Your comment about the prices going down is nothing but personally speculation without anything to back it up. All we have is the evidence of Nevada and what has happened there to go on. It’s something that is personal in nature and I don’t care how many people / brothels are out there doing it, there aren’t going to be a lot of girls wanting to give “that” away for $20. The reason you hear of that now, is because of the “crack-whore” syndrome. Because many of the women on the street are on drugs, their desire to get high will outweigh their previous prices.

Regarding making teen drinking legal because it will make them safer just makes no sense. How would allowing teens to become chemically dependent add to their safety. If you’re going to make a comparison argument, please use an example that can be defended as making society safer.

How about we reduce the number of laws to only those laws that prevent actual harm to others? That should get rid of about 97% of them…

Making it legal will force the legal commuity to give credibility to any claims of assult or abuse. It also will take the girls out of the “shadows” so they won’t be afraid to report crimes of abuse. So, yes it being legal would mean that assult rates would drop dramatically.

My point about a non religious reason to oppose it is simple. Not everyone is religious, and not everyone wants to live by your biblical rules for society. Therefore, you’ll need to find reasons that aren’t based on the bible to justify your position. However, if you really want to dig into the bible, prostitution was widely accepted in biblical times. The temple prostitute was a very respected position. She was called the “K’desha”.

It’s funny how you make my points for me. You said – “Why would someone be so concerned over the safety of hookers?”
That comment alone is the reason prostitution should be legal. Guess what? That hooker is someones daughter, sister, mother etc. She’s a person trying to make a living the best way she can. Make whatever argument you’d like about other careers available, but where there is a need, someone will fill it.
But I find your comment amazing. Are you baically saying that you don’t care about the safety of prostitutes? They’re free game to beat, rape, abuse and kill? I thought you were a religious person. Doesn’t that clearly state to love everyone?

“Tacky and disgusting”? So, what you find tacky or disgusting should be illegal? What about the porn industry, should that be illegal as well? People find it tacky. People find used car dealers and lawyers tacky, should that be illegal?

Drugs would be all but non-existent. Remember, the girls get tested regularly. Any drug use would show and she wouldn’t get her lisence renewed.

You are right, there can be instances of STD’s inbetween tests. That’s a risk. However, rather than that girl spreading that disease for years, it might happen for a week or two. Secondly, it takes STD’s a time before they become transmitable. STD’s also exist in the bar scene, the dating scene or even in married couples, so there is no perfect way to avoid STD’s other than abstinence. And since you made a comment on the other thread saying “Stop giving it up often and I’m gone”, I’m guessing that abstinence isn’t an option.

Now, on August 7th, you said – “You have to be a loser to pay someone to have sex with you.” Today you said – “Face it most of the guys who go those places have one thing most don’t. Really good paying jobs.” Are they losers with really good paying jobs? Just wondering. Now, that statement is also completely untrue. Many guys with reglular jobs just choose to save up a couple hundred dollars to treat themselves to some fun with a prostitute.

Your argument about prostitution being everywhere and the prices would be driven down so everyone would go has two problems. One, we already have it legal in Nevada, and that hasn’t happened. We have a perfect way to check and determine how it would work. We don’t have to speculate on what might happen. Secondly, if it’s so tacky and disgusting and there is an overwhelming distain for it, why would everyone “with a dollar” go?

Create whatever argument you want justifying your claim, but there is really only one. It’s based soley on religious views. The women’s safety is at risk, and the “religious” folks out there try to stand on morals while these girls are dying for no reason. Legalizing it provides safety and regulation for the industry.

Again Mike, I’m going to ask again since I can’t seem to get an answer. WHY IS IT THAT SEX IS THE ONLY THING THAT’S LEGAL TO DO, BUT NOT SELL? If your argument is strong, you should have no problem with an answer to this question.

I don’t think that people are arguing that it should be legal because people will do it anyway. The base arguement is that there are no “non-religious” reasons it should be illegal.

You say that they have to be caught in the act to be prosecuted. I don’t know if that is true or not, but I can promise you that thousands of prostitutes across this country don’t trust that they can go to the police and report an assult and not be charged with prostitution. As a result, thousands of assults go unreported. Even murderers that target prostitutes aren’t given the publicity that’s given to others. They’re a forgotten class of women in our society. Keeping prostitution promotes violence against them.

