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Should prostitution be legalized?

legalize

  • legalize

    Votes: 36 80.0%

  • illegalize

    Votes: 5 11.1%

  • other

    Votes: 4 8.9%
  • Total voters
    45
Johnny Centrist said:
Then why don't we ban cigarettes, alcohol and fast food too? This is the problem with social conservatism. Its inconsistent, hypocritical and "picky-choosy". If you're going to ban things that are bad for people, you have to ban them all. If you are going to permit somethings, then in all fairness, you must permit them all. The hardworking, tax payer who has trouble with the ladies and likes to pay for some "company" every now and then doesn't understand why his vice is illegal but someone else can smoke 10 packs of cigarettes and drink a bottle of whiskey every single day without any legal repercussions. There's no logic in that.

And in all seriousness, which is worse for you? Getting some random booty from time to time (if you use protection) or smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol everyday?
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What's really worse is the more suave, good looking, and/or charismatic guy that he works with can go to a bar or even just online, pick up a girl, and get laid for free without any legal percussions, every night of the week. Even if he offers to buy the dinner and pretty much spend the same amount on each date girl that the other guy may just spend for the sex.
 
Viktyr Korimir said:
I consider it the government's obligation.



If everyone had the same morals, they would not need to be enforced. The fact that every person has their own understanding of morality is what necessitates the government upholding its own singular standard to the best of its ability. I am certain that there have been periods of history in which my own lifestyle would be prohibited, just as there are people who would turn the government against me even today. That is no justification for the government to ignore its duty to uphold the moral consensus of society.

The reason why one group of people gets to choose our moral code is because they are the group of people who have been chosen to do so. Justice is a moral concept, thus in order for it to exist, there must be morality.
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Would you institute government death squads, secret police, and other SS-type enforcers to ensure society upheld the moral code that you accept as the national standard?
 
ElijahGalt said:
Would you institute government death squads, secret police, and other SS-type enforcers to ensure society upheld the moral code that you accept as the national standard?
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The police we have now are sufficient to the task. If necessary, we can hire more without significantly changing their procedures.
 
Dutch said:
This was regulated too. At just what point will people learn government bureaucrats typically suck at their jobs?

ap_Deepwater_Horizon_100422_mn.jpg
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Perfect Solution Fallacy

Just because regulators suck doesn't mean they suck worse than no regulation at all.
 
I haven't read the whole 11 pages so far of this thread, so I don't know if this has been addressed or not.

I know that one argument for maintaining criminalization of prostitution is that prostitution causes exploitation of women. And that is a valid argument.

However, it could also be argued that legalization of prostitution can also give sexual liberation to women. The reason for this is because it will allow women to become customers of prostitutes, both male and female as the case may be.

Think about it from a woman customer's point of view. Women face the dangers of date rape when they go out and look for sexual partner. Women also face the dangers of meeting men who are stalkers and have other mental illness issues.

So if prostitution was legal, women would have the option of visiting a prostitute for sex instead of facing the risks of going out and trying to get a date.

So this would be how prostitution could allow women to better enjoy their sexuality. Likewise, these are advantages that male customers could enjoy - that is, lower the risk of meeting someone with mental illness and having them get involved in their life. But when the subject of prostitution comes up, most of the focus is on women as prostitutes, not women as customers.

Just wanted to throw that out there, not sure if it has been discussed yet or not.
 
Nope it should stay illegal.
 
Johnny Centrist said:
What part of the word freedom don't you understand?
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Freedom for men to exploit women?
Most women do not become prostitutes to become rich. They do it to eat. They have no choice.
Legalize it and you will be able to get a BJ for 50 cents like in some third world countries.
 
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Dirty Harry said:
Freedom for men to exploit women?
Most women do not become prostitutes to become rich. They do it to eat. They have no choice.
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Terrible terrible argument. You could say that about people who work at the Waffle House. And they make less than prostitutes, by far. Should we make Waffle Houses illegal too?

Dirty Harry said:
Legalilize it and you will be able to get a BJ for 50 cents like in some third world countries.
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It is legalized in places like Nevada and the services are very expensive. More so than on the street. Research is your friend.
 
