Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Andrew W on June 19, 2011 at 2:52am

I don't think anyone wants prostitution to be a outlet for a young girl. On another note; if a adult women feels she's ok with that lifestyle then let that women do what she wants. Also, I think it should be regulated to a certain degree. For example: STD testing, plenty of protection at all times, and also I think everything should go down at a third party location. Like a nice strip club with a happy ending, right?

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Permalink Reply by Robin on June 19, 2011 at 3:07am

It's ok if it's given away?.. There's no law against that.

The act is ok... and who's to judge what's ok.. as long as $$$ not involved.

If the " immoral" act of charging for it were legal, there would be testing for STDS and people wouldn't be murdered in back alleys ... It's never going to go away... whether or not you or I "want it " 

And who said anything about a young girl?  I'm not talking minors.

The government needs to stop controlling consenting adults.

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Permalink Reply by Smokey12499 on June 19, 2011 at 2:56am

I'm agree with you Robin. While we all know prostitution is illegal, has anyone ever been given the reason? I think there are two problems with the legalization of prostitution (and drugs for that matter):

1) The government is controlled (perhaps a more appropriate word is funded) by the overflowing collection plates of the right-wing, ultra-conservative, uber-religious, and ignorant masses that cannot think for themselves... short version -- others trying to project their morality on the rest of the world.

2) I don't believe that the government (federal or state) has any clue how to control either legalized prostitution or legalized drugs. I say control, because if an when either are legalized it will be by the hands of the government, which will allow for the control and taxation of both.

With that being said, what better way to balance the budget?

I think I'm going to send and email to my representatives, I wonder if I'll get that same form letter response...

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Permalink Reply by Robin on June 19, 2011 at 3:13am

I forgot to mention the tax revenue..... Thank you!

And I couldn't have said it better... it's those religious nuts (Right winged, same thing)

running the country.

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Permalink Reply by Steve on June 19, 2011 at 7:18am

Yeah, there are some European countries were prostitutes pay taxes and can even get social and health insurance via their employer

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Permalink Reply by Michael Themis on June 19, 2011 at 6:48am

I disagree with your reasons for wanted prostitution to stay legal. In my opinion your views for individual liberty and choice doesn't carry much weight. This is because those women who become prostitutes would most likely want to be doing something different. It isn't the life passion of any sane person to want to become a prostitute. At least in the those people that I have encountered. Prostitutes I have spoken to would rather be doing something else. However, I agree that prostitution should be legal. This is so those women can be protected for health concerns and the industry monitored. It also helps prevent sexually transmitted disease for obvious reasons. Also, government agencies can help take these women off the street and into safer environments like brothels.

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Permalink Reply by Robin on June 19, 2011 at 9:48am

"in my opinion your views for individual liberty and choice doesn't carry much weight. This is because those women who become prostitutes would most likely want to be doing something different. It isn't the life passion of any sane person to want to become a prostitute."

Well that would be up to the individual, maybe we should make waitressing illegal, I doubt many women aspire to be in that field. I'm talking about the right to choose. No one wants a women to be a prostitute, or to be a waitress for that matter... They might choose to go to school while making good $ and possibly could enjoy their job. Some women enjoy sex, and or being a sort of listener to men that have noone to talk to that won't judge them.

Do you know women who work in factories... Do they enjoy working there and making min. wage?

Please don't tell people what they would want or enjoy... It's up to them to make that decision.

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Permalink Reply by Michael Themis on June 19, 2011 at 10:15am

No look that is a completely fair point. I in no way intend to be telling people what to enjoy. I will concede that point.

In Australia prostitution is legal provided it is not done publicly. As in girls openly offering sex for money. It must be done in brothels and through escort agencies ect.

I am proposing that prostitution should be legal not because of a civil liberty. Rather, because states in which prostitution is completely illegal force prostitution underground..

Your views just seem to be more focused on giving women the right to have sex for money ending it there. Let everyone do what they want. I am sorry but I dont want prostitutes having free reign around my suburbs with no regulations.. Its not simply a private matter for a women to decide what she wants to do with her body.. health risks are extreme. we need to protect society from those risks by having prostitution highly regulated. so prostitutes can undergo mandatory health checks and proper safety mechanisms are installed to protect women..

What you seem to be proposing (correct me if i am wrong) is letting women/men have complete free reign in deciding how they sell their bodies.. sounds all great and freedom loving. but in reality it will spread disease and be a very unsafe environment for all parties involved. rather, give women the right to become a prostitute.. but let society be protected through high regulation of the industry. --> works in Australia.

And please dont bring up safe sex.. because condoms break..

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Permalink Reply by Robin on June 19, 2011 at 10:31am

I don't think that it shouldn't be regulated , on the contrary, it should be.. That's the point, right now people, not just women, do it in secret and suffer negative consequences..

It's legal to give it away.. Do I thinks it's ok then in the streets.?.. No, thats ridiculous.

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Permalink Reply by Jimmy Boy on July 11, 2011 at 7:23am

Hi Michael.

 

Sorry - late to the debate but...

 

"but in reality it will spread disease and be a very unsafe environment for all parties involved."

 

Any evidence for that?

 

I attended the Westminster Skeptics in the Pub on the sex industry a couple of months back, and had all of my liberal (not so liberal it turned out) views on this subject completely turned round by an academic presentation, from a leading UK (female) academic in this area.

 

Simple deregulation was the proposal from those studying the industry, as the best means to make women in the sex industry safe.  There was an impromptu talk there as well from a woman who had worked as a prostitute to pay her way through college and she was intelligently damning of those nice middle class do-gooders who would tell her what to do in her best interests.

 

I came away convinced that the 'let's regulate' voices (for or against) were just more conservative control freakery.  And I understand that the evidence is pretty overwhelming: less regulation results in a much safer environment for the women involved.

 

That has to be a good thing.

 

But whatever the case: let's make our policy based on evidence, not idealogy.

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Permalink Reply by Dark Star on July 11, 2011 at 10:43am

Very good input.  Although I hope we can all agree that some types of regulation can be bad and others can be beneficial.  I don't believe you can make a blanket statement on the subject.

 

I 100% agree with you that all such policy should be based as heavily on evidence as is possible (let's face it, human behavior can be difficult to study).  I am a liberal so I would absolutely want as little regulation as is absolutely necessary.

 

What I'm suggesting is not acceptable are things like locations where women are kept against their will, are abused, etc - things that should already be illegal really but we are too busy arresting people for cannabis possession (and making profits at for-profit prisons where the very Judges who sentence people there own shares) to bother with.

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Permalink Reply by Steve on June 19, 2011 at 7:16am

It's not like prostitution doesn't exist in the US. It just happens in "escort agencies" an the like. At least semi-legally. Street prostitution and brothels aren't entirely dead.

 

What needs to be illegal is human trafficking and exploitation. While it's true that many women are forced into prostitution due to economic circumstances, that's where most of the abuse and problems come from. But if a city controls the establishment of legal brothels, it can make inspections to see if certain standards are kept.

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