman Show is the existence of evil, because I don’t see other people discussing the subject. But I believe that evil is very real.

In fact, evil’s greatest trick is convincing people that it doesn’t exist. In our current environment, we seem to have a constant need for moral relativism and a constant need to see perpetrators as victims.

Herman: The evil of racist hatred in America

The line continues to blur between what evil is, and what is entertainment. And it’s affecting people in real life; particularly in the world of porn. Connected to porn is the selling of human beings — sex trafficking.

There was an extraordinary story on Marketplace that involved a young woman who had a chip implanted in her because she was being tracked for sex trafficking.

This is evil. What’s worse is that our society is choosing to ignore the issue as all forms of sexuality are trumpeted, and we are bombarding young people with a form of violent sexuality.

I believe in freedom of speech as a civil libertarian, but some lines are being crossed. This is a mental line. By watching these sexual violent scenes, people need to question whether the people in the scenes are volunteering to be a participant.

The sex trafficking, the over-sexualization, the blurring of this line is all connected. Evil exists and we pretend it doesn’t at our peril. And when we name it, we can fight it.

As always, please listen to the full audio clip for complete context.

This combination photo shows Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, from left, Rahm Emanuel, Sen. Mark Kelly, ...

Associated Press

Democrats keep coming to South Carolina to stump for midterm candidates. It’s all about 2028

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — On paper, South Carolina might be an odd place for Democrats to converge to campaign for midterm candidates. Republicans dominate state politics, and there’s slim chance of that changing this year. But South Carolina is also the first state in Democrats’ next presidential nominating process, so White House hopefuls are looking […]

1 minute ago

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi speaks to the media during the 81st session of the United Na...

Associated Press

Officials say mediators are still working with Iran and the US on a possible deal

CAIRO (AP) — Three officials tell The Associated Press that mediators were still working with Iran and the United States on a deal to end the fighting and open the Strait of Hormuz, with the indirect talks expected to resume on Monday. The details were revealed as the war enters its eighth month after causing […]

5 minutes ago

wa natural gas ruling...

John Curley Show

‘They’ve put political hacks on the WA Supreme Court’: Jim Walsh says justices timed natural gas ruling to discourage voters

Washington Supreme Court struck down a voter-approved natural gas initiative in a 6-3 ruling, and state Republican Party chair said the timing was no accident.

30 minutes ago

A campaign sign in support of House Speaker Mike Johnson is pictured Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, in B...

Associated Press

In GOP Speaker Mike Johnson’s district, the political mood is mixed for the party in power

SHREVEPORT, La. (AP) — The GOP’s “Big Beautiful Bill” is rolling out in different ways across U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson’s home district — from steakhouse servers getting a tax break on tips to a community center where people line up for a free hot lunch as SNAP benefits are being cut. In this rough-and-tumble […]

1 hour ago

FILE - A logo of Nvidia is displayed at at the Computex Taipei exhibition, one of the world's large...

Associated Press

Nvidia unveils security platform to stop AI agents from going rogue

Nvidia on Monday unveiled a new security platform that the chipmaker said can stop artificial intelligence agents from going rogue. The company said that its Open Agent Safety Platform includes software that “sets boundaries for agents,” and follows a series of revelations from top AI companies about their models escaping and breaking into other organizations. […]

2 hours ago

Postmaster General David Steiner speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the United...

Associated Press

Trump’s mail voting crackdown tests Postal Service leader who says he’s ‘not political’

WASHINGTON (AP) — Long before he was the top official at the U.S. Postal Service, David Steiner was a corporate executive surfing mid-oughts television when he came across Donald Trump on “The Apprentice.” He was unimpressed. “If that is leadership, if that’s what we’re telling people that our culture and our media portrays as leadership, […]

2 hours ago

Evil exists even if we blur the lines