Should prostitution be legal?

It's legal to pay for pleasure when it comes to back massages, but not when it comes to sexual pleasure. Makes no sense to me.

With that said, I think it should be legalized. After all, it is someone providing a service for pay. As far as diseases go, I'm sure there could be a way to make sure people are clean before payment.

 

It has been in Washington DC for many years, politicians there will drop their pants for anyone with enough cash.

 

It's a business. It's probably less dangerous than many other "legit" occupations. If it were legalized, it would be even less dangerous. We're always trying to find ways to control and manage the poor and women. Being a poor woman makes you extra suspicious.

 

There have been already like 5 polls about this in the last year and all of them ended up pro-legalization .

 

It's a tough poll, but I voted for, merely because it doesn't seem to be a problem in Nevada. As long as it's highly regulated, it shouldn't be a problem.

 

Pimping and human trafficking should, of course, continue to be a felony, preferably among the most severely punished.

 

People are already getting paid to have sex legally.. ever herd of porn? The drug war will never be won and if we think we can stop the oldest profession in the world we are as deluded as our masters need us to be.

 

The question should be why it's illegal in the first place.

 

Here in Nevada, it is legal in 13 of our 17 counties, with the deciding factor being whether it is a necessary economic engine for that county. That recently came up for a contest in Nye Co., where the population exceeds 100,000 (The other factor in whether or not it is allowed per county). It was given a kind of extension because mining is depressed in Nye, and part of the reason for the population increase is due to the draw of prostitution.
If you believe the proponents, there has never been an STD contracted from a regulated, legal Nevada prostitute.
To the contrary, it is illegal in Clark Co. (Las Vegas). Until a few years ago, the local paper (Review Journal) was doing an annual story about the number of prostitutes in Vegas, and the percentage who were HIV pos.
The last time I saw that story, about 6 years ago, there were 274 active prostitutes in LV who had been booked at one time or another. Every single one was HIV pos., with 2 having prior arrests, which makes it a felony to practice. Many had other nasties, like a form of syphilis which is contracted anally and is incurable/fatal.
Mayor Goodman pushed hard for legalization as a cure for all that, along with the economic incentive. The State shot it down.
I find it to be deplorable, legal or not, but it's not for me to tell anyone how to live, or to fritter away their potential.

 

Yes, anything that can be taxed should be legalized.

 

Because too much of it may destabilize economy (economic mentality) and society. In practice it must be hard to keep a balance in this. Luckily for them, the Dutch have a small northern European country. In large regions of the world men would end up working alone for their money while women would not.

It also drives away potential ideas for original entrepreneurship. People who don't know what to do would just resort to being a pimp. It also implies a form of advertising that would offend many (for a variety of reasons beyond religion).

 

Anything can be taxes. So, no.

How would it destabilise any economy? I don't see spain going into a recess.. oh wait.. I don't see lots of countries collapsing because prostitution is legal. Prostitution is for all purposes not unlike any other service offered, like say massage. Again, no economic collapses due to massage as far as I know.

I doubt it would do much actually. Prostitution isn't a very attractive job, and most would look elsewhere. Pimps wouldn't be needed if it was legal. As for ads: There's of course common sense rules regarding ads in general, and prostitution ads in particular.

 

Well not quite everything, but you get the point.

You should look at some central African countries. Prostitution is one of the most practiced jobs and it's not even legal in most.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostitution_in_Africa

All of Europe would handle that well. But the user I originally quoted wondered why it is illegal in general. It is because in many countries around the world it can lead to social unrest (like trigger religious attacks etc). And it would not necessarily help the economy. Even in the central African countries that have legalized it the economy is among the worst in the world. Also there is the risk of poor regulations that can result in lot of tax evasion, so a 'labor' market where a lot of invisible money would flow.

When I say pimps I think of the businesses that provide services in an organized manner like in Netherlands and not independent practitioners.

 

I don't think there's much correlation with legalised protitution and economic performance given that while poor african countries might have it, so do some rich western countries. Suffice to say that I believe the current economic situation in africa isn't due to prostitution.

I recognise the pragmatic argument that legalised prostitution could face much opposition from religious groups, but in general I think the benefits wiegh more.

But the simplest thing is that prostitution cannot be gotten rid of, and it's simply better for everyone involved if it's just legalised, regulated, and taxed. And an economy is basically all products and service that are produced and offered by a society. Prostitution is a service, just like massage, so it really does contribute to the economy.

 

Anyone ever heard of the Hotel Linda in Tijuana? That sucker should be ILLEGAL!

 

Because women don't like sluts.

 

But it is influenced by it. It is an indirect spin. In Kenya for example it contributes to degradation of society. Degradation of society directly influences economy:
It encourages many people/ families not to work, not to train in something, not to look for solutions for a better, sustainable economy:

You can read further about the AIDS situation in Kenya and stuff: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostitution_in_Kenya

Yes that's just the way it is in most of Europe.

 

According to the Supreme Court, prostitution, like bribery, is not only legal but an exercise in free speech.l.. See Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission.

 

21 in favor of legal prostitution so far - 3 against. It's instructive to consider what the Left and Right CAN agree on when it come to govt and personal liberty.

 

I live in one of the states where it is legal to film pornography.. which makes it difficult to justify why prostitution is still illegal, a porn star does essentially the same thing as a prostitute... they have sex for profit


besides that, as sure as prostitution is illegal there will always be a black market.. where conditions are much worse than if prostitution were otherwise legal. Prostitutes need legal protection, and they need unionization... the only way to achieve this is through legalization

on top of that, if we legalize it we can tax it

 

lol... unionization, eh? What clever acronym might they think up?

 

Are u annoyed only by diseases?? what about the huge money spent on treating patients and on protective measures.What about moral issues that involved in the society ?What if this predicament become a hindrance factor to our prosperity?? As a parent what is your view if your daughter choose prostitution as her carrier ? would u support her?? U mentioned pleasure what about this pleasure if it followed by regret and the sense of guilt afterwards or turned out to serious disease?? look forward to your answers ......??

 

This is interesting.....
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/features/why-the-games-up-for-swedens-sex-trade-8548854.html


Why the game’s up for Sweden's sex trade

Sweden's innovative sex-trade laws criminalise clients, not prostitutes. The result: a 70 per cent drop in business. Joan Smith jumps in a squad car with local police to find out how it works – and whether Britain could follow suit

 

No, prostitution should be completely and totally illegal at the federal level and it should remain so for the rest of all time. We have enough immorality in our nation without having something else immoral be legalized.

 

Keeping it illegal won't stop it, there's a reason it's referred to as the oldest profession in the world. Keeping it illegal simply makes the profit stay in the hands of outlaws and no tax revenue is collected from it. I submit that if we would like to repay the national debt we should legalize it along with marijuana and gambling and collect taxes on the three. But I guess some right wing teaparty types wouldn't like that because that would be a form of new taxes huh!

Keeping it illegal shows just how silly we as a collective society are. All have been around since before written history... and will still be around long after this current society is long gone. Nothing will have changed to eliminate these things/behaviors from mankind. In essence we will have persecuted the participants of these activities for no good reason!!!