Should prostitution be legalized?

No. Disagree. As usual.
I know I'm not among the most educated people, but heres what I think...

I think you guys are looking at this from completely the wrong angle. From what I understand, you all (or most of you) do not agree with the concept of prostitution. So why promote it? I can guarantee making prostitution legal would just create a larger amount of people earning their living through sex. I can also guarantee that for 90% of these people, the task at hand (when they are on the job) is unpleasant.
Leagalizing prostitution would be taking a step in the wrong direction.

Instead why can't we put effort towards depleting the amount of prositution occuring. The government can still make condoms and education more easily available without legalizing the act of paying for sex. Why not put the brothel efforts towards social programs that can help get prostitutes off addictions and back on their feet. Why not give young prostitutes an orphanage where they can go to school and prepare for their futures. Why not force the government to provide alternate forms of income to these impoverished, single mothers.

I don't know if there is a flaw to my way of thinking but it seems to me that this action would reduce the occurance of a last-resort form of survival for women and men, rather than promote a more widespread, and maybe safer form of prostitution.

 

i don't think it would cut down on rape at all... rape isn't really about the sex, it's more about power ya know?...

anyway, i do hate watching COPS to see them use about 10 guys to arrest prostitutes and "johns"... seems like such a waste of police energy. i hate that show anyway, but those in particular really bug me.

i guess i'm undecided about whether or not it should be legalized... on the one hand, it is already out there and protecting these ppl and their clients would be a good thing, but on the other hand, promoting this would be promoting that kind of lifestyle and other things that go with it... i've never been to las vegas, but it certainly doesn't seem like the type of place i would want to raise my kids, and the more difficult it is to get certain things (prostitutes, drugs, whatever) the less likely ppl are going to do it. hmmm... still thinking about it.

 

tommyboy, i just read your post and i think you have a lot of really good points...

 

thank you ... yes i think a common belief is that the police have to deal with everything...

Cops wont stop the problem. All they are ever gonna do is spank you on the bum and give you a fine so that you can go back on the street to make they money to pay it.. haha. Asshole idiots. Something else has to be set up other than "cops" to deal with the problem at hand.

 

i love your signature too, btw

 

thanks... the picture?

 

not exactly, not for me at anyrate. first off i do agree with the concept of prostitution, i think the fact that you're not allowed to have sex for money is rediculous since you can do anything else for money in this world, and sex has been around since the dawn of man kind, quite obviously.
you can build a fence for money, you can delivery groceries for money, you can file peoples nails for money, you can give back massages for money, i don't see why sex should be any different besides our stigmatism towards it. i personally wouldnt go into a strip club, but that does mean i think they should be illegal, jsut like i persoanlly wouldn't go to a prostitute, but that doesnt mean i think it should be illegal. i think thats what most people in this thread are talking about

and where are you going to get the money for that? why not form the taxes generated off legalized prostitution? see, there are tons of programs for that already, and they obviously don't work. and why is it you think every prostitute is in the industry because he or she has no choice, or is being forced into it, many of them enjoy having sex, and if they get paid for it, hell, even better. persoanlly the thought of delivering your mail seems rather mundane to me, but some people really enjoy it, who's to say if people are willing to pay for it, and all parties are consenting that it should be illegal? just because im iuncomfortbale with the thought of paying money to have sex doesnt mean i or anyone should have the right to restrict people who want to do just that.
you associate prostitution with drugs and the underworld and you're right to do that because thats where we've forced it. if prostitution was legal and regulated there wouldnt be the whole undergroud world associated with it. there wouldnt be pimps doubleing as drug dealers because of site inspections, there wouldnt be countless murders of prostitutes no one cares or knows about because they would be regular workersliek you and i, prostitutes should have a right to equal protection and safety on the job jsut like everyone else. marijuana in particular is known as a gateway drug, yet tylenol 3 is not...because you don't have to go to teh same guys who sell heroin to pick up a tylenol 3. when you have to go to the underworld to get what shoudltn be there in the first place it opens up doors that you wouldnt otherwise have access to. marijauna wouldnt be a gateway drug if it was sold as alcohol is in a regulated environment. i hope you see where im going with that

see i can understand why you migth think like that, but, in regulated environments growth isnt unlimited. right now prostitution in its current form is prolly as big as its gonna get because there are no checks in place. take cab drivbers for instance almost everyone can drive a cab, jsut like almost everyone can have sex, but each jurisdiction regulates exactly how many cabbies there can be on the road by issueing a set amount of liscences, and the same would apply to prostitutes.

