City (and clear channel) unveils sex solicitor billboards of shame

[ConfuZed]

*sigh*


SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - People who solicit prostitutes in Oakland, California, could find their faces plastered on billboards under a new shaming program that one civil rights group calls bad public policy.

The city of 400,000 across the bay from San Francisco started putting up billboards on Wednesday showing men arrested for soliciting sex. Other signs invite prostitutes to quit by calling a help line.

"This idea came out of just thinking about new ideas, doing something to deal with this increasing problem, especially with the exploitation of underage women," said Oakland City Council President Ignacio De La Fuente, who champions the approach.

The photos on the billboards were partially blurred so the men are not easily identifiable. But in the future photos might be displayed unaltered, an aide to De La Fuen...<more>

http://today.reuters.com/news/newsarticle.aspx?type=domesticNews&storyid=2005-06-03T152453Z_01_N02614956_RTRIDST_0_USREPORT-CRIME-SEX-OAKLAND-DC.XML

[Warpy]

1. If they really want to shame the guys, they need to do a split screen

billboard and post the hooker's picture, too.

Most of these guys are probably married guys looking for a blow job better than the half hearted attempt by the wife when her birthday's coming up from somebody who can offer it with or without teeth.

Or maybe they should just legalize sex workers, give them some protection and medical care instead of wasting time arresting them. They're providing a service that's in demand and done right hurts no one.

[Pushed To The Left]

2. Legalization would eliminate many problems

associated with prostitution. Which is a better situation: A legal brothel where sex workers are tested and have legal rights, or prostitutes on crack on the streets getting beaten by pimps and having sex in cars? I have heard those that support vice laws say that they oppose legalization due to the criminal element. The criminal element is involved because it's illegal! I believe that those who support vice laws are thinking more about protecting their own ideology than actually trying to make America better and safer.