Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Dat Ass

Wykesha Reid, a 34-year-old Dallas woman, was found dead at the Deep Ellum Salon this past Thursday after receiving what family members said was her fourth black-market butt injection.

Reid was a mother who worked at a nursing home, and according to the woman who raised her, Patricia Kelley, Reid became addicted to the shots. Even though her butt was “getting too big,” Kelley said, Reid kept going back for more. Police are now searching for salon owners Denise Ross and Jimmy Clarke on charges of practicing medicine without a license in a separate case where a woman who received injections from the duo had pain, soreness and psychological problems afterwards.

Ross and Clarke could still be charged in Reid’s death, but that depends on toxicology results which are still weeks away. The Dallas News spoke to some former clients, who said the two were well-known for injecting hydrogel into the behinds of local strippers and then sealing their work with super glue. Doses were known to cost between $300 and $500, and the procedure lasted from 15 to 45 minutes.

These kinds of underground operations are more common than what one would imagine, and accordingly, deaths and other unfortunate consequences are often linked to them as well. Gawker reported in 2012 on a similar incident in Florida. In that case, the Florida doctor in question was found to have had 30 victims. One of them was disfigured but survived, and explained that such operations tend to target trans people.

We can all agree that it is reprehensible that certain individuals would take advantage of others and contribute to the deaths and disfiguring of so many. However, the important questions to ask is: how do we fix such a problem? As libertarians, our answer is often the same when presented with such quandaries. In this case, it is necessary that we legalize any such operations and bring to light their consequences so that the free market may judge their viability and efficacy.

Free markets and laissez-faire capitalism create the ultimate test of responsibility for consumers and entrepreneurs alike. As it is now, if one engages in the black market and is in risk of harm, there is no ability to contact the police or talk to others about potential solutions. The reason for the former is simple: no one wants to turn themselves in, and in their minds, it is easier to just suffer the consequences of a “bad deal,” rather than facing a fine or potential jail-time. The reason for the latter is that there can be some kinds of shame in engaging in illegal deals, and one is likely not keen on telling his or her friends that he or she is engaging in criminal activity.

By bringing sunlight to the darkest corners of society, we can make for a more open dialogue. After all, it is not government regulation, but rather the marketplace that is the ultimate decider. It is hard to find a business that is not included on consumer review pages like Yelp. If a company (no matter what it does) is not performing, word will quickly get around and that business that will be out of business. On the other hand, if these enterprises remain in the black market, they will stay tucked away in oblivion, having no standards to live up to and with no accountability whatsoever.

If we liberate all Americans to consume and engage in any activity so long as it does not harm others, we will not only be restoring individual liberty; we will also be creating accountability and safety for those who are being currently harmed by the existence of government-created black markets.