my final thought is porn.

those are women having sex with men for money, if you've ever enjoyed pron, you've enjoyed a form of prostitution, if you think prostitution should be illegal because its women having sex with men for money you shoudl think porn should be illegal...and yet...porn actresses are VERY safe compared to prostitutes because of strict regulation, porn actresses don't die left rigth and centre, they arent all associated with crack and heroin and stds, and the number of porn movies made is regulated by a governing body and money to pay for schools, roads, and other job training programs so those single mothers you talk abotu can get their welfare cheques.

i see where your comming from, but im still gonna have to disagree with your stance

 

Ill try and make this as short as possible because I'm tired, and also because our opinions are based on the fact of whether or not we belive prostitution to be acceptable.

Building a fence is not degrading. Building a fence does not ruin families and/or end relationships. It is not our stigmatism.. we are this way for a reason. It is the fact that sex (in my opinion) is something that two people who love each other should do... and you should not have multiple partners. Being unfaithful to this results in mistrust, hate, anger, divorce, suicide rates... etc etc. You cant just look at how the prostitute's vagina feels while shes "at work"... theres a much wider variety of negative effects that take place.

your most valid point. I knew this issue would be brought up. For this reason I am glad to be canadian. The only way is by raising taxes. Believing in the right for an acceptable level of quality of life for all people. This means taking money from the rich and distributing it... through taxes.

I guess this all comes back to the point of whether or not people care enough to give an extra 15 cents a year in taxes for a good cause.. and its sad that the dont.

Ignorance.
If these programs did not work they would not exist. There can always be more. The amount of support these programs receive now is minimal. The situation could be so much better.
These programs would not exist if prostitution were legalized... and the issues would become more severe.

Wow.. I had respect for you until you wrote this. People dont just decide all of a sudden.."With my life i wanna be a prostitute because I LOVE SEX.. even though i might get diseases, pregnant, killed, or raped!". Little girls dont grow up thinking .. oo when I grow up i wanna be a prostitute. lol ... It sounds rediculous. It is a way out. A means of survival. Maybe this is the case for a good five percent of prostitutes, but I seriously urge you to do a survey on how many prostitutes would rather be stay at home moms, or nurses, or teachers, or even janitors.

Yes there would. In the system you speak of, whether or not it is how you'd like it, the set up would be that prostitutes would have to be hired and educated in some way (a course). When a prostitute becomes a prostitute... they walk into the street and start work. This would seem to be far too much trouble (self business is better).

The second reason is that people would worry about their reputation, and would not want to be seen in the prostitute shop. Why walk in, fill out forms, show id, etc etc when you can pull up to some girl on the street in 1.8 seconds and be on your way?

I agree completely with the legalization of marijuana. It is a completely different issue and under completely different circumstances.

The jurisdiction will regulate... whatever jobs were not filled will soon be by those loving pimps that live in the streets... I guess there will no longer be a monopoly in that case though haha

Porn is paying two people to have sex for entertainment purposes, and it is usually professional. Prostitution is one person payign another to fulfill his/her perverted fantasies. For the record, I do not agree with porn either. Porn cannot be secretive (entertainment)... whilst prostitution is secret, dishonest, and can lead to family problems. With porn the significant other of the actor would without a doubt know what is going on. Completely different circumstances.


I know i didnt change your mind... wasnt really trying to. The position you pick on this debate relates directly to whether or not you believe prostitution to be acceptable. I do not see it as ever having a social benefit, and you see it as perhaps being beneficial. That seems to be the only difference.

