Why is Prostitution Illegal???

[frazzledgear]

Sure it is. What's the big difference if I'm using my mouth to talk into a phone or suck a dick? or use my hands to type on a computer or give a hand job?

How sad that you really can't tell the difference. Think a man cannot tell the difference between the woman he hired to answer his phones -and the one he hired to suck his dick? Which one do you REALLY think he respects more?

Would you be able to tell the difference if it were your daughter? Would you tell HER there is no real difference and therefore she should be just as willing to sell her sexual services to any guy willing to part with a few bucks as she would be to answer someone's phones? If so -then I'm real glad you aren't my mother. My mother not only had FAR more respect for herself than that -she expected me too as well.

I get so tired of the moralizing. If it came down to starving and living in the street or turning tricks, I wouldn't even have to think about it, I know what I'd do. Anyone that wouldn't fight to survive shouldn't be passing on their genes. And you can tell your mom I said so.

Moralizing? Did you bother to read anything I've written on this subject? The fact that there are runaways, drug addicted, mentally ill and homeless women willing to sell their sexual services cannot EVER justify legalizing the act. I wouldn't encourage my daughter to turn to prostitution even if she were desperate. I'm sorry you don't realize that there are other FAR less risky options out there for a financially desperate woman. But there are. Not so oddly enough -men who are financially desperate are actually very unlikely to turn to prostitution as the answer to their problems. So why should we be encouraging women to do so when that decision is among the most likely to put her health and very life at risk -but she doesn't need to because there are other and superior answers to her financial situation? Do I understand why women make this decision anyway? Of course I do.

But does legalizing it make it less risky to THE most desperate of women? Not at all. These are not the women who will register with the state, not the women who will submit to regular health checks so the john can feel better about screwing a total stranger he cares nothing about anyway. So exactly how does legalizing it in any way help the mentally ill, drug addicted or homeless woman so desperate for a few bucks she is on a street corner willing to sell herself RIGHT NOW? It doesn't -legalization does nothing for these women and in no way reduces their ranks or helps them find another answer to their financial desperation. It will not reduce the ranks of those who were already taking a higher risk paying these very same women and are unwilling to pay more for the same service in a legal brothel. It will not suddenly mean there are no pimps with their stable of women they force to work for them and use violence and drug addiction as the means of control.

So who really benefits from legalization? Those paying for the services. It means they can openly buy the sexual services of a strange woman -and she will be one declared "clean" by the state. (Although there is no such thing as 100% guarantee of no STD or HIV transmission during a sex act.)

But legalization in NO way means the woman is somehow less desperate, more respected, less drug addicted, less homeless or in a less self destructive lifestyle, does it? Legalization only brings in another level of prostitution -women who would not sell their bodies when illegal but now will. And it brings in another level of players -men who would not buy the services when illegal, but now will when legal. But it in NO way reduces the ranks of -or improves the status and lives of the most desperate of women who turn to prostitution as the best means of supporting themselves in the first place. THESE women are not going to register with the state and these women are not going to submit to health checks so the state can reassure the buyers that the females are clean. And it isn't going to reduce the ranks of those who were already taking the risk with prostitutes and will not pay more for the same services in a state endorsed brothel.

Legalization only benefits those who aren't desperate at all -the buyers. And for misogynists, it only reaffirms their opinion that females are something to be bought and sold and not quite real human beings. Not something I'm real sympathetic with, sorry.

 

[Father Time]

Moralizing? Did you bother to read anything I've written on this subject? The fact that there are runaways, drug addicted, mentally ill and homeless women willing to sell their sexual services cannot EVER justify legalizing the act.

Because those types of people can't make their decisions for themselves right? Also those people's problems totally justify punishing other normal people for selling sex right?

I wouldn't encourage my daughter to turn to prostitution even if she were desperate. I'm sorry you don't realize that there are other FAR less risky options out there for a financially desperate woman.

Then why do they turn to prostitution then? Do you honestly think every prostitute is some ignorant fool who didn't realize all the other great options she had?

But there are. Not so oddly enough -men who are financially desperate are actually very unlikely to turn to prostitution as the answer to their problems. So why should we be encouraging women to do so when that decision is among the most likely to put her health and very life at risk -but she doesn't need to because there are other and superior answers to her financial situation?

