Prostitution is defined as the sale of sexual services for money or other kind of return. By making prostitution illegal, the government was hoping to deter women from becoming prostitutes and others from using their services. With so many outside factors to consider, it just doesn’t work this way. So, prostitution continues to soar; as do sexually transmitted diseases.
It is estimated that over one million women in the United States earn their living by full-time prostitution. An even more alarming fact is that engaging in sex with a prostitute is the third most common way for an American male to contract AIDS. Sadly, the fight against prostitution is futile. There is just no way to close down a market between willing buyers and sellers.
Prostitution is one of the most controversial subjects in today’s society. It isn’t “right” to sell sex is probably the most common argument. Of course, it isn’t “right” to smoke or drink either. It’s all depends who you talk to and you just can’t make everyone happy no matter what is done.
Consider this scenario: A prostitute is watched closely by two police officers for a number of days, possibly even weeks until she is arrested. Meanwhile, the man-power is being used to closely monitor her actions and another 8 people are murdered within a 20-block radius. Prostitution is very time consuming and very expensive for police departments to monitor. And, once a prostitute is arrested, they are shuffled through the legal system only to be let back out onto the streets to continue their endeavors. The law has little or no effect on the amount of prostitution and the money spent on those individual arrests could be put to use for other reasons. Sadly, the real cost is made by other citizens. These public resources could be used to protect law-abiding citizens from real criminals.
Other crimes, such as murders, thefts and organized crime are not getting the attention they need to try to correct the problems causing them. We need more man-power to reduce the number of these crimes in today’s society and when so much time and money is being spent on prostitution, that man-power just isn’t in the budget.
Prostitution should be legalized, case in point. The government should require each prostitute to be registered and tested on a regular basis for any sexually transmitted diseases. They could be subject to zoning laws, so that citizen’s wouldn’t need to worry about them in more family oriented areas of each city. Also, the government would play a part in ensuring all transactions are voluntary. There are a number of good points to legalizing prostitution.
First off, there would be a decline in the number of sexually based crimes. Those who feel they are unable to get sex, will legally be able to receive services from a prostitute and would then be less apt to rape.
Fewer man hours would be needed to monitor prostitution rings and those officers could devote their time to other problems such as murders, thefts and organized crime. Consequently, there would be a decline in other crimes across the country.
Lastly, the legalization of prostitution would boost the economy. The money made, of course, would be taxed and would put more money back into the government. Prostitutes would become more productive members of society and with regular testing done for each, the number of sexually transmitted diseases would decline considerably.
Yes, implementing this would be difficult. There would probably be a sudden influx in the use of prostitution services upon their legalization. But with regulations set by the government, we would be able to more closely monitor each individual and make it safer for everyone.
I do agree with you about legalizing prostitution. I know it is not Godly to do these sorts of things, but I would much rather, as you say, the government spend time on things that are more important like keeping our neighborhoods safe. However, I don't believe it would make a decline in sexual crimes, because as you may or may not have heard, rape is about power. It's not about sex or lust, it is just someone who is small and feels powerless so they have to feel like they have some dominance over someone else. They want someone to feel as powerless and helpless as they are. Same with physical and emotional abuse. I know that legalizing prostitution would decline std's and increase our tax dollars, but I do believe it could have side effects. I believe that legalizing prostitution with the government stipulations of std testing, would probably increase infidelity. Most men won't cheat on their wives with a prostitute because they are scared of catching something. And I believe it is at some point a lot of mens wish to have sex with someone without attachment as well. So if they know they can go on the other side of town and have sex with no strings attached and not get an std, then there would be a line at the door. It's possible then again maybe not, but this is what I believe would happen. There is less consequence involved.
I see what you are saying about men cheating on their wives. However, having lived in Germany (where prostitution is legal) on an Army base full of both married and single men I have reason to argue otherwise. In my experience, it's not the legal prostitution that attracts men. If a husband wants to cheat bad enough, he'll go to the woman next door if that's who he is attracted to. I saw a LOT of infidelity during field problems and deployments while we were stationed in Germany and the majority were not due to prostitution. The vast majority were cheating on their wives with some woman they met in a bar...usually someone elses wife. I don't think it's really the act of sex that attracts men to cheat. I think it's more the game they miss. They don't get the game with prostitutes, because they know what the outcome will be once they go to one.
FedUp makes some very excellent arguments, but I have to point out one small mistake.
