The Unasked question regarding the ACORN crap: Why is prostitution illegal?

[maxrandb]

I'm not talking about underage prostitution, or the "Huggy Bear" stereotype of the abusive "pimp", but seriously, why would a business transaction between two consenting adults, involved in an act that does no physical harm to either, be illegal?

In fact, a great deal of the abuses in prostitution would probably be reduced if it was legalized and regulated.

Maybe I'm being naive. However, the hypocracy of the right on this subject is beyond puke inducing.

[redqueen]

1. Because far too often it's the least fortunate who end up doing that kind of work...

not because they necessarily want to, but because they think that's all they have.

[imdjh]

4. Statistically?

Palm Beach, Florida
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Palm Beach, Florida
— Town —

The Town of Palm Beach (called Palm Beach Island or the Island of Palm Beach to differentiate between the town and the county) is an affluent incorporated town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The Intracoastal Waterway separates it from the neighboring cities of West Palm Beach and Lake Worth. As of 2000, Palm Beach had a year-round population of 10,468, with an estimated seasonal population of 30,000.<3> As of 2004, the year-round population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 9,860.<4>

[redqueen]

8. Are you really that fucking stupid?

Do you honestly think the majority of prostitutes are living the glamourous life and are happy to have that job?

[imdjh]

11. I am amazed at what some people can read into a post.

Actually, I was saying that the prostitutes at the top vastly outnumber those at the bottom. They get called something else, and get better working conditions and pay.

[redqueen]

12. " the prostitutes at the top vastly outnumber those at the bottom"

Yep... I guess you are.

[Johonny]

20. I think the question to ask is could they?

If we didn't make them criminal out casts that are the scum of society is it possible that prostitutes could live a normal happy life? People have sex. Many people are willing to pay for sex. Often people are just paying for companionship or an act they are to afraid to ask for in polite society.

If your local prostitute was a trained local social worker in the area of sex, A sex therapist if you will, within a regulated and respected field, could life for those in the industry be a lot better than it is now?

All I know is the war on prostitution isn't working. It drives an act (sex between two people) often into the worst areas that society has to offer, although the sexual experience isn't by default an experience that has to be dirty, sinful, degrading, demoralizing...

Societies attitudes about sex and societies action with sex seem never to be in sync.

[imdjh]

26. There are plenty of middle class prostitutes who aren't on crack and slaves to some "boyfriend".

And as I noted, plenty of upper class prostitutes who only have one customer, or one former customer who pays for everything.

[Johonny]

36. This person doesn't understand

Making prostitutes criminals has done nothing to make their lives better. We've only tried it for 3000 years. You'd think it work by now. Prostitution may never be that great a profession, but the people in it are relatively better off empowered than powerless. It's amazing people don't get or want to get that. It's also amazing people equate prostitution with pedophilia like Rick Santorum equates gay marriage with marriage with animals. It's not the topic.

And yes prostitution like any other business has it's winners, losers and in between. (It does have a lot of losers)

[redqueen]

40. You obviously didn't read the link.

*sigh*

I guess I shouldn't be all that surprised, really.

[redqueen]

27. Study the situation in places where it's legal, and you'll see why it doesn't work.

IMO we should be making the case for this type of approach: http://www.justicewomen.com/cj_sweden.html

[Johonny]

38. There is the world as is and world as it may be

Who knows in the vast unknown future people might finally accept human sexuality and how humans actually behave in sex rather than the fantasy world of human sexuality we are taught from childhood. In that world the prostitute would be a completely different profession. Am I surprised you can link a study that says we don't live in that world? No.

Have a nice day of DUing

[redqueen]

39. Er... I prefer dealing with reality as it is now...

at least when the subject is what the law ought to be.

Making the law for some time in the future seems kinda preposterous. Perhaps someday in the far future when people have evolved a bit we can try the utopian sex-worker set-up thingamajig.

[reflection]

5. Agreed, well said. n/t

[EOTE]

25. I definitely don't want to be doing my kind of work (IT)

I actually hate doing it, but it's the only thing I'm really qualified to do that earns me a decent wage. But if someone tried to tell me I couldn't work IT because they're looking out for me, I'd be extremely pissed. My body, my work.

