Should prostitution be decriminalized?
Prostitution isn't showing signs of discontinuing or even slowing down - especially when it comes to politicians. Maybe we need to rethink our laws?
Should prostitution be decriminalized?
John Featherman
"Why should something be illegal to sell that is perfectly legal to give away?"
- George Carlin (American stand-up comic, 1937-2008)
Prostitution isn’t showing signs of discontinuing or even slowing down – especially when it comes to politicians. Maybe we need to rethink our laws?
New Jersey Sen. Robert Mendendez is making headlines denying allegations he had sex with prostitutes in the Dominican Republic. He’s certainly not the only recent politician to be linked to prostitution.
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Watch John Featherman and lawyer/columnist Christine Flowers debate the legalization of prostitution on Dom Giordano's cable show, "Dom Time," at 7 tonight on WMCN-44.
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Former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer made a name for himself prosecuting prostitution rings as the state’s crusading Attorney General before being taken down as perhaps America’s most hypocritical politician/john. Louisiana’s Sen. David Vitter’s official government Webpage doesn’t include in his bio that the moralizing, family values, self-described “conservative reformer” admitted to having sex committing “a very serious sin in my past” with an escort operated by the so-called “D.C. Madam.”
Then you have a couple of notable doozies -- larger-than-life political figures that are almost caricatures of themselves because of their unbelievable acts with prostitutes.
Take Jerry Springer, who long before his tabloid talk show reign was an attorney serving as City Councilman in 1970s Cincinnati. Springer resigned in disgrace only three years into his term after he was fingered in a vice investigation in which he, yes, wrote a check to a hooker. To top it off, the check bounced. Didn’t matter. Only 3 years later, Springer became the 56th mayor of Cincinnati. If writing a check to a prostitute won’t bury you politically, I guess using campaign funds to pay your personal expenses won’t either. Maybe Springer should run for City Council in Philadelphia.
Then you have former Massachusetts Rep. Barney Frank, who admitted to continually paying the same prostitute for sex over several years – using his personal funds – but was reprimanded by the House of Representatives for fixing 33 of the prostitute’s parking tickets. Maybe Frank should apply to be a Philadelphia traffic court judge.
Did I mention that not all the prostitutes were women? Did I mention the political parties of the offending politicians?
All irrelevant.
In South Philly, they say there’s no Democratic or Republican way to fix a pothole. Likewise, neither the Democratic nor the Republican parties have a lock on whose behavior is more disturbing. There’s unfortunately a tie.
Which all brings us to this: Perhaps it’s time to set aside the stigma of prostitution and just decriminalize it?
Decriminalization – as opposed to the free-for-all of legalization – is the process of taking something previously illegal and making it controlled, regulated and taxed. That’s what was done with alcohol after Prohibition, and which still exists to this day – done by the federal government as well as our local government. It’s what’s beginning to occur with marijuana, as well, with some even claiming it could help solve the fiscal cliff.
I could smoke some of that.
A recent United Nations report advocated moving in the direction of decriminalizing prostitution. The same report urged more euphemistic terms to be used for those involved in the business, such as “sex workers.” In a world in which the most populous country views prostitutes as more honest and decent than politicians, that seems to be a good idea.
I tell my thoughtful friends who oppose sex for pay that the world's oldest profession is not going away. Rather than creating financial incentives that encourage trafficking, slavery and coercion, we would be better off supporting decriminalization, which in turn can eliminate the criminal element and foster responsibility, empowerment and improved health and safety for the sex workers. Decriminalization would also make it more likely that the government would collect taxes from these workers.
That sounds like an effective government um … err … “stimulus” to me.
The buyer and the seller do not have any objection to the monetary arrangement. So why does the government have to get involved when there are no victims.— warrenholly- Christine Flowers spent a fortune getting herself legally licensed to practice law by going to college, then law school before passing the Bar exam.— Aces high
- It would take a lot of the fun away, like drinking after you are 21.— 2ndNlong
- Ah, I remember when it was still legal in New Orleans. 1980 Eagles superbowl Pierre's on Bourbon Street— mousey10850
- after looking at featherman, if he wants sex he has to most definatly buy it— vickki2629
- But please can we forego the hookers in the wondows? Very tacky, especially when the carpet doesn't match the drapes.
That's why many prefer to go with a hardwood floor.....— Family Guy - Has not the system in Sweden helped to protect sex workers and at the same time help revenue collection? Sweden decriminalized the act of performing sex for money, but it criminalized the act of paying for sex for money. So, the prostitutes are acting legally and can have protection of government. Or I am wrong that the Swedish experiment has not worked out that way? Has it helped curb human trafficking?— HolidayinCambodia
- Like many societal and cultural issues today, this one is more complex than this author portrays it. The argument against things like pot and prostitution are based on ageless rationalizations such as:
- Everyone is doing it!
- It doesn't hurt anyone!
- If so-and-so gets away with it, why can't I?
- We have more important things to worry about!
- It will be OK if we tax it or regulate it adequately!
- You can't stop it, so why make it illegal?
- etc.
- etc.
Turth is that most of these rationalizations are blatantly false or over simplified! One valuable way to measure how harmful something is, is to look at cultures or countries that have embraced it in the past...and the results. Not a pretty picture.
Of course, one of the major problems here is that pot, prostitution, and other "individual freedom issues" get caught in the debate about morality, and whether morality should be legislated, or ignored as it infringes on individual freedoms. Again, it is educational to look at societies that became "amoral"...and self-destructed.
But...it really isn't all that complicated. In fact, prostitution demeans women, weakens the institution of marriage, and fosters the "if it feels good, do it!" silliness that diminishes our whole society.— bartfr - Absolutely!— austinstaats
- Prostitution was decriminalized...it's called marriage.— 2ndNlong