The government should not manage prostitution. To be more specific: the cost of monitoring prostitutes should not be run by taxes. If it was tax-funded, this would be forcing everyone to support prostitutes--including those citizens who object to them. Also, though, you forget that the resources the government would have to spend on monitoring prostitutes awould be those same resources that were spent on the police who were arresting them. So you don't save taxpayers any money. It's as if you've taken the officers off the streets and put them behind desks handling paperwork--their salaries are still paid with taxes.
Instead, the total cost for supporting and monitoring prostitutes should be borne only by those who go to them--their customers. Customers would probably only solicit prostitutes if the latter could display evidence of having been tested, and committing to a policy of using protection. So if everyone is careful and looks out for themselves, no one is harmed.
Further, I would venture to guess that broad regulations set by the government would restrict the freedom of prostitutes to work as they choose.
Of course, the ethical debate is obvious: no body of voters should be able to restrict a certain few people from doing something that they've agreed to do. An instance of the tyranny of the majority.
Michael Allen Yarbrough (PBUH)
I'm sorry I didn't specify on the monitoring of testing. I wasn't suggesting the government run all the tests themselves. I meant that the government would require all proof of testing be submitted--much like a hospital is required to submit proof of xray calibration verification....for the safety of all involved.
I'm not sure I agree with your thinking the regulations set by the government would restrict the freedom of prostitutes to work as they choose? I don't see why they couldn't pick their own hours just as any other self-employed person could do.
There is a huge difference between private consenting adult sexwork and street hookers. Sadly the public only sees the public nuisance street hooker often on drugs with a pimp which is maybe 10% of sexwork vs 90% of consenting adults that choose sexwork while going to college or as a legitimate career.
Private consenting adult sexwork is legal in almost all the world except the U.S. with no major controls, nor need for any controls. Professional sexworkers have very low STD risk far lower than the general population since they are sexually aware and for the most part use safe sex especially for high risk activities.
Private women around the world are in charge of their own businesses and provide a valuable service to a society. In the U.S. we need to catch up with the rest of the world with decriminalization not a terrible situation like the legal brothels of Nevada where the houses are the pimps and the women work under terrible conditions vs independent sexworkers in most of the rest of the world and there is no major STD issue worldwide with them.
No street hooking should remain illegal as it is in most of the world because its a clear public nuisance. If other options were legal there would be no excuse to be on the streets and those that do are usually desperate and we need to provde them social services and help them get off the dangerous streets and no longer a pubic nuisance.
I think it is important both for Providers to share with each other the good side of the business and be more visible to the public that it is a chosen profession, an empowering one for many women that do not fit the stereotype of the drugged out hooker with a pimp.
With her permission I have an article on my website written in the blog of a provider that while long, I thought was ideal both to encourage providers and show the public what sexwork can be about. She is from Canada, where I spend a lot of time, since there are so many more choices, more reasonable rates etc when you don't have the legal risks in the U.S. I have to go to Canada to enjoy the freedoms we are denied in the "land of the free".
An Escort's Transformation Experiences
Honest Wisdom that can benefit Providers and our Culture
http://www.sexwork.com/escorts/transformation.html
--------------------
Dave in Phoenix
Sexwork Cyber Resource Center
Promoting Positive Intimacy and Adult Sexuality
http://www.sexwork.com
http://www.lovetouch.info
http://www.libchrist.com
I agree there is a huge difference between private consenting adult sex-work and street hookers. However, if we ever would legalize prostitution, STD testing would need to be addressed. If we could promote a "safer" prostitution, people would be more apt to accept the idea overall.
Not that STD testing would be the only mountain we would need to climb to get acceptance: The common image of a street hooker is the strung-out woman with a pimp by her side. The sad thing is, as you said, often times these women have no other choice. Everyone needs to make a living somehow. That image would need to be changed in order for them to be more socially acceptable. With the help of a government implemented program, this may all be possible. Not that I plan to see it any time soon.
1. Rape is a crime of violence, domination--NOTHING to do with not being able to get sex! Geez!
2. Since I'm also in favor of legalization of drugs, the streetwalker scenario could disappear also. Pimps prey on weak, subservient women. If a woman could legally get drugs and also become a prostitue, SHE WOULDN'T need a pimp! Another geez.
These people make money and unlike you and I, they are under the TAX radar. We'll never irradicate prostitution, why not make it legal and tax it like we now tax wait-staff.