Cosmetic surgery should be legal

== My case ==Cosmetic surgery = "surgical specialty involving the restoration, reconstruction, or alteration of the human body for aesthetic purposes"Contention 1: Right to autonomyThe right to autonomy is the line which defines when the government can legitimately exercise its power. Without a state, individuals are free to do whatever they want. We give up some of these liberties to be a part of society, and to prevent harm to ourselves. Thus, the only reason we recognize the government as a legitimate entity is to prevent non-consensual harm to ourselves; given this, John Stuart Mill's harm principle acts as an ideal check on government. According to it, "the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against their will, is to prevent harm to others." [1] We grant a right to autonomy to check the powers of government. Bans on cosmetic surgery violate this right to autonomy. That's because there's no demonstrable harm to any "other" formed by cosmetic surgery which outweighs an individual's right to liberty. People control themselves, and the government ought not go beyond its limits by banning cosmetic surgery. Conclusion: There's a right to control one's own appearance insofar as there's no harm done to others. Thus, it's illegitimate for the government to ban cosmetic surgery. Contention 2: Mental wellbeingPeople are often discriminated against based on their appearance. Scientific evidence confirms that physical attractiveness is causally linked with better chances at success. Angela Stalcup explains, "[L]ess attractive members of society do not have the same opportunities for social interactions as do the better looking." [2] Physical attractiveness is described as an innate product of how the human visual system functions. [3] Nancy Etoff, psychologist at Massachussetts General Hospital, argues that appearance-based discrimination is one of the most "pervasive but denied" forms of discrimination. [4] Given the prevalence of appearance-based discrimination, cosmetic surgery is a means to change appearance to fit within these social standards of beauty, and prevent discrimination, demonstrably improving mental health. People who take up cosmetic surgery procedures are going to look "more beautiful" and face less discrimination. Furthermore, cosmetic surgery enhances self-esteem and happiness. Physical attractiveness is directly linked to content. A study by Professor Jurgen Margraf found that "[p]atients demonstrated more enjoyment of life, satisfaction and self-esteem after their physical appearance had been surgically altered." [5] Furthermore, the analysis found that patients were more content in their lives, were healthier mentally, developed more self-esteem, and were less anxious; they were also happy with the results long term. [5] Conclusion: At every level, cosmetic surgery enhances the mental wellbeing of individuals and makes them happy. Since pleasure is an intrinsic good and the government should seek to maximize the wellbeing of its citizens, that's sufficient reason to Vote Pro. Contention 3: Self-performed surgeryThe alternative to legal cosmetic surgery is attempts at performing cosmetic surgery on oneself. It's already a problem. ABC News reports that a Midwestern woman "injected her lips and face with silicone she purchased over the Internet." The article continues that "affordable at-home kits sold on the Internet are also taking off, from a simple clip that promises a thinner nose to more extreme laser treatments and acid peels." [6] The moment cosmetic surgery is banned, that'll undoubtedly happen much more, with botched effects and massive risk to surgery, including post-surgery depression, massive pain, or even death. Conclusion: Banning cosmetic surgery will encourage self-surgery, which is massively harmful to the people who take it up. For all these reasons, vote Pro. [1] https://plato.stanford.edu...[2] http://angelastalcup.com...[3] http://www.apa.org...[4] http://www.nytimes.com...[5] https://www.sciencedaily.com...[6] http://abcnews.go.com...