 

Prostitution is legal here, in the Netherlands.

 

I disagree with it but I think it should be legalized. There are times when we need to separate logic from feelings. Honestly, the concept of prostitution makes me sad cuz it's so disappointing seeing people considering themselves as objects. Anyway, some of these girls should go through a psychological exam before going to 'work', I really don't think it's normal for someone to like doing this.
Despite this degrading image, I see no reasons why these people should not be offered legal protection.

 

That's the last thing the US Government needs - more tax revenues so that they can wage more oil wars. If it were unionized, the brothel would set me up with a 30+ hooker with seniority over a nubile young Ukrainian teen with perky breasts. But otherwise, I'm ok with regulation.

 

It seems those that are against legalising protitution are saying that legalisation=promoting prostitution to the public. Not the case, look at how cigarettes are sold in Canada, with every pack you buy, you pay outrageous taxes and are visually assaulted by pictures of tumors and bleeding gums etc.

Just because we make somthing legal does not mean that we are endorsing the use of it.

Another thing - this is somewhat of a civil liberties thing too isn't it? If a woman wants to sell sex she should be able to, and if a man wants to buy sex (or vice versa) he should be able to. Me personally... not my thing. But if others want to do this, so be it. It's been happening for thousands of years and you're not going to stop it. And why should you?

As it sits right now with prostitution being illegal it is hurting people, funding gangs and putting lives at risk, I see only benifits from legalising.

 

As you said, that was only your opinion, lots of people beleive in having sex with multiple partners. Especially those who aren't commited to a relationship yet. And who are we to stop that? It causes me no problems.

Yes being unfaithful will result in that, but being unfaithfull has nothing to do with prostitution, no prostitute is pulling men off the street and forcing them to pay for sex. If somebody chooses to be unfaithfull thats their choice, not the prostitute.

As a Canadian you should appreciate that we allready pay the most taxes in the world, and we can't just keep taxing the people more. We need to find new sources of income.

The war on drugs still exsits and we can see how well that's working. Just because somthing exsits dosn't mean it's working well. And who's to say that these programs wouldn't exist if prostitution were legalised? If anything they would receive more funding from the taxes that prostitution would be generating.

It's irrelavant how they became prostitues. Mind you there are plenty of women who choose this lifestyle, look at all the escort services around... Wether or not they chose this lifestyle, why not make it a safer lifestyle for them?

It would not cut down on illegal prostitution completely. But I think many women would choose to work in the saftey, and guaranteed business of a brothel than to walk the streets hoping her next customer will pay her...

Even better - getting criminals into legit jobs and paying taxes, having to keep track of their books? Good idea!

At one point in the sale of porn, one person is paying a retailer so that they can "fulfill his/her perverted fantasies"....

/fini

 

I agree with you. Why should they be able to earn loads of cash tax-free? I mean, we have escorts here, but they may aswell call themselves hookers. They still pretty much do the same thing.
It may also help cut the amount of Nasty pimps out there too.

 

are you suggesting that while legalizing brothels, the government should not only tax it heavily, but also try to deter ppl from it as well? despite the safety involved with working for a brothel, how successful do you think they will be with these restrictions? obviously ppl get away with it now that it's illegal, do you think they'll stop doing it illegally if it's easier to get customers that way?.. i don't know.

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i wanted to point out the fact that some of you seem to think prostitutes sell their bodies because they love sex. what healthy person, who loves sex, would stand on a street corner, risk arrest, assault, not being paid, etc etc for the chance of getting some money? i don't think these women are prostitutes because they love sex, they're prostitutes because they need money and performing sexual acts is something they can do. if they have no other skills in the world, they do have their bodies, that have a few holes, and can be used for money. do you think women, or men, stand on a street corner because they want to be fucked? no... they stand there because they want money, and are usually very desparate for it. there are many ways to get money for sex, but the job of the typical street hooker is probably the most difficult.. for a number of reasons.

i wanted to point these things out... but i'm still undecided on whether to legalize it or not... i'd have to look it into it more.