It's not encouraging it, give them tax breaks or subsidies would encourage it. You advocate the law punishing people who want to be hookers. Not helping them, punishing them.

Do I understand why women make this decision anyway? Of course I do.

Is it because you think they're idiots who need government making sure they can't choose the 'wrong' option?

But does legalizing it make it less risky to THE most desperate of women? Not at all. These are not the women who will register with the state, not the women who will submit to regular health checks so the john can feel better about screwing a total stranger he cares nothing about anyway.

And why not? What possible benefit does not registering with the state possibly give them?

So exactly how does legalizing it in any way help the mentally ill, drug addicted or homeless woman so desperate for a few bucks she is on a street corner willing to sell herself RIGHT NOW?

We've been over this all ready. But how is it fair to those who aren't desperate? How is this not an unnecessary and immoral use of government power?

It doesn't -legalization does nothing for these women and in no way reduces their ranks or helps them find another answer to their financial desperation.

A. Prove it
B. Since it will obviously help some women shouldn't we do it? Legalizing alcohol certainly didn't reduce the number of alcoholics but hey we're better off now anyway.

It will not suddenly mean there are no pimps with their stable of women they force to work for them and use violence and drug addiction as the means of control.

No but they'll be far fewer of them. Just as legalization of alcohol did not guarantee that poorly made booze won't be made.

So who really benefits from legalization?

Prostitutes for what's been explained dozens of times.
Citizens because we won't have to waste money throwing hookers and johns in jail and we can tax them now.
Johns

But legalization in NO way means the woman is somehow less desperate, more respected, less drug addicted, less homeless or in a less self destructive lifestyle, does it?

No it only means we won't arrest those women anymore, meaning no jail time no fines and no criminal record.

Legalization only brings in another level of prostitution -women who would not sell their bodies when illegal but now will. And it brings in another level of players -men who would not buy the services when illegal, but now will when legal.

Your point being? If the people (both men and women) think being prostitutes is a better choice why not them let take it? Seriously if these people want to be prostitutes why should the government be allowed to stop them?

But it in NO way reduces the ranks of -or improves the status and lives of the most desperate of women who turn to prostitution as the best means of supporting themselves in the first place.

PROVE IT!

We've given you examples of how it would and you've done very little to refute them. You seem to think that just because legalization won't magically solve their psychological problems we shouldn't do it.

THESE women are not going to register with the state and these women are not going to submit to health checks so the state can reassure the buyers that the females are clean.

So not only are the majority of prostitutes drug-addicted desperate women (apparently drug-addicted desperate male prostitutes don't exist) but they also won't register to the state? WHY? And how many of them are like this? Methinks the number is very small unless you can prove otherwise.

And it isn't going to reduce the ranks of those who were already taking the risk with prostitutes and will not pay more for the same services in a state endorsed brothel.

It will reduce the number of johns who will use illegal prostitution, you can't honestly believe that all the johns out there now can't pay for state licensed brothels.

Legalization only benefits those who aren't desperate at all -the buyers. And for misogynists, it only reaffirms their opinion that females are something to be bought and sold and not quite real human beings. Not something I'm real sympathetic with, sorry.

I don't think you have much sympathy for the hookers either because you advocate punishing these 'poor desperate drug addicted women who are forced into this position'.

Also you assume all johns are misogynistic which hasn't been proven.

 

[Care4all]

these particular women, fathertime, will not be registered by the State BECAUSE they would not qualify, they are drug users, and second, many are college students paying their way so they too would not want to be publicly registered, and the homeless girls won't register either because they too don't want to be found by relatives trying to find them, or because they are underage and so and and so forth...

The street walking trade will always be there and it will always be an unsafe practice...more prostitutes are killed by strangers than any other women in America, they are also beat up more....
legalizing it won't change that one iota, so i wouldn't go pronouncing everything will be hunky dory if it is legalized.....because it won't.....

I happened to know a prostitute and some of her prostitute coworkers, NONE of them LIKE their job, none of THEM want to do what they are doing, they ALL felt they didn't have a choice, because they all were DRUG ADDICTS and could not hold a regular job....

