Prostitution should be legalized. (My proposal essay)

Read a thread on ats about prostitution, so I decided to post my proposal essay for my Comp 2 class about the issue. Please tell me your views on the matter and why it should or should not be legal. You could also review my essay if you would like! ENJOY!
Prostitution may be the world's oldest profession, and laws prohibiting prostitution may well be the oldest example of government regulation and government sex discrimination. In a free society, however, all such laws are inappropriate because they violate the basic rights and liberties of the individuals involved. Recent research indicates that “over one million women in the United States earn their living by full-time prostitution. Furthermore, roughly one in every six American men has been a willing client of a prostitute within the past five years (cite1).” This shows that many people, buyers and sellers, are a part of the prostitution profession, so for the United States government to ban prostitution for only a moral reason, and spend millions of tax payers’ dollars on trying to fight a never ending battle with prostitution seems ludicrous. In a free society in which we live in, it makes no sense for the government to be telling people that they cannot charge a fee for harmless services they otherwise are at liberty to give away. This is why Prostitution should be legal.
Instead of spending billions on illegalizing prostitution, “the city of Los Angeles alone spends close to 100 million dollars annually dealing with illegal prostitution (cite4)”; the United States government should legalize prostitution. For more reasons than one, prostitution thrives in areas that have a very high crime rate, because of this, police officers and courtrooms are overburdened with these cases, having little or no impact on prostitution. The prostitutes and their customers pay their fines and are back to the streets in no time in a revolving door process. Since the local law enforcement is constantly busy, adding prostitution to the list of things to protect us from, the real crimes go unchecked and unchallenged; enabling a better chance of crime success for criminals. However if prostitution were legal, police personnel would have less work trying to eliminate prostitution and more time protecting the populace from real crimes such as, murder, rape, and robbery. "It is estimated that if prostitution were legalized in the United States, the rape rate would decrease by roughly 25% for a decrease of approximately 25,000 rapes per year. The analysis seems to support the hypothesis that the rape rate could be lowered if prostitution was more readily available. This would be accomplished in most countries by its legalization (cite4)."
If prostitution should become legal, it must be regulated for the safety of the prostitute and client. Since prostitution is illegal it has been forced into the streets, this greatly increases danger for prostitutes. Prostitutes whose jobs involve working at night and getting into cars with strangers can be, and often have been, easy pickings for serial killers and other sociopaths. James Alan Fox, a criminal justice professor at Northeastern University, says “prostitutes are the most frequent targets for serial killers (cite3).” A sensible solution to these problems would be to follow the example of some European cities, where prostitution is allowed in certain designated areas, such as brothels and red-light districts. People who are interested in the activity go to places where it's permitted, and they leave alone the neighborhoods that don't wish to be associated with it. Therefore, the prostitutes can work in safer environments. According to current evidence, “roughly half of the street prostitutes in Washington, D.C., and New York City are HIV-positive. In Newark, New Jersey, the estimate is that close to 60% of all prostitutes carry the AIDS virus. Yet, in the relatively "free market" of Nevada, where prostitution is legal, not one (as of 1989) of the state-licensed prostitutes has ever tested positive for AIDS (cite3).” Because Nevada’s brothels are regulated, the prostitutes are required to give monthly blood tests, but such precautions would likely occur in the absence of state regulation. The reason is simple and economic: the brothels compete with each other, and the prostitutes have strong incentives to ensure that the service that their customers receive is safe. Clearly, the spread of AIDS would be reduced by the regulation of prostitution services. Currently, “since prostitution is illegal outside of Nevada, most prostitutes are in a ‘no-man's-land’ as far as physical protection is concerned. They are often beaten and brutalized, with no real legal recourse (cite3)”. In a free market for prostitution services, suppliers of labor services that are physically harmed would have the same rights to police protection and to legal recourse as the rest of us.
Of course, the most important argument for the legalization of prostitution services is that such prohibitions violate one's most basic and inherent rights. Prostitution is the voluntary sale or rental of a labor service. Individuals own their own bodies and their own labor services and have the absolute right to decide how those labor services should be used. As long as the prostitution is voluntary, there is no justification for governmental interference; such interference constitutes a violation of the privacy and personal liberty of the individuals involved. However, the government does have a legitimate role to play in the prostitution market. As with all markets, it should ensure that all exchanges are truly voluntary. In short, it should protect individual rights to property, especially the right not to be forced.
According to Cecilia Hoffman, Secretary of the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women, "Prostitution violates the right to physical and moral integrity by the alienation of women’s sexuality that is appropriated, debased and reduced to a commodity to be bought and sold (cite2).” Even though Cecilia might have her own ‘morals and integrity’, that does not mean everyone else shares in her beliefs. Prostitution is just another way to create business through sex. We don’t illegalize pornography. Cecilia is just trying to get her belief across without stating the facts. The facts are that the war on prostitution is a wasteful way to spend the national budget because there is no way for a government to stop someone from selling their own body, if regulated prostitutes would be in a safer and ‘cleaner’ environment, and if prostitution were taxed the government could receive billions of dollars annually from legalizing prostitution.
The case for the legalization of prostitution is overwhelming. Government prohibition and regulation obviously violate the rights of the individual and are economically expensive. Therefore, America's views and strategies on the topic of prostitution must undergo an immediate and radical change. The time has come to abandon the nation's outdated attempts to legislate personal morality and face up to the facts that to implement a policy that can truly make a positive difference. The time has come for the legalization of prostitution.