Johnny Centrist said:
Terrible terrible argument. You could say that about people who work at the Waffle House. And they make less than prostitutes, by far. Should we make Waffle Houses illegal too?



It is legalized in places like Nevada and the services are very expensive. More so than on the street. Research is your friend.
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Nevada is highly regulated and controlled and not legal everywhere in the state. Artificially high prices. Been there.
Making waffles is different than blowing some dirty old stranger in an alley for money to buy food. Don't you think?
In parts of Asia the very poor have no choice but to sell themselves for money. They do it for pocket change. And the larger the supply the cheaper the price. Been there.
Legalize it here and whenever your daughter needed money for cigerettes she could go do a quick job. Price for a BJ would plummet.

Do you know what the average prostitute in the world makes? They all aren't 1000 dollar call girls.


Something to ponder:
http://sisyphe.org/spip.php?article691

http://www.lasvegaslogue.com/prostitution
 
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Dirty Harry said:
Nevada is highly regulated and controlled and not legal everywhere in the state. Artificially high prices. Been there.
Making waffles is different than blowing some dirty old stranger for money to buy food. Don't you think?
In parts of Asia the very poor have no choice but to sell themselves for money. They do it for pocket change. And the larger the supply the cheaper the price. Been there.
Legalize it here and whenever your daughter needed money for cigerettes she could go do a quick job. Price for a BJ would plummet.

Do you know what the average prostitute in the world makes?


Something to ponder:
Sisyphe.org - Ten Reasons for Not Legalizing Prostitution
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So, your entire justification for maintaining the criminalization of prostitution is that legalization may bring down the costs of prostitution?
 
Dutch said:
In this case both. That doesn't change the fact federal regulation fails us, often.
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Regulation fails - perhaps even often. Still, other than a handful of situations where deregulation was aimed to break up monopolies, I don't see any evidence that deregulation ever makes anything better, except for those people who decide to throw others under the bus to get ahead. Certainly, I would think disease-prevention regulations are the best examples of regulations that work well, and that is all that is at issue here.
 
ElijahGalt said:
So, your entire justification for maintaining the criminalization of prostitution is that legalization may bring down the costs of prostitution?
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No, that it will lead to more exploitation of young women by dirty old men. For very little money.
 
Dirty Harry said:
Nevada is highly regulated and controlled and not legal everywhere in the state. Artificially high prices. Been there.
Making waffles is different than blowing some dirty old stranger in an alley for money to buy food. Don't you think?
In parts of Asia the very poor have no choice but to sell themselves for money. They do it for pocket change. And the larger the supply the cheaper the price. Been there.
Legalize it here and whenever your daughter needed money for cigerettes she could go do a quick job. Price for a BJ would plummet.

Do you know what the average prostitute in the world makes? They all aren't 1000 dollar call girls.


Something to ponder:
Sisyphe.org - Ten Reasons for Not Legalizing Prostitution

Las Vegas Prostitution - Nevada | Las Vegas Logue
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All of the issues that are brought up in that site about why prostitution should stay illegal can be addressed before the problems arise.

Through regulation and licensing, those women can be protected better than they are today.

Most men are more likely to choose to purchase sex from a licensed prostitute rather than one off the street. Licensed prostitutes will be less likely to rob the guy or to have an STD.

Is there any proof that legal prostitution in Nevada actually causes any of those problems that are mentioned from the Netherlands? Afterall, it would be better to compare the US policies to other US policies, rather than other countries.

We are the US, not another country. Many of our business laws are aimed to protect the workers, as well as the customers. The rates are not likely to drop from legalization, not to the point that you are suggesting.

Plus, despite what that site is professing, when something is made legal, it means that complaints can be filed against "customers" or "bosses" who do abuse the prostitutes in any way without fear that such complaints will land them in jail or other legal problems.
 
roguenuke said:
All of the issues that are brought up in that site about why prostitution should stay illegal can be addressed before the problems arise.

Through regulation and licensing, those women can be protected better than they are today.

Most men are more likely to choose to purchase sex from a licensed prostitute rather than one off the street. Licensed prostitutes will be less likely to rob the guy or to have an STD.