There will always be women who choose to work the streets, but it would be easier to enforce if there were legal alternatives for these women. They would be protected in a brothel situation where their safety is paramount.

You also say that the stigma would remain even if it were legal, admitting that juries already “look down” on them because of their line of work. I don’t think that a woman who’d been beaten is any less of a victim because she’s a hooker than a woman who has a different profession.

And Mike or anyone for that matter, please answer this question.

WHY IS SEX THE ONLY THING THAT’S LEGAL TO DO, BUT NOT LEGAL TO SELL?

I’m going to keep asking that question until someone can attempt an answer. Thanks..

Just a few points to consider… Remember, we’re talking about government legislating one man’s morality to be the law of the land – a very dangerous proposition.

The argument that prostitution should be illegal because it will deter your grown (read: adult age) children from doing it is rooted in wanting control what they do. This is artificially raising the age of maturity in some cases and saying “yeah, you’re an adult, but not really that much of an adult that you can do what you want with your own body, even if you don’t hurt anyone – because I don’t like it”.

I can understand the natural urge of a parent to control their child, even after they reach the age of maturity, but our children will live their own lives and make their own choices. All we can ask is that we’ve raised them in such a way that they will make the best choices for ‘them’ – not necessarily for ‘us’.

In the same vein, you could argue that too much candy should be made illegal, so that you can tell your children “now kids, too much candy is not only bad, but it’s illegal”.

Consider the chilling reality we have today. Every single woman (or man – but let’s not go there today) is someone’s daughter, mother, sister. Because someone pushed their “moral” or religious beliefs into law, suddenly these women have been made an underclass with no rights. If you are victimized or assaulted, you can fight back, go to court, call the Police. These women can never report an attack, rape, abuse, nothing. And THAT should be a crime.

While as parents we may not want to face the reality that our children will make their own decisions, it’s not realistic to ask for laws to be passed for everything we deem immoral or unhealthy for our child.

Once we accept that these (adult) women will make their own choices, let’s make it possible for them to defend themselves.

Again, the major point of decriminalizing prostitution is to get rid of most problems attributed to it today. The crime and violence in the prostitution world today is CAUSED by the very people who outlawed it. They’re responsible for every single act of violence that young woman can’t report to the police for fear of being jailed.

Enforce government controls and regulation on this industry, and our children will be safer and will have a way to defend themselves without fear of legal action being taken against them.

Having said all that, it would not be my choice that my daughter choose prostitution as a way to make her living… But if she did, I would want her to be safer that the girls are today.

What kind of message are we giving to our young women? THat sex and money is okay and working hard to achieve something is not that important? If it is legalized you can expect many women to prostitute on the weekends as a part time job. THe money is rediculously easy to make. So this fact would tempt more women to do it alone. These are your daughters that you have to think about. Do you want your daughter to think of becoming a prostitute?

This is not directed to any on person, but I would like to remind everyone to please keep your comments constructive and avoid any personal attacks. We’re talking about legalizing prostitution, not each other.

Don’t you realize that the reason prostitutes are victims and are abused is because they’re not protected or regulated. If they had the protection of a legal brothel, govt mandated testing and simply the idea that they’re not in the shadows anymore and can report crimes against them, there would be many many fewer victims.

Why won’t anyone answer the question why sex is the only thing that’s legal to do, but not purchase? Please give me a valid answer to this one.

Also, as stated before, if you had a daughter and for whatever reason she chose prostitution, would you rather her be on the streets of Chicago, or in a legal brother in Nevada? And before you start saying your daughter would never do that, remember that every prostitute is someones daughter.
These women aren’t society’s outcasts. Some are professional employed women that choose to make some extra money. I know one woman who’s a nurse M-F and a call girl on the weekend. I know her from her nurse position, and she felt comfortable enought to tell me what her side job was.
What you need to realize is you promote violence against women by opposing the protection that’s given by making it legal.

You can’t deny a job because it’s not something they enjoy. Do you think people enjoy being garbage men? Do you think it might have something to do with the money? How about people that clean up after crime scenes? Do they like to clean up blood, vomit etc, or do you think they do it for the money? Should that be illegal because it’s driven by money? I could give you a hundred jobs that people do soley for the money and feel degraded by their jobs. That’s not a reason to make a job against the law.