The streets will always be walked by those not part of a bordello.

 

[mightypeon]

Interesting, of the prostitures I know personally several like their Job and not a single one is a drug user
At least not that I know off.
Of course, desperate prostitutes using drugs also exist, and these parts of the "prostitute population" are easily the most detectable since they work on the street. From what I got, legalization improved their situation since they can now go to the police if they are abused.
Maybe you should ask yourself the following question, why would someone who is clean, independent minded and educated want to take up a profession that is currently criminalized?

 

[Father Time]

these particular women, fathertime, will not be registered by the State BECAUSE they would not qualify, they are drug users, and second, many are college students paying their way so they too would not want to be publicly registered,

Wait what? Since when has it been that if you register for a job everyone can look up what you do for a living? Last I checked jobs weren't listed in the phonebook.

The street walking trade will always be there and it will always be an unsafe practice

If that's true then why bring it up?

...more prostitutes are killed by strangers than any other women in America, they are also beat up more....
legalizing it won't change that one iota

Yes it would. They are beaten up and abused because they can't go to the police. If they do go to the police their career as prostitute ends. Legalize it and then they can go to the police.

It's really not that complicated.

, so i wouldn't go pronouncing everything will be hunky dory if it is legalized.....because it won't.....

Conditions will improve though you have to admit that.

I happened to know a prostitute and some of her prostitute coworkers, NONE of them LIKE their job, none of THEM want to do what they are doing, they ALL felt they didn't have a choice, because they all were DRUG ADDICTS and could not hold a regular job....

The streets will always be walked by those not part of a bordello.

How much is some anyway? 10, 12, 7? Did you do a scientific poll or is this just limited personal experience?

And are you really in favor of those ladies not having a job vs. being a prostitute? What happens when they choose not to be a prostitute and can't make ends meet? Once again it sounds freaking sadistic to punish *cue sad music* 'poor desolate drug-addicted people' for making a choice they are 'forced' to do.

 

[driveby]

Sure it is. What's the big difference if I'm using my mouth to talk into a phone or suck a dick? or use my hands to type on a computer or give a hand job?

How sad that you really can't tell the difference. Think a man cannot tell the difference between the woman he hired to answer his phones -and the one he hired to suck his dick? Which one do you REALLY think he respects more?

Would you be able to tell the difference if it were your daughter? Would you tell HER there is no real difference and therefore she should be just as willing to sell her sexual services to any guy willing to part with a few bucks as she would be to answer someone's phones? If so -then I'm real glad you aren't my mother. My mother not only had FAR more respect for herself than that -she expected me too as well.

I get so tired of the moralizing. If it came down to starving and living in the street or turning tricks, I wouldn't even have to think about it, I know what I'd do. Anyone that wouldn't fight to survive shouldn't be passing on their genes. And you can tell your mom I said so.

you're such a gangsta.......

 

[Amanda]

How sad that you really can't tell the difference. Think a man cannot tell the difference between the woman he hired to answer his phones -and the one he hired to suck his dick? Which one do you REALLY think he respects more?

Would you be able to tell the difference if it were your daughter? Would you tell HER there is no real difference and therefore she should be just as willing to sell her sexual services to any guy willing to part with a few bucks as she would be to answer someone's phones? If so -then I'm real glad you aren't my mother. My mother not only had FAR more respect for herself than that -she expected me too as well.

I get so tired of the moralizing. If it came down to starving and living in the street or turning tricks, I wouldn't even have to think about it, I know what I'd do. Anyone that wouldn't fight to survive shouldn't be passing on their genes. And you can tell your mom I said so.

Moralizing? Did you bother to read anything I've written on this subject? The fact that there are runaways, drug addicted, mentally ill and homeless women willing to sell their sexual services cannot EVER justify legalizing the act. I wouldn't encourage my daughter to turn to prostitution even if she were desperate. I'm sorry you don't realize that there are other FAR less risky options out there for a financially desperate woman. But there are. Not so oddly enough -men who are financially desperate are actually very unlikely to turn to prostitution as the answer to their problems. So why should we be encouraging women to do so when that decision is among the most likely to put her health and very life at risk -but she doesn't need to because there are other and superior answers to her financial situation? Do I understand why women make this decision anyway? Of course I do.

