Ok, I am going to talk about something that I know many many of my readers will not agree with me on, but that is ok.
Please read all this and then feel free to give your thoughts and opinions in the comments.I know many people enjoy talking about the
evils of Prostitution and I agree. I would never want one on my children to be a prostitute. I believe sex is a beautiful thing between a husband and a wife. That being said, I am about to say something that will probably shock everyone reading this.... I do
not believe that Prostitution should be
illegal.
Why?
Well, to be honest, I don't think that it should be an issue that the government has it's hands in. The government has put it's hands into way too many things that it really shouldn't have it's hands in. Prostitution is one of those things. In the United States, each state has the power to decide whether or not prostitution is legal in that state or part of that state. In all but two U.S. states (Nevada and Rhode Island), the buying and selling of sexual services is illegal and usually classified as a misdemeanor.
Prosecuting Prostitutes has become a way for states to make money. Another way they could do this is by allowing legal Prostitution and just taxing them like the
Bunny Ranch (this is a link to the actual Bunny Ranch site. You have been warned).
Originally, prostitution was widely
legal in the United States. Prostitution was made illegal in almost all states between 1910 and 1915 largely due to the influence of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union which was influential in the banning of drug use and was a major force in the prohibition of alcohol.
Before that in many parts of the United States Brothels were common. Over 200 brothels existed in lower Manhattan. Brothels are establishments specifically dedicated to prostitution. Other names for brothels include bordello, whorehouse, cathouse, and knocking shop. Prostitution also occurs in some massage parlours, and in Asian countries in some barber shops where sexual services may be offered as a secondary function of the premises.
Basically, prostitution has been and will continue to permeate society, thrive in it, and women will continue to use their bodies as a means to feed themselves. Are we all agreed on that? So why not legalize it, if we know it exists already?
Prostitution has been in existence for hundreds and hundreds of years, going back to the Byzantine, Roman, Greek, and Egyptian Empires. Prostitution is not about to disappear anytime soon, despite relatively recent local laws.Ted Arthur Haggard was leader of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE). He resigned or was removed after he admitted soliciting prostitute Mike Jones for homosexual sex and methamphetamine.
Edward Nottingham was the former chief federal judge of Colorado. In August 2007, Nottingham was exposed as having spent $3,000 at a strip club in 2005. His ex wife found the credit card receipt and it, and related purchases, became public knowledge through his divorce proceedings. In October 2008, Nottingham resigned after a prostitute filed an affidavit with the 10th Circuit claiming that she asked him to lie to 10th Circuit investigators about their weekly illegal sex sales from February 2003 through November 2004. Despite this, he is a lawyer in private practice in good standing in Colorado.
Louisiana Senator David Vitter was identified as a client of "D.C. Madam" Deborah Jeane Palfrey's prostitution service in Washington, D.C. He is an outspoken conservative.
Making prostitution legal would allow the act to be managed instead of ignored.
Look at all the problems that occurred when Alcohol was illegal. Home producers created whiskey and bathtub gin. The price of alcohol skyrocketed in black market sales due to heavy demand and the greedy public officials who secretly monitored it. The government lost considerable amounts of tax dollars from bootlegged alcohol and it became impossible to regulate the quality and safety of the product. It was thought prohibition would put an end to many social problems but it actually created many more. Increasing the number of laws runs a risk of creating more criminals, and that is exactly what had happened. Jails became filled.
If we allow prostitution to remain hidden from view and basically invisible to the law as it is today, we allow a number of teens to be swept up into prostitution every year.
When adult women decide to exchange money for sex, it is a personal choice open to them under the philosophy of a free, democratic society. When troubled minors who do not yet have the social survival skills decide to prostitute, they are often manipulated by opportunists who exploit these teens, typically leading to horrific ends. Legalizing prostitution will help prevent these instances through regulation.
Legalized, regulated prostitution has many benefits. Encounters can happen within controlled environments that bring about safety for both the customers and the prostitutes. Prostitutes would no longer be strong-armed by pimps or organized crime rings. Underage prostitution would be curtailed. There would also be health-safety improvements.
Why is the government deciding what is ok for two consenting adults in privacy?There are many benefits to legalized prostitution. The benefits include:
(1) allowing law enforcement agencies to respond to more important crimes,
(2) freeing justice systems from nuisance cases,
(3) helping women who are trapped by prostitution,
(4) preventing teens from being ensnared into prostitution (If prostitution was legal then it would be easier (but not impossible) to keep under 18s out of it.)
(5) stopping some of the HIV spread (there could be Prostitutes who are HIV positive who could service clients who are HIV positive).
What are your thoughts?
True 
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Comments (62)
Unfortunately, as much sense this all makes, America has its balls squeezed by the Christian Right. It doesn't matter how many benefits a policy can make, if it goes against any tenet of their "moral" beliefs, it is inconsiderable. To them, Faith > Practicality. Also, no politician wants to be the first one to propose legalizing prostitution because it's career suicide. As much as America likes to call itself a "free" nation, we actually have a lot of rules.