Prostitution is harmful to the prostitute. You can try to convince yourself that she really likes it or it’s better than working at KMart or whatever ridiculous justification you come up with. But it is psychologically (and physically) damaging to real women.

Prostitutes are people. Real human beings. They do not enjoy giving 4 or 5 guys a blow job every day. If you think they do enjoy it, you are kidding yourself. They do it for the money.

Once you convince me that they have other options for the money, AND they have a path out of prostitution, then you MIGHT convince me that it is a CHOICE. Until then, you are just an apologist for the serious and horrific abuse of women in the name of free love and being “sex positive” — and that is NOT ok.

What about unattractive men, or very elderly men who are still potent, are they supposed to suffer also because of their age or looks?

How uncharitable is that? I suggest reading John 4: 4-42, for Jesus take on The Samaritan Woman at Jacob’s Well, who was living out of wedlock with a man and had had 5 husbands, besides. Jesus says nothing more to her after telling her sexual history, about her lifestyle, he merely begins to discuss the difference between the way and where in which Jews and Samaritans worship. She, the obviously promiscuous female, is the catalyst for Jesus success in her town becoming, as it were, his publicist, bringing the entire town to awareness of his Messiahship. He never even tells her to go and sin no more, he comprehends the mitigating circumstances involved.

The Big money people in America whose desire it is to place emphasis on a triviality, have confused people so they will focus on sexual behavior instead of Avarice, which God, the Prophets and Jesus, saw as a minor thing, especially with any mitigating factors, while Avarice/Greed is the root of all evils, like wars, stealing oil and destroying nations.

Outlawing Prostitution is hypocritical. Only fools and those with the IQ of a toad, and the heart of a Barracuda, support harassing people who are in need of loving.
Mercy and Charity are the cause of allowing people peace, love and contentment to carry on their lives.

I would go a step further, and legalize polygamy. God initiated it and never revoked it. Envious men and women did that. If it were sinful then the prophets are invalidated and we have neither valid Judaism, Muslimism nor Christianity.
Polygamy is an extended family and if one wife leaves the chance of a life of crime by the offspring, to be raised by the remaining wives and father, is far less possible, because the other wives and father are there to direct them and keep them from being latchkey delinquents. Children of single parent homes, especially if the single parent is a female, are far more likely to be involved in crime and drugs. Children do not see their mothers as respectable when they date. You can say that is a double standard if you wish but the fact remains.

It is also interesting from a religious standpoint because in polygamous marriages there are no STD’s. But in polyandry there is.
Multiple female sexual partners cause no harm to either party, but multiple male partners causes a variety of STD’s, malignancies, penal warts, which lead to cervical cancer.

Men and women now practice serial polygamy and polyandry, it is called dating.

While I understand your frustration on this matter, we are not saying that women should be ‘forced’ into prostitution. We are simply saying that it should be their choice on how to live their lives – not the governments decision…

We are not talking about slavery – selling women like cattle.

Our stance on this matter is simply that if a woman (or man for that matter) WANTS to charge money for the service they are providing, then they should be able to.

Prostitution treats women like they are garbage cans for whatever a man with $50 wants to throw her way. If he wants to slap her around, so what? If he wants to urinate on her, so what? She is supposed to take it, take the $50, and give half to the pimp (legal or illegal). Is it any wonder that most prostitutes are on drugs? I challenge you to have 5 gross guys do disgusting things to you every day without being on drugs.

How charming that bunch of people can sit at their keyboards and say it is perfectly fine to buy and sell women like they are cattle. You are comfortable in the notion that you will never have to have sex with a creepy guy just so you can give your kid food, clothing, and shelter. How nice for you. When you are desperate, you don’t have many choices. When society says that being a prostitute is what you should do when you are desperate and poor, then society is just saying you are human trash and don’t matter. That is not right.

Private sexwork provides many benefits to a culture, a safe avenue for sexual release, exploring intimacy skills, sex for those that are disabled, not in relationships or who admit the natural human desire for sexual variety.

