PROSTITUTION!!

[Wolfdude]

So we had a disscusion in school yesterday (or the day befor im not sure). I thought that prostitution should be legal, while my friends said no.
I argued that "they" chose to be a prostitute and it wasnot imorall to buy one.
Then my friends said said i was wierd cus STD are horrible and that they were forced to it.
So i said its a dffrence betwen prostitution and slavery. And that you use condoms (DUH)!

Also any femenists against prostitution? Thats so wierd that its a paradox. Since ive allredy said its a choise i wont repeat myself. So how can a femenist say thet?

[AkeR]

many prostitutes are practically slaves, pimps will "employ" several girls and then make them have sex with people (duh). they will take a substantial cut of the money the girls earn and often beat girls for no reason. also there are many people out there who dont choose to be a prostitute. they are forced into it by means or threatening or human traffiking. or through unpaid debts

generally id consider prostitution wrong. its disrespectful and dangerous. if the girl is forced into it then its also highly immoral. i am of course generalizing because there are also male prostitutes =P

[Wolfdude]

Yes, i knew that. But as i said, it was about leagalisation.

[tnj]

Here in Sweden, prostitution is legal, but buying sex is illegal. I think it's good because prostitutes are probably in enough trouble already - they don't need to be criminals as well.

[Wolfdude]

Apr 1, 2010 13:13:37 GMT -5 tnj said:

Here in Sweden, prostitution is legal, but buying sex is illegal. I think it's good because prostitutes are probably in enough trouble already - they don't need to be criminals as well.

Im from sweden, didnt know that though.

[Yokailo]

I'm from Holland.
Enough said. o.o

Well, I'm not against prostitution. I'm very much someone who lets someone else take care of their lives.. Of course there are prostitutes who have been forced, but they most of the time do get help. I think you guys are forgetting they are just as much a business as any other company - paying taxes, that kind of stuff - so they do get regulated.

EDIT;
Also, it is someone's choice whether they want to 'use' a prostitute. You don't have to, you just have the option to.

[TsukikoSuoh]

Well, it IS their choice. If they choose to do that and they're happy with what they do then they should full well be allowed to do so. I believe that it SHOULD be legal BECAUSE it is their choice in lifestyle. It would be like forcing them to be people they are not, they should be allowed to make the choice for themselves without having to think of the legal consequences.

And honestly, everything is a matter pf perspective, some people will think of it as wrong while others will think of it as right; it all accounts to your personal values, morals, et cetera. If the prostitute(whether it be male or female) has CHOSEN to take that path then they should be allowed to do so, but if they are FORCED and do not enjoy what they do then that is another story completely.

This is only my opinion, though. PDBAZ!

[Nakor]

If it were always, or even often, a choice in lifestyle I would wholeheartedly agree. And sometimes it is. But often it's just something that seems like the only option when the women hit rock bottom, and to boot they aren't really benefitting themselves at all -- only their pimp.

If we can ever reach a point where prostitution is being mainly performed by people who choose to do it, rather than people having it forced on them by their circumstances, then I could see changing the law. However, making that change now with the way things currently are seems like a rash decision that would cause more harm than good.

I am intrigued by that Swedish stance on it; I have to say, it makes a lot of sense.

[chelseeyuh]

Prostitution usually isn't a choice. And the ones that do choose it usually do so because they were previously forced into it, and once they get out, they have no skills and don't know how to live, so they go back because it's the only thing they know how to do.
As for STDs, I think it's been proven that STDs don't decrease if you legalize and regulate prostitution. It talked about that in this book I'm reading.. I'll find it and post it later.

I think buying a prostitute should be illegal, but being a prostitute shouldn't, since they don't have a choice and it's not fair to punish someone for something that they had no control over.

[Wolfdude]

So this is how we can sum most opinions up: Prostitutes,bad for them. Buyers of prostituses, bad persons that should get fines or even prison.Pimps, supermechaevil guys who are basicly slavers.

Right? Ok so pimps usaly are bad ppl, but buyers of prostitutes? I mean Yokailo is on the right track i think...

