Should prostitution be legal?

[Shaolinwind]

Would any of you be willing to marry a prostitute?

I already did.

 

[ed-swckf]

I already did.

Do you still have to pay?!

 

[Shaolinwind]

Do you still have to pay?!

yup

 

[ed-swckf]

yup

wow

 

[Shaolinwind]

wow

That was sarcastic. Of course not.

 

[shesulsa]

That was sarcastic. Of course not.

Really? See, my husband says of men, 'we ALWAYS pay.' Hmmmmm ... maybe I need to have a talk with your wife .... :lol2: Uh, for her benefit ... yeah ... anyways ....

The problem with selling sex, the way I see it, is really all about the health and safety issues. Guaranteeing cleanliness will always be impossible as will physical safety. I don't really see how any legislation whatsoever can really address this adequately.

As far as taxation and all the other things that come along with business, I don't see where it would be any different than any other business, so Adam, could you educate me a bit more as to what I may be missing?

 

[ashkin]

Should the world's oldest occupation be given legal status?

No way, A friend of mine had sex with a prostitute and he now has aids, well it was his fault after all...

 

[Bob Hubbard]

Nevada Legal Prostitution FAQ


What countries have legal prostitution?

 

[Bob Hubbard]

My opinion:

Yes, I think it should be legalized, regulated, and monitored.

Make it legal, put strict guidelines in place, require regular health checks, enforce the use of protection and other health requirements (somewhere more clean than a hotel room, less than an operating room).

Legitimizing it would then add tax dollars to the economy as prostitutes would then be reporting income.

As to the question "would I marry one".
Maybe. I have suggested, in total seriousness to 2 girlfriends that they take a 3-6 month stint in a Nevada brothel to earn money for college.

 

[Bob Hubbard]

Now this I found is interesting, if it's accurate:

U.S. may have to decriminalize prostitution per U.N. Treaty

 

[michaeledward]

No way, A friend of mine had sex with a prostitute and he now has aids, well it was his fault after all...

Are you (or is he) certain that A caused B?

Is your friend male?
Was the prostitute he was doing business with also male?
Was a decision to use barrier contraceptive made or not?
What sexual behavior did your friend participate in, with this prostitute?
Has your friend ever used illegal, injected narcotics?

While it is not impossible, the odds of a male contracting HIV from a single intercourse event with a female prostitute, through vaginal sex are low.

I think we would need to look at all of the risk behaviors of your friend before ascribing his infection to an event with a prostitute.

 

[OULobo]

It's legal in several Nevada counties, but only at a house with a special icense. Streetwalking is still not OK.

An argument against it is that, like gambling, it attracts organized crime, increased violence/loitering/littering/etc., makes the neighborhood less attractive to live in, and so on. But, licensing it has obvious benefits in disease control and such.

On balance, I would say: It's their bodies. Legalize it. Yet, I know this could lead to increased exploitation of vulnerable women (beyond the already high levels). It's not a simple matter.

I'd say that in modern times gambling in legalized establishments is no longer necessarily associated with crime, or atleast any more so than other legal and accepted establishments, like strip bars. Real Estate on and around the Strip is at a premium and not just for commercial purposes, the place is more like Disneyland than a mob kingdom.

As for the exploitation of vulnerable women, it again is no more exploitive than stip clubs, which are legal and generally accepted.

I don't think that this is the political climate where prostitution has a chance to become legal, especially with W in office and congress having its strings pulled by the christian conservative high horse riders. Liberal issues like this will have to wait for the pendulum to totall swing before they have a good chance.

 

[Xequat]

I don't think that this is the political climate where prostitution has a chance to become legal, especially with W in office and congress having its strings pulled by the christian conservative high horse riders. Liberal issues like this will have to wait for the pendulum to totall swing before they have a good chance.

I agree that the time is wrong, but W is in office because the Christians put him there; it's not that he is influencing the climate to be more religious (although the whole gay marriage thing might have affected things a bit because so many to the left of center also don't believe that it should be legal). I'm sure as hell not a liberal and I think it should be legal, for pretty much the same reasons. I think it should, like many other issues, be a states rights issue. Let each state decide, see what happens, then other states can decide to follow suit or not. My same belief for pot, gay marriage and to a degree, abortion. Leave it to the states to decide, and I hope it all becomes legal in my state. That's less money necessary to spend on cops and more income off of taxes, not that we'll ever see any of it back.

 

[michaeledward]

Legalized prostitution is not a 'liberal' issue. It is more of a 'libertarian' issue.