It modifies the biblical principals where men could have as many wives, concubines, and “common” prostitutes and it was never wrong. Men owned their wives and concubines. Adultery was a property crime and a man never committed adultery if the “other women’ was single, not owned by another man. Today men don’t own their women and women have the right to choose their own partners (not based on marriage by family deal where in biblical times the girl often age 13.5 never met her husband till the wedding day).

Today women should be able to choose sexwork as a legitimate choice without the stupid legal issues we have in the U.S. vs the rest of the world.

This is NOT about public nuisance street hookers which are illegal in almost all the world very good reasons. This is about in private consenting adults in bedrooms laws have no place in.

Dave in Phoenix
sexwork.com
libchrist.com
sexworkcanada.com
lovetouch.info

I say legalize it, since the ones who buy porn, and go into those places, 9 x 10, are the people who want to ban it.

You make excellent points and have a very well structured argument, however you’re forgetting your conclusion. Your conclusion from all of the arguments you’ve made should be –
“These reasons are why prostitution should be legalized and regulated, so that these societal problems can be minimized, thank you”
Without that conclusion or one similar, your argument makes no sense. All of the problems you cited are all because the sex trade is illegal and on the street. Take it off the street and regulate brothels, tests, locations, etc. and the problems you claim are the reasons to keep it illegal mostly go away.

Our country constantly struggles with and is unable to reconcile its very ‘PUBLIC’ morality with its kinky private morality. Statistically, the red states have much higher divorce / abortion / teen pregancy rates than the supposedly godless blue states — so it is obvious that what people say as opposed to what the do are two very different things. It is the same with prostitution.

Can any of you imagine the day when a local, state, or federal candidate will stand on TV and announce that they are in favor of legalizing the sex trade? The public morality of the city, state or even the country would be outraged. Imagine the same with legalization of drug use or gay marriage.

So while I agree with the majority, I feel that it will be a very long time in coming — I am afraid the fool brave enough to even mention this topic in their platform is most likely not running for office this season.

Cheers

As far as looking down upon prostitutes, how judgmental and sanctimonious is that?

The point of view that most prostitutes were abused is nonsense. Today most people who are single and a good many who are married (of both sexes), practice serial polygamy-sex with one person after another-that is called dating. Some people have a greater love for baseball, or for chocolate, or for sex than others should we ban those things? Libidos differ just as do height, or weight, or IQ. Because mine is 173 should I be banned because it occurs in only 1/4 of one percent of the population?

People just cannot do something that St. Paul made very clear: If you are not very bright, listen to those who are and keep quiet, if you don’t you will make a fool of yourself publicly. He also said: Mind your own business.

Life is simple, do unto others as you would have them do unto you and mind your own business and keep the government and the church and your nose out of other people’s bedrooms.

Good Day and God Bless.

In ancient times there were Temple prostitutes and polygamy. The ancients saw it as a way for all to be happy sexually. Not everyone who is married has sexual bliss, some people have a higher libido than others. In some households one or another of the marriage may be ill or injured or otherwise unable to participate in sex. Should they break up if they are otherwise compatible? Some people are not very personable, or are unattractive, should they, then, also suffer the strain of sexual frustration?

The banning of prostitution was initiated by sanctimonious people lacking foresight, who could/not/cannot read the archaic languages of the bible, and read mistranslated, misinterpreted versions. Neither Jesus, God, nor the prophets ever said word-one against polygamy, the idea of banning it came from misguided men and women. The world has to learn to stop listening or shut-up envious, people who lack empathy and common sense.

We have to get the Organized Religions and the government out of the bedrooms.

I know that they have usually been abused (sexually, physically, emotionally) in their development years.

I have heard one girl say that she was tired of the men abusing her and taking sex from her that she decided to take control and charge for it rather than going to a bar…having the guy follow her to her home uninvited and rape her.

These women have feelings, they are real and they cry just like you and I. I know some women who are in the “business” (and yes it is a business whether you want to admit/believe it or not) that feel by being a prositute they are taking their voices back. They make the rules. They decide all the differnt facets of the transaction. I wish it would become legal so that if the prostitute gets hurt she can go to the police and get help. Right now she is viewed as less than.

