Kayleigh Katz

I was thinking about prostitution because of another thread here and I can't think of a good reason it shouldn't be legal everywhere in the US.

It seems like the benefit would be more safety for the workers and the customers. The workers wouldn't have any reason to avoid law enforcement and with health testing the clients would be safer. If it were a legitimate business then it would generate tax revenue.

I know some of the arguments against it already but I'd like to hear others opinions.

Something I don't think is right is publishing the names and pictures of people that are charged with a crime and not yet found guilty.

Heres a link to a story about a recent bust. Its hard not to feel bad for those people, they look so sad and miserable. 10/11/2008 - Prostitute Sting Nabs 19 Women, 2 Men Dressed As Women - Breaking News - Chattanoogan.com

Korimyr the Rat

There is the matter of the function of human sexuality-- beyond the purpose of reproduction, sexual activity releases hormones that promote emotional bonding. Sexuality exists, in part, to reaffirm our relationships with the people we are sexual with.

Having sex with complete strangers, or as a business transaction, builds a false relationship that leads to emotional trauma and dysfunction. While it is not the government's business to protect people from emotional dysfunction, I think it has a legitimate role in stopping businesses from causing it for profit.

Yes, this would be a benefit-- but for the reason I give above, not as much of a benefit as you believe. Allowing the police and the Health Department to have better communication with prostitutes and their customers alike would help-- but it would not prevent violence between the two, or between prostitutes and their employers.

Same argument could be made for dog- or cockfighting-- practices which I think are actually less harmful than prostitution. (Though you won't see me arguing in favor of either.) If I were legally allowed to raid crackhouses or stage gladiatorial fights, I'd happily pay taxes on my profits from either.

On that, I am wholly agreed. If this is to be considered a method of punishment, then it is unconstitutional to practice it prior to conviction.

Personally, I consider it a very bad sign of the efficacy of law enforcement when people are happy to be arrested. Usually means the person being arrested expects to face no consequences for their arrest-- and considers breaking the law and being arrested to be a trivial matter.

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Kayleigh Katz

I don't know that I'd hold up my life as a gleaming example of non-dysfunctionality, but I've had several FWB relationships and as far as I know no one ended up with anymore emotional trauma than they started with.

But theres nothing that can be done to completely stop violence anywhere.


I see those as different because they cause physical harm and theres no consent.

shuamort

Consensual crimes should be legalized. And by consensual, one has to be able to legally give consent. Don't like 'em, don't do 'em.

Korimyr the Rat

Note that you used the word "friend" and "relationship" there. You may not have been romantic together, but there was a bond of affection between you.

Physical harm to dogs and chickens. I'm legally entitled to kill and eat either, so it does not seem that the law is concerned with physical harm coming to them.

shuamort

As long as you store and kill the chickens in a humane way, you're fine. But the law is concerned about their well-being while they are alive.

roguenuke

I agree with you totally.

It's not illegal to have sexual relations with someone that you don't know and have no intention of getting to know without paying them.

rivrrat

It has always baffled me how they can criminalize something that is perfectly legal without a cash exchange.

I can have mutually consentual sex, legally, with whomever I want, whenever I want, in any manner I wish, for any REASON I want. I can let him buy me dinner and legally have sex with him in return. I can let him buy me drinks and legally have sex with him in return. I can let him buy me jewelry and legally have sex with him in return. I can let him pay for my apartment and legally have sex with him in return. I can let him take me on expensive vacations and legally have sex with him in return. In all of those instances, I can have sex with that person legally in exchange for all the other stuff he gives me.

But you add cash into the deal and ON NOES!!! Suddenly it becomes illegal. It's just ****ing stupid.

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rivrrat

Indeed. I dare venture to say that many, many people have had sex with "friends" and strangers alike without any "emotional trauma".

People that have "emotional trauma" from having consentual sex, probably shouldn't be having sex at all with anyone until they go fix themselves psychologically.

And I certainly don't see how a cash exchange makes the supposed "emotional trauma" any more or less likely to happen.

americanwoman

I agree. I think the deeper you are in a relationship the higher probability there is of emotional trauma. The more you invest emotionaly, the higher the chance of trauma if the relationship doesn't work.

I think that yes, prostitution should be legal. Crazy coincidence but I was watching Duece Bigalow: European Gigalow this weekend and there is a scene where the man-whores are having a union meeting and I was just thinking that there is absolutely no reason why here in the US it is so frowned upon. Then I remembered this country's obsession with hating anything sexual and realized prostitution will probably never be legal here.