 

Actually, if paying for sex is the definition of prostitution, then there's one form of prostitution that's been legal for decades.

It's called pornography.

You pay to watch it -- and either masturbate or have sex with your partner while watching it.

And if THAT makes me a "john," than I've been "john" for over 30 years. Would I actually pay someone to have sex with me? Absolutely not.

At my age, if I want to simply "get my rocks off," all I need is either a porn video playing on my VCR or use my vivid erotic imagination -- and let my left hand do all the work. I prefer to make love with someone, rather than to merely have sex with someone. There is a difference -- and making love is priceless.

-- Skeeter

 

Only time would tell if it would deter customers... I was just trying to point out that making somthing legal does not neccesitate promoting it.

 

heh, this made me realize that the OP had referred to America as the place to legalize prostitution. I was thinking Canada, since we already tax the fuck out of everything. They're doing it to cigs to try and deter people from "unhealthy lifestyles" and were contemplating taxing greasy foods. I'd rather they legalized prostitution and taxed that, personally.

Prostitution will always happen. I'm sorry, there will always be people out there who can't get a partner due to a disability or a personality or whatever. Do you want them to not have sex for decades? Because that's just cruel. I don't see what would be wrong with setting up a SAFE place for prostitutes so they don't get murdered every other goddamn day, where they can get TESTED for std's to prevent the spread thereof, and to prevent the police from wasting their time hunting down regular johns and prostitutes instead of focusing on more harmful crimes (ie child prostitution)

 

yes. its been proven time and time again with so many other things in our day to day life. how many smokers do you know that grow their own tabbbaco? how many drinkers do you know that brew their own moonshyne? if a john has a choice between paying 50 dollars for a blow job in a safe environment, or paying 40 dollars for a blow job with the chance of getting mugged by a pimp nearby who's collaborating with the hooker, or getting arrested by a police officer pretending to be a hooker, or being busted in the act, or getting a life altering STD or what not, im sure you'll find people are willing to pay the extra for that added security. insurance for most things aren't mandatory, but most people have it because of the security it adds to their life. if i grew my own tobbacco and went onto a street corner and tried to sell it for half the price the major brands do, not only would i make little money and thus it wouldn't be very encouraging, i also doubt i would get many customers willing to pay for an unreliable product when there are tons of other reliable alternatives. you simply can't get around that. it may not eliminate the illegal trade completely, but theres nod enying it would substantially reduce its income.

but all those things you're associating with prostitution are there because its illegal. there wouldn't be the risk of not getitng paid if it was legal, there wouldnt be the risk of arrest, or assualt or any of that if it were legal. and you're right that many of those women don't want to be on that street working but have no choice, so why not make their choice a little more palitable by giving them basic rights and humans and workers contributing to our societty? you think i want to be a gas station attendant on a street corner? you thinky our garbage man wants to pick up your trash for a livving, you think the sewage department guy wants to wade through rat and shit infested sewers for a living? hell no. some do...but thats there own choice, and if thats the profession they chose to work, and if people are willing to pay for it, then so be it.


to the person who says it made them sad to think that prostitutes view themselves as objects..once agian i think thats only an old stigmatism that our societty has associated with sex...'why buy the cow when you get the milk for free' obviously an outdated saying that promotes no sex untill marriage, but our societty doenst reflect that belief anymore. i don't see how a womn having sex for money is any mopre of an object than a factory worker is who builds cardboard boxs, or a construction worker is, or an enforcement officer or army personel is. we're all pieces of a chess board, objects in societty as a whole, its unfair to classify prostitutes as objects anymore than anyone else is the the grand scheme of things.

 

does anybody think that legalizing prostitution will make it more popular, negatively affecting our society? (i mean, to me it seems like it would become more popular, more ppl willing to visit prostitutes and more willing to become prostitutes, because of the new laws surrounding it)

i'd like to know how it works in places where it is legal...