Citation
Cite 1: www.fff.org...
Cite 2: prostitution.procon.org...
Cite 3: www.humanismbyjoe.com...
Cite 4: prostitution.procon.org... Kirby Cundiff

reply to post by zptramel


I have just been trying to tell people on another thread that it should be legal. Just give it a few minutes and you'll get a woman that will tell you that you think all of them are whores or some religious nut that will tell you that your are going to burn forever for even suggesting it. I have given up trying to argue the point honestly. We all pay for sex somehow, it's never completely free. Just legalize it already.

Like I said in the other thread. Move to NV, its legal in 6 of the smaller counties.

I'll read the entire thing a bit later, but here's my take on it. Prostitution has been in business for... nearly all of human existence. Yet only recently has culture (government) decided to criminalize it; and it's an utter disaster. Trying to put a ban personal habits, or the way any individual uses their own body NEVER ends well. This can be seen for the drug prohibition especially.

Point is, drugs and prostitution have been around since life on Earth began; I don't care what your religious or moral standpoint is. You CANNOT legislate "immoral" personal behavior, and anyone who thinks otherwise is completely ignorant.

The only outcome to the current laws regarding these two things is: more death suffering & unethical imprisonment.

reply to post by zptramel


" roughly one in every six American men has been a willing client of a prostitute within the past five years"

And four of those surveyed were lying....And the fifth guy was in his late 80's....and still was probably lying.

Seriously though, I like to look at this from financial point of view. If you add it all up you end up spending at least as much money on a nice date....and in the end you don't have a promise of getting any! Where with a prostitute you know exactly what you are going to get...no weirdness...no hurt feelings....just a nice clean financial transaction, and you both go away satisfied.

There's an old joke...the difference between a date and a prostitute is...At least a prostitute is always honest and up front about how much sex is going to cost you!

Its legal in Germany, They pay taxes like any other business so everyone is happy.

Because the German Govt. actually cares for their citizen's health.
The Pro's are required to have routine exams which are free of charge and that is the only requirement/stipulation.

My Grandfather was a Policeman there, the majority of his police work entailed protecting the Pro's from violence inflicted upon them by American GI's.

We cant seem to learn and progress as a society here
in the USA unfortunately.

We are so behind the times...and we seem to never learn from our past.

PEACE

Who the hell really cares...only the johns do.

I have no clue as to why this is an issue. In the world we live in..someone actually cares if some loser has to pay to get his rocks off....

Sad sad world we live in...that people actually think this is a problem that needs to be dealt with....no food, no jobs, no homes, gang violence, and other more meaningful topics to choose from.

Listen, John...I presume, get in shape, umm work on your game, haircut, wardrobe and get out of your parents basement then maybe this won't be an issue for you and you will find someone who wants to sleep with you for free...

reply to post by zptramel


Of course it should be legal.
Consider what is legal and on the internet now...please.
It should be legal and readily available and regulated for health. We are not that puritanical anymore - hell most of us don't even believe in God. What are we saving it for? Get it out there.

Women don't want it legalized because then they would have to compete with them, think about that one for a moment. Women would lose control of their men as their men could then replace them easily with a phone call and a Benjamin Franklin without the hassle.

Religious people , well let's just leave that one alone as they are in LA LA land.

Pay for the pleasure that's what I say..who cares..

Originally posted by TWISTEDWORDS
Women don't want it legalized because then they would have to compete with them, think about that one for a moment. Women would lose control of their men as their men could then replace them easily with a phone call and a Benjamin Franklin without the hassle.

Religious people , well let's just leave that one alone as they are in LA LA land.

Pay for the pleasure that's what I say..who cares..

Unless it is legal and you know these girls have had their shots you might be paying for more than pleasure, a burning sensation when you pee and not to mention what you could bring home to the wife.