But does legalizing it make it less risky to THE most desperate of women? Not at all. These are not the women who will register with the state, not the women who will submit to regular health checks so the john can feel better about screwing a total stranger he cares nothing about anyway. So exactly how does legalizing it in any way help the mentally ill, drug addicted or homeless woman so desperate for a few bucks she is on a street corner willing to sell herself RIGHT NOW? It doesn't -legalization does nothing for these women and in no way reduces their ranks or helps them find another answer to their financial desperation. It will not reduce the ranks of those who were already taking a higher risk paying these very same women and are unwilling to pay more for the same service in a legal brothel. It will not suddenly mean there are no pimps with their stable of women they force to work for them and use violence and drug addiction as the means of control.

So who really benefits from legalization? Those paying for the services. It means they can openly buy the sexual services of a strange woman -and she will be one declared "clean" by the state. (Although there is no such thing as 100% guarantee of no STD or HIV transmission during a sex act.)

But legalization in NO way means the woman is somehow less desperate, more respected, less drug addicted, less homeless or in a less self destructive lifestyle, does it? Legalization only brings in another level of prostitution -women who would not sell their bodies when illegal but now will. And it brings in another level of players -men who would not buy the services when illegal, but now will when legal. But it in NO way reduces the ranks of -or improves the status and lives of the most desperate of women who turn to prostitution as the best means of supporting themselves in the first place. THESE women are not going to register with the state and these women are not going to submit to health checks so the state can reassure the buyers that the females are clean. And it isn't going to reduce the ranks of those who were already taking the risk with prostitutes and will not pay more for the same services in a state endorsed brothel.

Legalization only benefits those who aren't desperate at all -the buyers. And for misogynists, it only reaffirms their opinion that females are something to be bought and sold and not quite real human beings. Not something I'm real sympathetic with, sorry.

FT did a better job than I could so I'll just add my perspective.

I don't think it's the job of the state to fix people's lives or limit their choices for their own protection. I think it's the job of the state to provide essential services for the benefit of the people.

And when this society starts to value women more for something other than their body or how good they look then maybe I'll change my position on this, but as long as I get to be a piece of meat anyway I should be able to work that to my advantage because lose/win is better than lose/lose.

 

[rcajun90]

Why is this practice , which is older than time itself , Illegal in almost every State in this country???

Who's "Rights" are being violated if two consenting adults engage in sex , and one is paid for the service??

Probably become of wives.

Under secular law it shouldn't be illegal. It is your body to do as you please as long as you are not hurting others. However they can always draw a line where they can show you are hurting someone. In my state and I would imagine almost every state by now there are seat belt laws. If I chose not to wear one who am I putting in danger? Myself. However the people that got the laws passed point out medical costs to win their argument. Same thing with motorcycle helmet laws.

I guess the argument could be made that there is a potential for STD's, economic hardships and the breakup of families. Also the government probably can't find a way to tax it.

 

[Tech_Esq]

these particular women, fathertime, will not be registered by the State BECAUSE they would not qualify, they are drug users, and second, many are college students paying their way so they too would not want to be publicly registered, and the homeless girls won't register either because they too don't want to be found by relatives trying to find them, or because they are underage and so and and so forth...

The street walking trade will always be there and it will always be an unsafe practice...more prostitutes are killed by strangers than any other women in America, they are also beat up more....
legalizing it won't change that one iota, so i wouldn't go pronouncing everything will be hunky dory if it is legalized.....because it won't.....

I happened to know a prostitute and some of her prostitute coworkers, NONE of them LIKE their job, none of THEM want to do what they are doing, they ALL felt they didn't have a choice, because they all were DRUG ADDICTS and could not hold a regular job....

The streets will always be walked by those not part of a bordello.

I think you are wrong CARE, you assume, I think because that's the way things have been here that street walking would continue or increase upon legalization. I can tell you from my time in Germany, that "street walkers" or other girls who were not in a whore houses we looked down on as "unclean." I'm sure some people "visited" them, but by and large they would have a very small subset of clients. Why would you go someplace that was PROBABLY unclean when you could go someplace that was probably clean?

