One note up front – I am not interested here in the esoteric and arcane distinctions between legaization and decriminalization. That is a discussion for another time. That said. A commenter to an earlier post linked to a site called Prostitution Pro-Con. This site, to which I have linked, offers a wealth of information and arguments on both sides of this question. As my commenter lamented – the continued criminalization of a “crime” that we have no hope of eliminating (and should we?) is a subject that inexplicably finds no discussion. I have my views on this question, both from a moral and a legal standpoint. I hereby throw this blog open as a forum to discuss. No one will be censored, but please be civil, and non-vulgar.
Should Prostitution be Legalized (or at least de-criminalized)?
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I absolutely think it should be legalized. It’s incredibly widespread already, despite law enforcement’s efforts to eradicate it. Furthermore, legalizing it would help get the criminal element out of it…the pimps, drug dealers etc. I also believe that government could raise a great deal of revenue through a licensing system, and collecting income tax from sex workers. Also, it would open the door for regulatory measures such as drug and STD testing, hence reducing the harm caused by the sex trade. I also think it could be made subject to zoning regulations, which would help get street prostitution out of our neighborhoods.
In a nutshell, I’m all for it.
I think it’s a naive view that assumes that legislation diminishes the criminal elements (pimps, dealers, etc). I live in Australia, it’s been legal here for years, and pimps still exist, as does organized crime that’s prostitution related, and more recently we’ve had issues with illegal trafficking of women (illegal migrants or aliens as they’re termed in the US) who are duped into thinking they’re going to work in non sex related jobs, who end up being forced into prostitution. All within a country that’s legalized prostitution. I don’t understand why people don’t face up to the fact that it’s a profession riddled with crime and unsavory characters. Just because it’s made legal doesn’t mean that it’s ‘out of someone’s neighborhood,’ it has to go somewhere, unless people propose a pro colony or something, it will end up in a neighborhood somewhere if it is made legal.
I believe the motivation to keep it illegal is because it’s against the religious beliefs of some.
Homosexuality, eating pork and a number of other things are also against the religious beliefs of some. Do you really want to live in a country where your laws are based on religious belief alone?
The question I have is what are we going to do about it so it’s no longer illegal?
Who is going to stand up and fight for our freedom?