And I have to disagree with what you are theorizing here - I mean how can you speak for women?
Most women would want it legal I would think since one of the immediate side effects is preventing rape and even some (not all) child molestation since people will be able to get sex regular, rather than wait for a willing partner. There are men out there no women will sleep with and if it weren't for rape they would have no sex at all. Sad but true. These men need to be serviced to prevent them from having to force themselves on a woman. I think most women would favor legalizing prostitution. Give women a little more credit. They will only demand a stable of men they can pay for sex from as well.

Women don't want it legalized because then they would have to compete with them, think about that one for a moment. Women would lose control of their men as their men could then replace them easily with a phone call and a Benjamin Franklin without the hassle.

reply to post by TWISTEDWORDS

That's just silly. These guys are already doing it and your little prophecy would have already
come to pass if it were tru. And contrary to what seems to be
a major misconception on this thread, guys may see a prostitute for sex but that's not
the main reason. And if I have to tell you what that reason is you should take your sorry
uneducated ass off this thread.

I agree with you OP. And I'll take it a step further. I think it should be mandatory for all
military personnel returning from foreign wars, to spend 90 days in a brothel before they
are let loose on the population. Give them a chance to do a little healing and acclimate
themselves to society first.

reply to post by zptramel

I've never had sex b4, but I've had a couple dreams where I was with a prostitute. It was weird because we weren't even having sex we were just in a bedroom talking. It felt weird. I did get the feeling in the dream that since I can't seem to make women interested because i've never been good then maybe I can just pay em... Not interested in the sex as much as I am interested in them. It's a feeling of freedom. Hard to explain. That's hte feeling I got from the dreams...

Imagine paying someone a bit of moeny and then just sitting and talking and then leaving...

That's what happened in the dreams.

My thinking. It should be legalized. How ever,laws do need to be kept in place in order to prevent the sexual exploitation of children and adults who are forced into prostitution.

If an adult, chooses to have sex for money, and are not being forced into it by anyone, I say... that should be their choice.

But again, laws need to be in place to prevent the sexual exploitation of children and adults, who are forced into the business.

Originally posted by newcovenant

Originally posted by TWISTEDWORDS
Women don't want it legalized because then they would have to compete with them, think about that one for a moment. Women would lose control of their men as their men could then replace them easily with a phone call and a Benjamin Franklin without the hassle.

Religious people , well let's just leave that one alone as they are in LA LA land.

Pay for the pleasure that's what I say..who cares..

Unless it is legal and you know these girls have had their shots you might be paying for more than pleasure, a burning sensation when you pee and not to mention what you could bring home to the wife.

And I have to disagree with what you are theorizing here - I mean how can you speak for women?
Most women would want it legal I would think since one of the immediate side effects is preventing rape and even some (not all) child molestation since people will be able to get sex regular, rather than wait for a willing partner. There are men out there no women will sleep with and if it weren't for rape they would have no sex at all. Sad but true. These men need to be serviced to prevent them from having to force themselves on a woman. I think most women would favor legalizing prostitution. Give women a little more credit. They will only demand a stable of men they can pay for sex from as well.

edit on 9-10-2011 by newcovenant because: (no reason given)

It's fun and a GREAT time, you should try it some time.....

reply to post by orbitbaby


Excellent, so you won't mind if this was legalized....Then we would have sites built for this and no more a need for dating sites. U poor women will be sitting in bars all alone.

ROFLMAO

reply to post by TWISTEDWORDS

Legalizing would hardly keep men from seeking a normal relationship.
They usually want both. Kind of like having your cake and eating
too.

reply to post by orbitbaby


You want to make a bet on that?

reply to post by TWISTEDWORDS

It's fun and a GREAT time, you should try it some time.....

What makes you think I haven't?

Originally posted by orbitbaby
reply to post by TWISTEDWORDS

 

Legalizing would hardly keep men from seeking a normal relationship.
They usually want both. Kind of like having your cake and eating
too.

Oh really?

"The marriage rate in 2010 was 51 percent, compared with 72 percent in 1960, the Pew Research Center wrote. The marriage rate among the youngest adult demographic—18 to 29-year-olds—has declined to 20 percent, a third of what it was in 1960."

www.washingtonpost.com...

And that '51%' figure was just an across the board average, though..this is more specific:

"In many of the largest cities, the vast majority of individuals age 25-34 are not married, such as San Francisco (82%), and Atlanta, New York and Minneapolis, with shares greater than 75%."

www.allgov.com...

Most of the guys you refer to are living out in the boonies.