Who are YOU to decide she/he is less than? Have you been raped by your father since you were 5? Have you been told you were never going to amount to anything and you are an idiot? Yes, some people have been through this abuse and became what society views as worth something but These are just a few of the examples I have heard from prostitutes. Some of these women are really hurt and feel they are doing the only thing they think they can.

Some women are working their way through college. Some are saving their money and are looking for a home to buy (maybe next to you and you will never know what they do….A lot of these people do not look any different than you and I. I agree with the person who said that – is it bad to be a mother and work one day a week and see her/his child the rest of the week? I honestly think some people are jealous of the prositutes. I think they know no one would EVER pay them a dime for anything. I could be totally off base with that one but I do not think so.
There is a chain of decency in the sex industry.
Model, bikini dancer, topless dancer, nude dancer,nude model, pornos, then prostitute (the lowest on the totem pole). Each one thinks the next one is lower than them. Just like some people in “normal” jobs look down on all sex workers. Who are we to judge. You stand behind your religion but aren’t we all suppose to love one another. Your religion states if you do this and that THEN we will accept you. How is that right?

Please realize that these are real people and they are in real danger. You may think oh well they chose it they deserve whatever happens to them but RR is right….this could be your daughter or wife….Honestly, you never know…It is really amazing.

Your husband may be going to one of these professionals. Wouldn’t you want the girls checked out on a regular basis. These professions exist because of men….maybe your man…..think about it….you cannot possibly know where your spouse is at all times…what about when they go on business trips?

If you take away only one thing from what I have said please let it be that you will try to think of these people as human with a heart.

The crimes are simply gruesome – the court had to be postponed after the crown presented more evidence (forensic, photos etc) because the jury was so disturbed by it and needed a time-out. That’s how bad it is. The trial still continues.

This is one of the crimes that make people call for legalization of prostitution. Oddly enough, as much as Vancouver BC may seem like the liberal, west coast kinda place, it’s still illegal, and it’s a black-market out there.

With no tracking, no protection, the likelihood of such crimes is higher.

Your libertarian views are shared by many. But as you get older you will likely realize that some rules are necessary. Most people don’t care for traffic lights, speed limits or crosswalks, but they understand that these things are needed to keep individuals safe (or at least safer).

The same idea applies to legalized drugs and prostitution. Time and time again, research studies have shown that drugs and prostitution lead to other activities not conducive to a safe, productive environment. Like it or not, drugs and prostitution are illegal (and should stay illegal) to protect our society.

i think i said this before but God is not some super-human who cares about our actions morals etc.

The definition of sin was written by man to keep order and was sold as words from God. While there are a lot of good teachings in bibles of any religion, none of them should be taken in an absolute way and nor should it dictate the life of everybody.

It’s the fairness in my views that allow me to perceive things in the world at a much higher level than religious zealots.

I hate smoking weed but I am for legalization of marijuana. I never have, and never will pay for a hooker because my personal dignity stops me from it but I am still for legalization of prostitution.

Try this kind of unbiased, logical, realistic point of view and you will all see the world differently, and understand God better.

A woman (or man) does not grow-up wanting to become a prostitute. Prostitutes are created from a lifestyle of victimization and desperation, and legalizing the industry (as in Nevada) will not change a subculture that also accepts and encourages substance abuse, infidelity, and violence; Honestly, do you want to share your backyard with that sleaze?

Consider: While prostitution has been called the worlds’ oldest profession, few have ever considered what is the second older profession: Pimp. The pimp keeps the lions’ share of the proceeds, living well off the labor of his flock. Such people do not want to lose what they consider an easy source of income; an income that is completely unreported and/or taxed. Just as members of the Mafia attend and support church by day, and then commit heinous crimes by night, the pimp too will espouse to others the ills of illegal prostitution, while profiting from the trade. Pimps use politicians, and even police in some cases, who present a “front” to the public against prostitution, while secretly receiving bribes in cash and/or “free” services.

As the saying goes: “Follow the money.”

With that being both said and easily understood, the question of moral correctness is one that each person must chose on their own. I personally believe it should be legal, taxed, regulated, etc. This would not close down all illegal prostitution, however it would reduce it. There are few perfect answers, normally just ones that the least evil.