[RabbitWho]

Pretty awesome video about what prostitution could be like at its best:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGi431LjHB8

The staff and customers get mandatory health checks. I suggested in the comments psychological assessments too, but someone pointed out these should not be mandatory as it's too personal.
I would just want to make sure that no one there is in living hell with shame and self hatred, or feels forced to do it because they have a child or some other dependent or a drug habit or whatever.

Generally I think it should be illegal because I can't imagine that there is anyone that wouldn't be really really upset by the experience, but if i'm wrong about that then i'd be for legalization.


I'm pretty sure that prostitution in the Czech Republic is legal, but I'm 100% sure that it is not a good thing here. Most of the girls come from poor families and particular ethnic groups and most of them start when they are young and never realize they have any choice in the matter, i imagine a lot of the time their mothers and grandmothers are in the same situation. I think that they live nightmare lives.

It seems like it has to be illegal as long as there are people in these situations, and i think there always will be.
Maybe making it illegal wouldn't stop it, but the state should never turn it's back on those people and say "This is okay" by making it legal.

[matttherobot]

I believe that any act between two CONSENTING ADULTS should be legal, so yes, we should legalize prostitution. The reason that it has turned into this abusive system towards women is because it is illegal. If we decriminalized it, the incentives for pimps to abuse their prostitutes would be gone, and even if it continued, the women could then go to the police without fear of being prosecuted themselves.

[RabbitWho]

Apr 4, 2010 22:40:21 GMT -5 matttherobot said:

I believe that any act between two CONSENTING ADULTS should be legal, so yes, we should legalize prostitution. The reason that it has turned into this abusive system towards women is because it is illegal. If we decriminalized it, the incentives for pimps to abuse their prostitutes would be gone, and even if it continued, the women could then go to the police without fear of being prosecuted themselves.

There was an artist before who went to a developing country and paid about 5 men to let him tattoo a line along their backs, line them up, and photograph them. I wish I could find the picture to show you, it's very effecting.

These people were starving, I think to say to a starving person: "If you do this I will give you food." Is the very same as holding a gun to their head. Same with a drug addicts etc.

For this reason a lot of the time it won't be "consent" and for this reason I don't know if it's right for the state to legalize something like this. That's saying "It's okay, this is something that we like being part of our society."

[Wolfdude]

Apr 4, 2010 22:40:21 GMT -5 matttherobot said:

I believe that any act between two CONSENTING ADULTS should be legal, so yes, we should legalize prostitution. The reason that it has turned into this abusive system towards women is because it is illegal. If we decriminalized it, the incentives for pimps to abuse their prostitutes would be gone, and even if it continued, the women could then go to the police without fear of being prosecuted themselves.

This was the thing i was argueing for with my class mates.

[thejourney]

prostitution should be legal in places like Nevada where its legal prostitution is a safe business because guests must weir condoms be screened for std's and there is no pimp to beat the workers watch this episode of penn and teller it realy opened my eyes about prostitution

www.megavideo.com/?v=CV78PIB4

[thejourney]

prostitution should be legal in places like Nevada where its legal prostitution is a safe business because guests must weir condoms be screened for std's and there is no pimp to beat the workers watch this episode of penn and teller it realy opened my eyes about prostitution

www.megavideo.com/?v=CV78PIB4

[Duffy ze Emu]

I, personally, think that prostitution should be legalised. Sex is a primal human desire, even if it is not absolutely essential. You can pay for food, you can pay for water, why should you not be able to pay for sex?
At the very least, Sweden's laws should be made international, as, as someone has already stated, if you try to escape you can be prosecuted yourself.
But the fact of the matter is, people will always want it. There will always be a demand for it, and people will always fulfil the role. Besides which, if it is legal, it can be regulated. If it can be regulated, the abuse can be stopped as people will go to the legally licensed and non-abusive brothels. Even if it cost a bit more money, wouldn't a clean, warm, welcoming environment be preferable to a dank, hellish hole?
I didn't watch the Stephen Fry clip the whole way through, but I recall Louis Theroux once visiting a similar place. All of the customers were screened for STDs and the girls seemed warm, happy and had some sort of group camaraderie going on. But- and this is the most important part- they all had plans to move on, once they'd earned some money/got through university, etc. They could leave at any time, and all because this was a legal brothel.
The abuse is awful, and is a good argument for completely criminalising prostitution. In the long run, however, I think the best solution is to legalise it.