 

[frazzledgear]

these particular women, fathertime, will not be registered by the State BECAUSE they would not qualify, they are drug users, and second, many are college students paying their way so they too would not want to be publicly registered, and the homeless girls won't register either because they too don't want to be found by relatives trying to find them, or because they are underage and so and and so forth...

The street walking trade will always be there and it will always be an unsafe practice...more prostitutes are killed by strangers than any other women in America, they are also beat up more....
legalizing it won't change that one iota, so i wouldn't go pronouncing everything will be hunky dory if it is legalized.....because it won't.....

I happened to know a prostitute and some of her prostitute coworkers, NONE of them LIKE their job, none of THEM want to do what they are doing, they ALL felt they didn't have a choice, because they all were DRUG ADDICTS and could not hold a regular job....

The streets will always be walked by those not part of a bordello.

One only needs to go see how well legalization has worked out for other countries with a few years of it under their belt. Did it eradicate the street trade, have any impact on violence/crime against prostitutes, remove organized crime from prostitution, put all other pimps out of business, did it even reduce the spread and rates of STDs? Did it in any way help the most desperate of women who don't WANT to be prostitutes but feel driven to it because they are financially destitute, need money RIGHT NOW - and are ignorant about any other options that may be available to them? NO. Legalizing prostitution only CREATES and then legalizes a NEW single kind of prostitution - that carried out in state-run brothels. It in no way eliminates all other kinds of prostitution which continues uninterrupted.

So the next question is -since it does none of these things, then how does society BENEFIT by creating and legalizing a NEW kind of prostitution when it will not rid society of all other kinds? In effect, it makes government just one more pimp -one that is simply declaring his product is better than all his competitors. And hoping it drives his competition out of business. (But never does.) You don't legalize a previously illegal behavior unless it is at the very least impact-neutral on society and preferably somehow BENEFITS society itself because doing so is the same as government putting its stamp of APPROVAL on that behavior. Prohibition didn't work because it operated on the faulty premise that the use of alcohol harmed the majority of those who used it and therefore no one should be allowed to use it -when in fact the harm was to a small minority of those who used it. As a result, the ban ENCOURAGED the creation of a widespread violent, illegal trade that didn't exist at all when legal. One that immediately disappeared once the ban was revoked.

But legalizing prostitution doesn't remove the criminal element involved in prostitution -not ever. It merely creates a new kind of prostitution that didn't exist before -without ridding society of the other kinds of prostitution and without removing the criminal element that always exists in all other kinds of prostitution. Which will still exist. It simply makes government just another pimp - one that has just declared itself to be the only legal pimp and then boosted prices. But all the other prostitutes and kinds of prostitution that existed in the first place, the organized crime involvement -are still just as illegal as they were before and will still exist anyway. And because they always undercut government's prices -they will still get plenty of business.

No doubt many of the proponents of legalizing prostitution are the very same people who see no problem with making smoking illegal for all citizens. Some have no problem if government would make it illegal even in the privacy of one's own home. But want to legalize all sorts of immoral behaviors that actually carry no less significant consequences to society. Not the identical ones as smoking, but just as serious and very costly ones nonetheless. Saying that prostitution has existed forever is no excuse. Insisting it is a "victimless" crime when it is known to cause significant harm to those engaged in it in so many different ways -is a lie and attempt to deceive others.

Societies that experimented with legalization all learned the hard way that the cost to society was always far worse than anticipated and in the long run, just not worth the trade-off. Every society that legalized it in the past - inevitably ended up outlawing it once again. Only after the true costs of smoking to society became more well known, was there any demand that government remove its stamp of approval on this activity and make it illegal. Some people want to pretend the true cost to society of legalized prostitution is either irrelevant or nonexistent or at least impact-neutral. None of which is true. Legalizing prostitution has far more negative impacts on society and is far costlier to society than proponents will ever admit occurs.