Thoughout history the most well known prostitutes and “flower children” were associated with powerful politicians or with the Vatican. Does the name Lucretia Borgia mean anything? Maybe if prostitution gets legalized, priests won’t turn to little boys.

And yes, I ageree with LadyKelien, throughout a marriage, you “prostitute” yourself several times, regardless how you are looking at it.

From a purely financial point of view, it just makes sense to legalize prostitution, so it can be taxed. In a contry where the tax burden is hitting harder the middle class, we might need to look for a different source of taxable income.

We isolate gambling venues – if you want to legalize prostitution, handle it the same way – or isn’t that how we handle it already in Las Vegas?

There may be other ways of dealing with it – licensing and regulating the sex trade so that the financial damage is limited. However, that puts government in the sex trade. We have the lottery – can you imagine what we’d end up with if the sex trade was regulated? The immediate association is the porn star that ran for the Italian Parliament. You might call that life catching up with politics, but I have more respect for the vast majority of our public servants.

Prostitution is a multi-billion dollar—untaxed—
industry…Just think, at even minimal 15% tax rate,thats over 150 mil in uncollected tax…plus the earned income would generate jobs.

DML kinda stole my thunder, but I couldn’t agree more, Sex is the only thing that’s legal to do, but not legal to buy. Why is that? When someone can give me a good answer to that, I’ll consider the other side of the argument, until then, it’s just a puritanical outdated law.
Secondly, we need to keep in mind that every female prostitute out there is someone’s daughter. So, without anyone justifying why their daughter wouldn’t be in that situation, think for a minute about this question. If your daughter chose prostitution (for whatever reason) would you rather her be protected in a legal brothel, or on the street of some city on her own?
Obviously we all know the answer to this question, so why do you devalue the lives of, and deny protection to, all these other “daughters”?

Women all over the world prostitute themselves every day. Im married with 6 kids. I am a stay at home mom. Part of that is that I often have sex with my husband whether I feel like it or not because I know what he did during the day to make sure there was a roof over our heads. Thats exchanging one service for another. I have always said that my role as wife was more one of hostess, teacher, cook, maid and prostitute.

Keeping it illigal is just stupid. After hundreds of years of trying to convince people to not have sex outside of marrage the one thing we know for sure is that pretty much everyone has sex in some form outside of marrage. Even the good christain teens that promised to stay virgins are having oral sex.

Its passed time we let go of antiquated ideas accepted reality and based the laws on what we know society wants and will participate in rather than some religious ideal of what things should be so that a group of people who aren’t getting any can control a group of people who are.

I say this with the upmost respect for christains and the ministry. After all Im a preachers kid. But, Im also a realist who knows that religion as it stands now is under a major struggle because of all the so called sins that try to stop humans from being humans even when it will cause no harm to another human. Rape, incest, pedifilia those things should be illigal but outside of that if two consenting people wish to have sex in what ever fashion even if it involves the exchanging of goods, services or money, its no one elses business and they should be left alone to do that.

Besides men might think twice about going to a whore house situatied in the middle of down town where they might be seen as apposed to hiding in a car with tinted windows in a dark alley. Its illigal now only because its not fun without the thrill of getting caught

I find it interesting that the author speaks against religion through most of the article, but then asks a question that forces us to look at religion for the answer.

What is the definition of sin?
” 1 a) An offense against God, religion, or good morals b)the condition of being guilty of continued offense against God, religion, or good morals. 2 an offense against any law, standard, code, etc.” Webster’s Dictionary 1991

Prostitution is definetly an offense against God. He has told us that sex outside of marriage is a sin. Thus yes the prostitute and the person having sex with the prostitute (unless they are married to each other) are sinning.

You can’t alter the morals of a state by regulating laws. Each individual will choose to do things their own way, and it will happen anyways – may as well make it safer.

Look up the “Robert Pickton” trial that’s happening in Vancouver. It almost reminds me of that freakishly religious priest in the movie “Sin City” where they brutally mutilate and murder prostitutes.

They’re people too, and if they can be better protected by legalizing it, it should be legalized. No matter how many religious zealots we have who are afraid of indulging in sex, it’s going to happen anyhow. It’s not something law can change. Prostitution has been in human life forever and will be in it forever.