A long, long time ago, on a planet called earth, there emerged a species of the Animal Kingdom known as: Homo sapien sapien.

While there are some who insist that this species has only existed for roughly 8,000 years, and some who contend that this species is closer to 300,000 years old, fossil evidence has been discovered that the species known as Homo sapien sapien (human) has existed on earth for at least one million years.

Regardless of the actual age of this species, very little is really known about it's anthropological social habits or social structures prior to archeological information uncovered in the southern Mesopotamia region from the Ubaid period (roughly 6,000 years ago). However, one thing is known; that is, from the very first evidence of the dawn of civilization, the practice of Slavery had already existed. Today, every single known language has at least one word (some languages have up to a dozen) that correspond to the English word: "slave".

Slavery is, perhaps, the oldest known human cultural practice; it was so deeply embedded into human ideas, customs and practices that the very first known organized religion held the simple tenet that all humans were slaves owned by (a superior race that were) the gods. The practice of Slavery remained ubiquitous throughout human existence. Along the way, some societies created laws governing the practice of Slavery but, until recently, very few civilizations ever banned, or even discouraged, the time honored way of life - Slavery. The earliest anthropological evidence suggests that the Asian culture was originally based, nearly entirely, on the practice of Slavery.

For at least ten thousand years, perhaps hundreds of thousands, potentially even a million, years, humans have owned, sold, captured, bartered or traded, bought and kept other humans (aka "slaves") and used them (without consideration - payment or compensation) for any number of purposes. Slaves were used for everything from hunting to farming, housekeeping to child rearing, ditch digging to brick laying, and from sexual pleasure to slave breeding (though far more time consuming, breeding slaves was far easier than capturing them and much cheaper than buying them).

Relatively speaking, a very short time ago, a little over 100 years, the popularity of Slavery ended. The common practice of Slavery, that had held for at least 10,000 years, was denounced and banned by the most powerful civilizations on earth. Of course, Slavery did not die out, it simply went 'underground'. In fact, it is estimated by some that there are as many slaves today as there were 200 years ago (but, bear in mind, the human population of the earth has grown in the magnitude of billions since then).

Today, popular psychology insists that no one (given any sort of choice) would ever choose to be a slave; that Slavery, by definition, indicates that the slave is forced into their status and the natural and overwhelming desire for individual freedom and independence clearly shows that Slavery is unnatural and, therefore, must be unwanted. Historically speaking, this is mostly true. The majority of slaves were either unwillingly captured (kidnapped) and forced into servitude or they were born a slave and were perpetually denied the choice to be free. Great wars, as well as deadly skirmishes, were fought over little more than Slavery. To date, the side against Slavery has prevailed. To the victors go the spoils; and Slavery has been declared not just immoral but illegal nearly everywhere on the planet.

Forced Slavery, or involuntary servitude, is evil and deserved to be outlawed. Forced Slavery is a terrible, unspeakable, horror. No human on earth should ever be forced into a life of Slavery or have it foisted upon them without option. Anyone who believes that an innocent human being could ever deserve to, or should, be made into a slave against their will is evil; they don't deserve to breathe the same air as the rest of us. I would gladly join any battle and spill my blood in any fight against the practice of forced Slavery or involuntary servitude.

Firstly: Consensual Slavery is not the practice whereby a person, on a moment by moment basis, continually decides between "playing the role of a slave" and not.

Consensual Slavery is where a person (capable of entering an agreement, therefore: an adult person), one who fully understands and comprehends the differences between Slavery and freedom, makes the conscious (and "consensual") choice to permanently abandon freedom and become owned as a slave.

This practice, as described immediately above, (the practice of Consensual Slavery) has existed, and still exists today in spite of (now) prevailing and popular psychology (which contends that no one, with a healthy mind, would ever make such a choice).

It is very difficult for most people (especially for 'vanilla' people) to accept that people really do want to become slaves and permanently leave behind all freedom, liberty and rights. They simply assume that anyone choosing real slavery is mentally unwell - that they are (to use clinical jargon) a real "whacko".

D/s (a.k.a. Dominance and submission) is a widely used, "catch-all" label for people who enjoy role-playing; more specifically, playing either (or both) "dominant" and "submissive" roles.

D/s will loosely be used to include everything from the rare or occasional "bedroom games" played between lovers to those who enjoy a deeply ritualized "lifestyle" where the "roles" are typically static and the relationships are (usually, or, at least, intended to be) long term.

Regardless of the intensity of this role-playing, D/s always includes the element of "moment by moment" consent. In other words: any participant of D/s is free, at any time they choose, to simply "step out" of their "role".

While their may be a pretense of the removal or suspension of the rights of a submissive, this is only done for as long as all parties involved agree to continue such charade. At any time anyone portraying the "role" of a "submissive" chooses, the "activity" known as "D/s" can be either suspended or stopped permanently.