I worked in an ER in a large city for 10 years and saw up close what prostitution did to these women, saw the profound and never ending serious health problems they had, the incredibly rapid aging effect it had on them, the violence they fell victim to and the fact that so many are just totally ignorant about any other options. As well as realizing why it is prostitutes have a life expectancy several decades shorter than others. And never saw one who WANTED to be a prostitute -they were all just resigned to it, fatalistic about it and saw no other options. The vast majority of prostitutes are not pricey high class call girls and never were. (A higher price only reduces the workload anyway, not the other risks that still come with the job.) The vast majority of prostitutes are NOT girls working their way through college or bored housewives. Most didn't finish high school, most were not very intelligent and some were definitely retarded. Many lack just basic common sense and have little comprehension of cause-and-effect. Not a single one of the hundreds I saw come through the ER had healthy relationships with any man. The majority had some serious mental health issues, even more had multiple drug and alcohol addictions - and most would NEVER be accepted by the state as a legal prostitute if legalized. But they would still be prostitutes anyway because they don't know of any other other option for themselves.

There is no benefit to creating an entirely new kind of prostitution by government which then becomes a pimp except possibly to government as another source of tax revenue. But I am unwilling to accept the significant, serious trade-offs society will make in exchange for the creation of a new kind of prostitution when it will never remove the other kinds of prostitution, never help the most desperate of women who are driven to it and never remove those who will still prey upon, exploit and manipulate these most desperate.

If you don't foresee the day that once government puts its stamp of approval on this new government-run kind of prostitution and becomes a pimp, that on Career Day at public schools -parents would be demanding that managers of these government run brothels be invited to tell kids what a wonderful future for them awaits in becoming a government pimp managing a government-run brothel and have legal hookers tell girls what wonderful benefits they enjoy and what they have to do to earn their money -then its an admission this will ALWAYS be considered a shameful way to earn money. That shame is not and never has been removed just because government gives it their stamp of approval. All the REAL harm it causes and all other kinds of prostitution will still continue. There just is no benefit to society by having government pimp out its own stable of whores and more than enough reasons it shouldn't.

 

[Father Time]

Sigh another wall of text.

One only needs to go see how well legalization has worked out for other countries with a few years of it under their belt. Did it eradicate the street trade, have any impact on violence/crime against prostitutes, remove organized crime from prostitution, put all other pimps out of business, did it even reduce the spread and rates of STDs? Did it in any way help the most desperate of women who don't WANT to be prostitutes but feel driven to it because they are financially destitute, need money RIGHT NOW - and are ignorant about any other options that may be available to them? NO. Legalizing prostitution only CREATES and then legalizes a NEW single kind of prostitution - that carried out in state-run brothels. It in no way eliminates all other kinds of prostitution which continues uninterrupted.

I hate to have to do this but ..

proof or GTFO.

So the next question is -since it does none of these things, then how does society BENEFIT by creating and legalizing a NEW kind of prostitution when it will not rid society of all other kinds? In effect, it makes government just one more pimp -one that is simply declaring his product is better than all his competitors.

Wait so the government allowing private citizens to run brothels makes the government a pimp? So does that make the government a bartender for allowing people to sell alcohol?

And hoping it drives his competition out of business. (But never does.) You don't legalize a previously illegal behavior unless it is at the very least impact-neutral on society and preferably somehow BENEFITS society itself because doing so is the same as government putting its stamp of APPROVAL on that behavior.

*cough*Bullshit*cough*

Stamp of approval would mean actual approval, take flag burning. Very few people approve of it but the government still recognizes the right of people to burn flags because it's free speech. We should allow people the right to use their own bodies as they please and not be throwing people in jail over it. It's excessive government force.

But legalizing prostitution doesn't remove the criminal element involved in prostitution -not ever.

The mob? Ok I guess you're right about that they would still be involved but they wouldn't have such a monopoly.

It merely creates a new kind of prostitution that didn't exist before -without ridding society of the other kinds of prostitution and without removing the criminal element that always exists in all other kinds of prostitution.
Which will still exist. It simply makes government just another pimp - one that has just declared itself to be the only legal pimp and then boosted prices.

Then we let private citizens own brothels, government regulated does not mean government owned. Hell they all ready let citizens open brothels or become a one person service in some parts of Nevada (last I heard one women was opening up a male-prostitute brothel but it may have been a rumor).