*Edit*
After having watched that, it looks like I simply reiterated every point made there. Sure, she must have been painting it in a good light somewhat, but it's definitely something to consider.

[chelseeyuh]

Apr 5, 2010 22:19:05 GMT -5 Duffy ze Emu said:

I, personally, think that prostitution should be legalised. Sex is a primal human desire, even if it is not absolutely essential. You can pay for food, you can pay for water, why should you not be able to pay for sex?
At the very least, Sweden's laws should be made international, as, as someone has already stated, if you try to escape you can be prosecuted yourself.
But the fact of the matter is, people will always want it. There will always be a demand for it, and people will always fulfil the role. Besides which, if it is legal, it can be regulated. If it can be regulated, the abuse can be stopped as people will go to the legally licensed and non-abusive brothels. Even if it cost a bit more money, wouldn't a clean, warm, welcoming environment be preferable to a dank, hellish hole?
I didn't watch the Stephen Fry clip the whole way through, but I recall Louis Theroux once visiting a similar place. All of the customers were screened for STDs and the girls seemed warm, happy and had some sort of group camaraderie going on. But- and this is the most important part- they all had plans to move on, once they'd earned some money/got through university, etc. They could leave at any time, and all because this was a legal brothel.
The abuse is awful, and is a good argument for completely criminalising prostitution. In the long run, however, I think the best solution is to legalise it.

*Edit*
After having watched that, it looks like I simply reiterated every point made there. Sure, she must have been painting it in a good light somewhat, but it's definitely something to consider.

Just because there will always be disgusting, amoral people that want to hire
prostitutes, that doesn't mean it should be legal.
And legalizing and regulating prostitution does not work. They've tried it in some places, and it failed. There wasn't consistent condom use, because brothels don't care about their prostitutes enough to provide them with condoms. Plus, men will pay more so that they don't have to wear a condom, so HIV and other STDs can still spread pretty easily. Also, prostitution is so common because it is so profitable. If it were legalized, the brothels would technically have to pay their prostitutes minimum wage, but that doesn't mean that they would. The brothels just put on a facade as if they're following the regulations, but they don't actually do it, and conditions don't actually improve. They women aren't free to leave, either. They're beaten and raped into submission so that they're too afraid to try to escape. It's really no different from illegal prostitution, except maybe that people are even more blind to the atrocities that occur because they assume that just because it's legal, the business is being run legally.

[JustAnne]

Apr 5, 2010 23:59:55 GMT -5 @chelseeyuh said:

Just because there will always be disgusting, amoral people that want to hire
prostitutes, that doesn't mean it should be legal.
And legalizing and regulating prostitution does not work. They've tried it in some places, and it failed. There wasn't consistent condom use, because brothels don't care about their prostitutes enough to provide them with condoms. Plus, men will pay more so that they don't have to wear a condom, so HIV and other STDs can still spread pretty easily. Also, prostitution is so common because it is so profitable. If it were legalized, the brothels would technically have to pay their prostitutes minimum wage, but that doesn't mean that they would. The brothels just put on a facade as if they're following the regulations, but they don't actually do it, and conditions don't actually improve. They women aren't free to leave, either. They're beaten and raped into submission so that they're too afraid to try to escape. It's really no different from illegal prostitution, except maybe that people are even more blind to the atrocities that occur because they assume that just because it's legal, the business is being run legally.

I disagree. It is legal in Germany and it is regulated and at least in brothels women get a good amount of money, it's clean there, they use condoms and they don't let anyone not use a condom because that's like if a doctor didn't wear gloves. Prostitution, as we say here, is the oldest profession on earth and I really don't think there's anything wrong with it as long as it's consensual.