[redqueen]

28. Read this, please.

http://www.justicewomen.com/cj_sweden.html

[EOTE]

31. I did and that seems extremely sexist to me.

Amazingly, it seems sexist against both men AND women. Men because it's men who inevitably are going to be more punished under the legal system and women because it coddles them and tells them that their transgressions are insignificant compared to that of men who are only providing them with business. It seems incredibly offensive to me. There's no reason that you can't go after illegal trafficking HARD and allow simple transactions between consenting adults to be legal. Not everyone does something they like, but most people, if given the chance between having money and doing something they don't like, and not doing anything they don't like and being broke, would choose to earn money. And that's not even including the women who actually like sex and would choose prostitution as a profession even if they were capable of earning similar money in other ways. Go after child trafficking, go after coerced trafficking from other countries, but leave consenting adults to make their own choices.

[redqueen]

34. However offended you are,

it seems to have worked better than any other effort in stopping sex trafficking.

[EOTE]

43. What other model has advocated for legalization

WHILE stepping up efforts at going after underage and coerced trafficking? None that I know of. Certainly not Amsterdam which is always pointed to as the example of modern day legalization efforts.

[el_bryanto]

2. This isn't the best time to have that discusion, considering

"Huggy Bear" was pushing for what amounted to underage prostitution and what sounded a hell of a lot like White Slavery.

Bryant

[maxrandb]

22. Talk about reading too much into a post

Please don't pull the "rightwing-strawman" crap. Just because I think that our "vice" laws are fricking rediculous, does not mean I want to buy a 12 year old Malasian girl and get her high on crack!!

My mistake to think we could have a discussion on DU without "stawmen".

Like a poster below said; "It's legal in Congress", but I would add also it's legal on Wall Street, K-Street and in the media as well.

It's like line in the Dylan song; "Steal a little and they throw you in jail, steal a lot and they make you king?"

[el_bryanto]

24. Jesus - people around here don't understand the concept of tactics

I'm not saying you don't have a case to make; I'm saying this particular situation isn't the best context in which to discuss it.

Bryant

[imdjh]

3. I think it's a special area of law pretty much just for prostitution.

Obviously, society does not criminalize all exchanges of sex for money. We see it all the time. It keeps florists, confectioners, jewelers, plastic surgeons, couture and luxury car manufacturers in business. I think the prostitution laws are designed to prohibit certain kinds of prostitution, notable that which takes place on street corners or is otherwise notorious.

[doc03]

6. #1 because the overwhelming majority of

adult women in the country are married and they don't want their husbands going elsewhere for satisfaction. #2 Religion

[Nuclear Unicorn]

18. Then they...

...should move out of Nevada.

Just sayin'

:hippie:

[doc03]

21. It's like the drug laws, they came about

because marijuana was used by blacks in the early 1900's and the whites felt black men would drug their women folk and take advantage of them. The history channel had a good documentary on the history of drug laws a while back.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

32. um-m-m...

I've smoked a lot of grass and I once had a black BF.

Maybe it's my fault.

:blush:

[doc03]

33. No doubt it is n/t

[Romulox]

30. There's obviously a great deal of truth to this. nt

[seabeyond]

35. dont let the obvious get in your way. most all men i know have no interest paying for sex

it isnt law that stops them from buying a prostitute.

since screwin around on mate is about 50/50 gender wise, i am not seeing your argument as valid. a female is as likely to screw around on husband, without paying

but good aim with that elbow jab at women.

[cali]

7. I don't see what this has to do with ACORN. The fact remains

that prostitution is illegal. Oh, and it's spelled hypocrisy.

[timtom]

14. I think he was referring to a type of government,

"Hypocracy" wherein rule is by...the...the...never mind. I was going to be clever, but I have no exit strategy.

[Kalyke]

9. Because it hurts women and children.

[Oregone]

10. Because that an dealing narcotics are the most viable employment ops for down and out

We must keep em all down

[anonymous171]

17. Uh no. If those practices were legalized professional companies would just take over

The poor would again be shunted out onto the street.

[Oregone]

19. Yeah, good point I guess nt

[Mari333]

13. it's legal in the Halls of Congress

[doc03]

23. More prostitutes in the halls of congress than

in Nevada.

[Romulox]

15. Because it's my body, my right...in some cases. nt

[slackmaster]

16. Ask your representatives in your state's legislature

:shrug:

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

29. Because it's a stupid question

According to the complaint, they were asking for information on how to set up a child prositution ring made up of children brought to this country for sexual slavery.

Seriously. Now is NOT the right time to have this discussion.

[flvegan]

37. Rather, why is prostitution illegal in some places and not in others?

And yes, I just mean in this country.

[deaniac21]

41. Importing underage girls...

[FBaggins]

42. Because "physical" harm isn't the only kind of damage

Doesn't this feed into the propaganda of the video producers?

Hey look! Liberals really would help you out!