But all the other prostitutes and kinds of prostitution that existed in the first place, the organized crime involvement -are still just as illegal as they were before and will still exist anyway. And because they always undercut government's prices -they will still get plenty of business.

See above. Legalization means people can do it themselves not that government will own it. Yes leaving it up to only government is a bad idea but that's not what we (or at least I) am advocating.

No doubt many of the proponents of legalizing prostitution are the very same people who see no problem with making smoking illegal for all citizens. Some have no problem if government would make it illegal even in the privacy of one's own home. But want to legalize all sorts of immoral behaviors that actually carry no less significant consequences to society.

A. Untrue (I favor killing government bans on smoking in privately owned property (including bars))
B. Ad hominem and completely irrelevant.

Societies that experimented with legalization all learned the hard way that the cost to society was always far worse than anticipated and in the long run, just not worth the trade-off. Every society that legalized it in the past - inevitably ended up outlawing it once again.

Source? Or at least give an example.

Only after the true costs of smoking to society became more well known, was there any demand that government remove its stamp of approval on this activity and make it illegal.

Stamp of approval in my books means subsidies or tax breaks or favoritism not simply letting them do it. Government should not play the role of our parent making the major decisions for us.

None of which is true. Legalizing prostitution has far more negative impacts on society and is far costlier to society than proponents will ever admit occurs.

I worked in an ER in a large city for 10 years and saw up close what prostitution did to these women, saw the profound and never ending serious health problems they had, the incredibly rapid aging effect it had on them, the violence they fell victim to and the fact that so many are just totally ignorant about any other options. As well as realizing why it is prostitutes have a life expectancy several decades shorter than others. And never saw one who WANTED to be a prostitute -they were all just resigned to it, fatalistic about it and saw no other options.

And HOW do these women's poor decision make it Ok for us to arrest people who want to be prostitutes? Or even arresting the same women? *insert sadism reference here*

The vast majority of prostitutes are not pricey high class call girls and never were. (A higher price only reduces the workload anyway, not the other risks that still come with the job.) The vast majority of prostitutes are NOT girls working their way through college or bored housewives. Most didn't finish high school, most were not very intelligent and some were definitely retarded. Many lack just basic common sense and have little comprehension of cause-and-effect. Not a single one of the hundreds I saw come through the ER had healthy relationships with any man. The majority had some serious mental health issues, even more had multiple drug and alcohol addictions - and most would NEVER be accepted by the state as a legal prostitute if legalized. But they would still be prostitutes anyway because they don't know of any other other option for themselves.

Can you provide a poll or SOMETHING to back you up on this? If there existed college girls trying to pay their way out of it do you think you'd see them in the ER?

There is no benefit to creating an entirely new kind of prostitution by government which then becomes a pimp except possibly to government as another source of tax revenue. But I am unwilling to accept the significant, serious trade-offs society will make in exchange for the creation of a new kind of prostitution when it will never remove the other kinds of prostitution, never help the most desperate of women who are driven to it and never remove those who will still prey upon, exploit and manipulate these most desperate.

Support your local 69 prostitutes union (just throwing it out there).

If you don't foresee the day that once government puts its stamp of approval on this new government-run kind of prostitution and becomes a pimp, that on Career Day at public schools -parents would be demanding that managers of these government run brothels be invited to tell kids what a wonderful future for them awaits in becoming a government pimp managing a government-run brothel and have legal hookers tell girls what wonderful benefits they enjoy and what they have to do to earn their money -then its an admission this will ALWAYS be considered a shameful way to earn money.

And so is porn but I don't think it should be illegal.

Look sorry if I seemed rude but you keep posting these large unneeded walls of text. Can you at least TRY to be brief?

 

[frazzledgear]

Sigh another wall of text.


And so is porn but I don't think it should be illegal.

Look sorry if I seemed rude but you keep posting these large unneeded walls of text. Can you at least TRY to be brief?