When I was a single man, I was always hoping that dinner and a movie would be enough of an exchange for sex. Sometimes, that price of admission was way too low. Sometimes, I was able to negotiate coffee and ice cream for sex.

If a person wants to exchange sexual activity for dinner and a movie, it's OK.
If a person wants to exchange sexual activity for coffee & ice cream, it's OK.
If a person wants to exchange sexual activity for drinks and dancing, it's OK.
Why can't a person, therefore, decide to exchange sexual activity for cash?

Well ... it seems it is because our government wants to intrude into our lives ... I believe it is the Libertarian position that the government should not be invovled in our lives in this manner.

 

[Tgace]

If you guys only knew how little effort most PD's put into prostitution other than streetwalkers...its pretty much legalized already as long as you dont make too big a target of yourself. However theres always the risk that some vice dept. may make a push or two on escort services every once and a while, but by and large its the $20 date crack addicts on the corners that catch most of the heat.

 

[7starmantis]

If you guys only knew how little effort most PD's put into prostitution other than streetwalkers...its pretty much legalized already as long as you dont make too big a target of yourself. However theres always the risk that some vice dept. may make a push or two on escort services every once and a while, but by and large its the $20 date crack addicts on the corners that catch most of the heat.

Which would have to increase were we to legalize it and attempt to police it. Good idea? I dont know.

As far as taxation and all the other things that come along with business, I don't see where it would be any different than any other business, so Adam, could you educate me a bit more as to what I may be missing?

Well, I think about how many resturant servers I have known and worked with that did not report honestly (or at all) their income. I think of how the government would tax marijuana when I dont need to but it, I can just grow it, pick it, and smoke it. Why pay $4.75 for a pack of weed cigaretts when I can pay $20 for alot more and smoke it how I want. If we can't control that business now, what makes us think we can control it if its "legalized"?

Then take prostitution...maybe people would go to a honest tax paying prostitution house, but then again....why? If the girl next door is willing to give it up for $200 and I think she is probably less likely to be "experienced", why go to the "official house"? How exactly would you regulate a guy picking up a woman for a date, going back to his house for drinks and the exchange of $500 bucks and sex? As Tgace pointed out, its not really controled now either.

I'm not saying it shouldn't be legal, but to say taxation and regulation are reasons for it to be legal is not true in my opinion.

7sm

 

[ed-swckf]

That was sarcastic. Of course not.

It didn't transcend unfortunately, i was like, dude got a ****** deal there!! Glad you are happy and didn't let her profession immediately nullify her as a partner.

 

[Kane]

Legalized prostitution is not a 'liberal' issue. It is more of a 'libertarian' issue.

When I was a single man, I was always hoping that dinner and a movie would be enough of an exchange for sex. Sometimes, that price of admission was way too low. Sometimes, I was able to negotiate coffee and ice cream for sex.

If a person wants to exchange sexual activity for dinner and a movie, it's OK.
If a person wants to exchange sexual activity for coffee & ice cream, it's OK.
If a person wants to exchange sexual activity for drinks and dancing, it's OK.
Why can't a person, therefore, decide to exchange sexual activity for cash?

Well ... it seems it is because our government wants to intrude into our lives ... I believe it is the Libertarian position that the government should not be invovled in our lives in this manner.

I totally agree, there is quite a double standard here .

Referred to as the world's oldest "profession," prostitution is defined as the act or practice of selling oneself for sexual purposes. Some might call it immoral while others call it a way of life. Considering the fact it doesn't deal with life and death situation (like abortion, euthenasia, ect.) I don't see why it should be a big deal.

Let people do what they want with their money and let people make a living the way they see fit. People probably shouldn't but to some people there is nothing wrong with it.

 

[arnisador]

The problem with selling sex, the way I see it, is really all about the health and safety issues. Guaranteeing cleanliness will always be impossible as will physical safety. I don't really see how any legislation whatsoever can really address this adequately.

Well, Nevada and some European countries do pretty well, by insisting on licenses and heavy govt. oversight.

 

[Kane]

One issue that doesn't seem to have been brought up here is human trafficking. Human trafficking of women is very prevalent because prostitution is illegal. In countries like Thailand women are often forced into prostitution with little chance of escape. The reason being that many women have a hard time explaining to authorities it was forced prostitution and as a result they feel as if they have no way out. If they try to escape and get caught then the madam or pimp can accuse the forced prostitutes of voluntary prostitution. Even if the madam or pimp gets punished for doing so the prostitutes still have to worry about getting in jail (which they have even less freedom).

I read this in an article a few months ago, if I find it I'll post it.