Is there any proof that legal prostitution in Nevada actually causes any of those problems that are mentioned from the Netherlands? Afterall, it would be better to compare the US policies to other US policies, rather than other countries.

We are the US, not another country. Many of our business laws are aimed to protect the workers, as well as the customers. The rates are not likely to drop from legalization, not to the point that you are suggesting.

Plus, despite what that site is professing, when something is made legal, it means that complaints can be filed against "customers" or "bosses" who do abuse the prostitutes in any way without fear that such complaints will land them in jail or other legal problems.
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Turning prostitution into a government controlled business isn't what our forefathers had in mind. It's a good thing that it won't happen.
 
Dirty Harry said:
No, that it will lead to more exploitation of young women by dirty old men. For very little money.
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How is it exploitation if the women knowingly and willingly decide to join the legal profession? And "very little money" is extremely subjective, and frankly untrue.
 
Dirty Harry said:
Turning prostitution into a government controlled business isn't what our forefathers had in mind. It's a good thing that it won't happen.
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Actually, it is quite likely to happen in the next 50 years, if not the next 20 years. I belive that the only thing that has kept it from not happening is the fact that it would take a lawsuit to get the laws changed (although it is not likely to be changed through the courts anyway), and it would take a huge movement to get support for it. Many of those who would/do support prostitution legalization also support other issues that are more important to them at the moment. Given time, it is likely that prostitution legalization will eventually become the cause du jour.

There are still many religious organizations out there that are opposed to prostitution (almost all of them, in fact). And many of the members of those religions see prostitution as immoral, and absolutely believe that they should be able regulate other people's morality, even when it doesn't actually affect those them or cause harm. And there are even other non-religious people who see this as a public health issue which should keep it illegal. Most are not weighing or considering both sides of the issue honestly. They believe that they are right, and that is it.
 
roguenuke said:
Actually, it is quite likely to happen in the next 50 years, if not the next 20 years. I belive that the only thing that has kept it from not happening is the fact that it would take a lawsuit to get the laws changed (although it is not likely to be changed through the courts anyway), and it would take a huge movement to get support for it. Many of those who would/do support prostitution legalization also support other issues that are more important to them at the moment. Given time, it is likely that prostitution legalization will eventually become the cause du jour.

There are still many religious organizations out there that are opposed to prostitution (almost all of them, in fact). And many of the members of those religions see prostitution as immoral, and absolutely believe that they should be able regulate other people's morality, even when it doesn't actually affect those them or cause harm. And there are even other non-religious people who see this as a public health issue which should keep it illegal. Most are not weighing or considering both sides of the issue honestly. They believe that they are right, and that is it.
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Prostitution will never be legalized in this country. The electorate would never let it happen and candidates that support it would get destroyed.
 
Dirty Harry said:
http://www.nevadacoalition.org/factsheets/LegliznFactSheet091707c.pdf
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What exactly is that fact sheet based off of? They make a lot of claims, but provide no actual proof for their claims.

Plus, with actual legal protection and by getting this out in the open, instead of pretending that prostitution doesn't exist or that there is nothing we can do about it, it should be legalized and regulated, and law enforcement can concentrate on protecting the women in the industry. If we would stop demonizing sex as such a bad thing, especially suggesting that paying for it directly is somehow worse than paying for it indirectly.
 
Dirty Harry said:
Prostitution will never be legalized in this country. The electorate would never let it happen and candidates that support it would get destroyed.
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Times change. It is quite possible that prostitution could be legalized in this country during my lifetime. It most likely won't happen in the next 20 years, but it could certainly happen in the next 50.
 
Dirty Harry said:
Prostitution will never be legalized in this country. The electorate would never let it happen and candidates that support it would get destroyed.
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It will happen first in liberal states with referendums. When the older generation dies off Generation X and Generation Y are going to be the primary voters and they are incredibly socially liberal. Its not about whether people agree with it or not. I have friends who've visited prostitutes in Vegas and overseas in the military but I would never do it. Thats just my own person moral system though. Just because I don't agree with it my friends shouldn't be deemed criminals because they choose to pay for some "company" from time to time.
 
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