Keep in mind "brief argument" rarely equals "better argument" -but how's this one. I do not think it is EVER the proper role of government to have a stable of its own whores, regulate them, pimp them out and essentially promise its customers (johns) that it carries a superior "product" over all its competitors. Declaring only government-controlled prostitution to be legal will not end all the other forms of prostitution. It simply creates a totally new kind of prostitution in addition to that which already exists. Prostitution is so often the exploitation of a very vulnerable segment of the population who are among the most financially desperate, do not WANT or enjoy being prostitutes and is a very ugly, brutal business. No matter who is doing the pimping. Government should never play a role in that exploitation of some of its own citizens, neither should it be encouraging citizens to participate in prostitution by putting its stamp of approval on it in ANY form by legalizing it. Legalizing any previously illegal behavior should at least have a neutral impact on society and preferably a positive impact since it means a government stamp of approval. Legalized prostitution has a negative impact, causes far more harm and carries far more costs to society than proponents will ever admit exists. You hear all sorts of rationalizations why it just isn't so in their insistence that prostitution is actually something most women involved LIKE to do and WANT to do -instead of being financially trapped and manipulated into doing. Denying the very real harm caused by prostitution still doesn't change the reality of it. It is rarely about two consenting adults and all too often about one consenting adult and one who is resigned to the belief she has no other real options in front of her. Legalizing it doesn't change that belief for the most desperate at all -it reinforces it.

A better argument can be made that porn causes less harm to participants and that those who choose to participate in porn are actually in a better position to do so more freely and not as the last desperate means of survival that prostitution so often is. Since it does not carry the same immediate financial pay-off in cash that prostitution does, it isn't the most commonly available means of support for the most desperate (underage runaways, mentally ill, drug addicted and homeless) who turn to the immedate financial pay-off of prostitution just in order to survive. And government -as far as I know -isn't in the porn business. But certainly would be in the prostitution business operating pretty much as another pimp if prostitution is legalized in the manner proposed by supporters.

 

[Father Time]

I don't favor only government owned brothels be legalized I'm in favor of citizens being able to open up a brothel or just go into business for themselves. I think they should be regulated the way the government regulates restaurants (making sure it meets health standards for example).

Prostitution used to be legal but now it's not and I think people should have the right to sell their body which I think is more significant then whether or not it benefits society.

 

[mightypeon]

Well, Germanys rate (East Germany had legalized prostitution from the nearly Beginning, even we Commies want to have some fun) of some sexual transmitted diseases like Gonorhoea is 4% of the rate in the US.

Thats about the numbers in California, a million teens with STDs sound quite hefty if you ask me.
State, county STD rate 'a shock' - Report says there were a million cases of sexually transmitted diseases in California in 2005. - Los Angeles Times

If you now start about "immoral West Coast Hippies",

STD statistics for the USA

Lousisiana followed by Alabama and Georgia take the top three in STD prevalence.
Nevada on the other hand is not in the top 10.

Concerning Germany:
Prostitution in Germany - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Is that long term enough?
Prostitutes in Germany having LESS STDs then the normal population says a lot, dont you think?

 

[ABikerSailor]

Imagine if all people are prostituting then what that becomes of us?
--------------------

Well......lets look at the word.......

pros⋅ti⋅tute
   /ˈprɒstɪˌtut, -ˌtyut/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [pros-ti-toot, -tyoot] Show IPA noun, verb, -tut⋅ed, -tut⋅ing.
–noun
1. a woman who engages in sexual intercourse for money; whore; harlot.
2. a man who engages in sexual acts for money.
3. a person who willingly uses his or her talent or ability in a base and unworthy way, usually for money.
–verb (used with object)
4. to sell or offer (oneself) as a prostitute.
5. to put to any base or unworthy use: to prostitute one's talents.
Origin:
1520–30; < L pr&#333;stit&#363;ta, n. use of fem. of pr&#333;stit&#363;tus, ptp. of pr&#333;stituere to expose (for sale), equiv. to pr&#333;- pro- 1 + -stit&#363;-, comb. form of var. s. of statuere to cause to stand + -tus ptp. suffix; see status

Related forms:
pros&#8901;ti&#8901;tu&#8901;tor, noun

Synonyms:
1. call girl, streetwalker, courtesan; trollop, strumpet.

Now........with this definition, it's not just about sex. ANYONE who has ever worked for money has prostituted themselves at one time or another.

Face it.......we're all prostitutes.........

Legalize sex workers!