In D/s, a person "playing the role" of a "submissive" could "play" at being a "slave". Similarly, a person "playing the role" of a "dominant" could "play" at being a "slave Owner". This is exactly the scenario that usually occurs when people "claim" to be "slaves" or "slave Owners"; they are, in reality, practitioners of D/s who either do or would like to "role-play" the "roles" of "slave" or "Owner".

Most typically, those who practice D/s go take extreme precautions to insure "continual consent" throughout the role-play. An elaborate set of (mostly unwritten) rules have been instituted to insure continual consent on the part of the "submissive" role-player. Among these "rules" are the concept of "limits" and "hard limits". A D/s submissive can, of their own free will, simply make the declaration that something (it can be virtually anything) is a "limit" and, according to the "rules" of D/s, the "dominant" role-player" must take extra care to avoid the one acting as their "submissive" from reaching their established "limit". Should a submissive role-player ever declare something a "hard limit", the dominant role-player is expected to insure the submissive role-player is never exposed to such "hard-limit". The concept is not all that dissimilar to setting "boundaries" (or "bounds") in a children's game.

Through the use of these "rules", such as the "limit" rules, a submissive has the power to dictate exactly what sort of domination they will receive from the dominant role-player and when and how they will receive domination. Should a submissive D/s role-player ever decide that they are no longer satisfied with the relationship, they are well within their "rights" (even if they are "role-playing" that they are a "slave" and have no rights) to simply up and leave any D/s relationship at any time they choose. Similarly, a role-playing submissive, through a "rule" known as "negotiation" (which is usually done prior to the commencement of a D/s relationship), can set down whatever "guidelines" (including any provisions or conditions) they might choose that can literally dictate how the role-playing relationship must work. Through careful manipulation of "limits" and "hard limits" a D/s submissive can rearrange, even completely change, the entire relationship.

Some D/s practitioners take the "fantasy" aspect of their role playing to extremes. A good example of this are those who engage in something referred to as "Gorean D/s". "Gorean" style D/s is practiced by immersion into the fantasy "world" of Gor as it is depicted in a Science Fiction / Fantasy novel series written by the popular author John Norman. Those who practice this particular brand of D/s base the "role" they play around either an existing character from the novels or they simply create a new persona that would easily fit within the parameters of the fantasy world. This could be (very loosely) compared to those who enjoy Civil War reenactment, as well as those who choose to participate in the Renaissance Fair/Society groups.

Consensual Slavery is not D/s. Consensual Slavery is not temporary Slavery, not conditional Slavery, not provisional Slavery, but Consensual Slavery is absolute and unconditional Slavery.

More than having a passing or occasional desire to be controlled or manipulated by someone else (such as is typical in the practice of D/s), the Consensual slave enters into a permanent life where all rights and privileges are permanently stripped ("disabled") from them and any conceivable path back to freedom (for the slave) is never traveled again.

While society can seem to easily accept that one might choose to become a monk or a nun, or even a career soldier, (largely because of the terrible stigma associated with Slavery - the wrongfully held belief that all Slavery must be forced and involuntary) most people cannot comprehend that anyone "in their right mind" would voluntarily choose to become a slave.

Not everyone will find their "niche", their 'place in life', content in the struggle to achieve the highest social status possible. In spite of whatever the most popular "rags to riches story" might imply, not everyone wants to be rich; not everyone wants to travel in the most envied circles and not everyone wants to have a posh, luxurious life. Some people are happiest when they are being controlled. Some people have an intense and continual desire to be in the service of someone or something greater, someone or something more important, than them self.

A Red Cross volunteer, who sacrifices 10 years of their life to live in the most harsh of circumstances, is rarely looked down upon for their choice. A Catholic Missionary, who chooses to live the rest of his life in the most dangerous part of some obscure third-world country, is rarely condemned for making such a choice. A professional soldier, one who enlists after a war has already begun and voluntarily chooses to risk sacrificing their life for their country, is seldom criticized for their choice. But an otherwise free and independent citizen, with all of their rights intact, who, of their own volition, chooses to become permanently owned as a real slave? They are considered mentally ill and in dire need of professional help.

Just like Missionaries, monks, nuns and Red Cross volunteers, Consensual slaves are an extremely rare breed. For that matter, Consensual slave Owners are an even more rare breed. So, if you meet someone claiming to be a slave Owner, they are most likely really a D/s practitioner looking to "role-play" being a slave owner. Similarly, if you meet someone claiming to be a "slave" (especially if they are un-owned and they refer to them self specifically as currently being a "slave" and not an "un-owned slave"), chances are pretty good they are just a D/s "submissive" looking to "role-play" the part of a slave.