There are actually three criminals involved; the "john", the prostitute, and the pimp. And now HIV and Aids can be added to the health hazards.
The pimp keeps the prostitute hooked on drugs which may eventually kill her. The prostitute may have sex with 30 or 40 or 50 "johns" a day, any of which may have god know what disease. The "john" goes home and spreads it to his wife/gf. The pimp drives off in a new Cadillac to find more girls. And the beat goes on!
We should legalize this, and tax it?
It is legal in Nevada! Legalization though is another argument. George is (from my perspective) proposing a double standard. Sure a fine upstanding man loses a lot of face if he is busted solicitating a prostitute but if you commit the crime you must be willing to do the time or pay the consequences. That is what is wrong with society today, everybody wants a free ride! When you do or say something there are consequences, letting people off without paying those consequences is what leads to anarchy. Thats why there are laws and morals. This thread and the comments contained within show how far this country has fallen into the abyss of me, me ,me. It is no wonder why politics are so muddied with lies and mud throwing, why our families are falling apart and why we, America, are looked at by the world as imbeciles.
Why should I be willing to do the time? Maybe I made a political statement. Did the original Tea Partiers turn themselves in? Rosa Parks committed a crime. Was she wrong? Simply saying, one must take their punishment and shut up, takes away my right to protest on a certain level. Just because something is a crime, doesn't mean we have to accept it.