Your post is perfect. I too believe prostitution should be legalized, but fundamentalist Christians get in the way. They don't care if women are getting beaten, raped, and robbed (while the johns and pimps usually get off scot-free) because prostitution being illegal only serves to stigmatize the women. All that matters to them is preserving conservative attitudes towards sex while being hypocrites and procuring these services behind people's backs. Ugh.
oh im totally with you on this one. imagine all the revenue that the federal government would get from legalizing what is arguably the oldest profession in the history of mankind.
im willing to bet that a lot more people would be on your side considering all the states that currently have budget deficits. theres no way to vanquish a so-called "evil" like prostitution. the only thing can you can do with something like that is to reconcile with it.
ive never been to amsterdam, but i learned that the prostitutes there have to check into clinics either weekly or monthly in order to make sure they're healthy. that can totally be done here, and this nation desperately needs the tax money especially if this administration is serious about providing a health care system that covers all citizens. that has to be paid for somehow.
btw i also feel the same way about gambling, but thats another conversation for another forum.
Good post.
I have thought for a long time that prostitution should be legal.
I don't think it should be illegal either. You can have sex with whoever you want as long as you're not getting paid? That's just dumb.
this was definitely on Tripcrazed couple of days ago, no?
it always comes down to religion folks. it is always about RELIGION.
I really really don't like the idea of prostitution but everything you say is so realistic.
BUT such an idea is not going to be done since we still haven't gone past abstinence-only commercials and abstinence-only education...
i did a debate on this in debate and discussion class and my open minded teacher thought i was nuts! We could limit the spread of STDs with check ups and things. Prostitution needs to be legal.
If prostitution is legal, how many kids and teenagers would do this? And, if prostitution was legal, will they make a "legal age" for it? Laws for prostitution? Watching documentaries of kids, as young as four, are in the prostitution circle. It's terrifying and saddening to know that these are the options they take. I know some don't have choices, it sure is a sad world out there..
I am actually writing a persuasive essay on this topic.
Very well said, and a great approach to the situation. Your arguments are all logical and a good balance between both sides of the issue =)
brilliant!
@bestofRiley@xanga - lol you sound like Bill Maher or something = P
I've always thought that prostitution should be legal and I'm sick of people calling me out for my apparent lack of morals. This was well said.
Yeah, SO controversial, because I've never heard it before in these past few decades. I mean, does Amsterdam not exist or what? /sarcasm
@xerxes2044 - i'll take that as a compliment. the fellow certainly knows his funny.
just to make it clear, my comment may seem like im in for legalization but i'm leaning more towards decriminalization.
@bestofRiley@xanga - he knows his stuff too. i said that cause he always hates on religion, as you did.
@xerxes2044 - he certainly does. But don't get me wrong.. I don't hate religion, im actually a Catholic teacher haha. There's just a few things that i certainly don't agree upon that religion contributes too.
@bestofRiley@xanga - dont worry you wouldnt be offending me even if u said u hated religion. its the other people that read this page that id be concerned about..
I competely agree with you. Along with that illegal drugs shouldbe legal as well. If people in this country have any right left, it shouldbe of all things the right to determine what goes into our bodies and how we use our OWN bodies.
Although for that to happen people in general have to learn to take responisbility for themselves.
It would be a huge advantage in our soceity if people would just learn to take responisbility for theirsevles.
What makes a criminal a criminal, is the illegality of the issue, take away the crime then the crime goes away. Tax the hell out of it and two things happen, government makes money for their greedy little pockets, and the drug use will drop, besides most people do drugs because of the thrill of it being illegal. No thrill, no fun.
Illyria
sorry, i skimmed this. it was really long-winded, but i do agree prostitution should be legal, but i'm not sure if its for the same reasons as you. haha. i believe that if it was legal then it could be regulated, cleaner, and benefit both consumer and economy.
tl; skimmed it
but I don't agree w/ (3) that it helps women who are trapped by prostitution.
HOW would it help?
While I do agree to an extent that legalizing it would make it relatively easier to prevent under 18s but it also would make it too easy for kids over 18 to just take the easy way out instead of doing something else with their lives.
Not to say all prostitutes are taking the easy way out, but it is easier than going out to get a job.
I'm of the same persuasion as the piece, but my poistion isn't entirely settled. Balancing the mentioned pro's of legalized prostition is the following:
(1) Inevitably, with less of a barrier to the industry, more girls (and guys) will become prostitutes. This is a bad-ish thing, right?
(2) There is a strong connection between crime and prostitution. This remained the case even in countries that have legalized prostitution...
(3)... which brings to what I bleieve to be the most important point. Foreign models must be weighted in the consideration for the legalization of prostitution and in consideration of rules, regulations, and enforcements.
Countries who have already legalized serve as free guinea pigs. We need to learn from both their mistakes and their successes.