social: Prostitution

Legalize it. Don't legalize it. Do nothing. In many communities throughout the U.S., the police focus attention on arresting persons involved in prostitution. Many feel like it is the woman's choice to sell her body. If her John knows what risks he is getting himself into and is fully aware about the risk of STD's etc. then I do not see what the problem is with having it legal. The government would have it regulated, there would be check up's to make sure they the ladies don't have STD's and of course, the government would tax it, in order to pay for the check up's etc.


It's just another one of those things that isn't going to stop (the oldest profession and all) so why fight it? There are others who say that the ladies hae no choice, that they are forced into prostitution and are beaten by their Pimps. Legalize it, let the government run it, the ladies keep the money (the price the government would set) and eliminate the Pimps. That would also take care of all the ladies out there that are underage.

Prostitutes whose jobs involve working at night and getting into cars with complete strangers can be, and often have been, easy pickings for serial killers and other sociopaths. Legalize it! Have a place for them to legally and safely do what they need to do. Of course, tax dollars come into affect here to. Maybe the prostitutes could be paying some sort of rent for these rooms.

Many women are arrested for their first time because of prostitution. When they do get out of jail this record could affect all possible future employment opportunities. Legalize it! Let them have to opportunity to change their life around.

Legalize prostitution, it will be safer!
Legalize prostitution, the crime rate will go down!

[edit on 3/26/2008 by kinglizard]

I may run afould of my Republican team mates, but I have to agree with you on this on. However, It must be subject to strick government oversight, Nevada actually has legal prostitution, and the oversight system seems to work well. Everybody benifits and safety is insured. Plus the government generates revenue.

Are you saying things like this should only be legalized if the government generates revenue?

This is so wrong... Many people don't want government involved in their lives and making money off them. I guess the government in this case would be his/her second pimp??


Legalize the prostitutes, they are harmless, some are crack heads, some just make money to support themselves the easy way, if they feel it is for them, and they enjoy making other people feel good, all the power to them...

I don't think government should be pimp #2. government shouldn't even be involved, why do people insist on government continuing to babysit and watch over us
???

Originally posted by TrueLies
Are you saying things like this should only be legalized if the government generates revenue? This is so wrong... Many people don't want government involved in their lives and making money off them. I guess the government in this case would be his/her second pimp??

Why is it wrong? Its called sales tax. The activity is a business transaction If I recall and is subject to state sales tax. What is the problem here? You buy a car you pay sales tax, you buy a chain saw you pay sales tax, you hae a little fun at the brothel, you pay sales tax. I never suggested that the Governement become a pimp. They have however run brothels when the IRS seized them but thats another story.

Originally posted by FredT
Why is it wrong? Its called sales tax. The activity is a business transaction If I recall and is subject to state sales tax. What is the problem here? You buy a car you pay sales tax, you buy a chain saw you pay sales tax, you hae a little fun at the brothel, you pay sales tax. I never suggested that the Governement become a pimp. They have however run brothels when the IRS seized them but thats another story.

And you shouldn't be paying sales tax on anything, thats my problem...

If the lp gets in office, sales tax will be abolished...

If you work for income, thats yours not the governments, why is this a problem? Did the government help work to buy the car? Why should the gov get your money then? Did the government help you work to buy that chainsaw? or do they think it's ok for them to just take you money through a "tax"

I should start a tax, anybody in my community who buys something, I should take part of it, and put it my pocket... Why not?? I could just call it a sales tax... Nice way for surgarcoating what it really is... Theivery.

I wasn't going to respond to this thread at all since my personal views on this differ from my Liberatarian counterparts, but since Fred has weighed in on this in contrast to his own party's beliefs....

If you are going to legalize prostitution I say regulate the hell out of it. Weekly medical examinations, weekly health inspections, mandatory profit-sharing, a cap on retainage by the House and background checks on all employees to verify age and consent.

Just my two cents.

If your going to regulate the hell out of two consenting adults having sexx but getting paid... Then why not regulate the hell out of two consenting adults but aren't getting paid...

There are many mattress backs out there who give freely of themselves and all the guy had to do was buy em a couple drinks...

Originally posted by FredT
I may run afould of my Republican team mates, but I have to agree with you on this on. However, It must be subject to strick government oversight, Nevada actually has legal prostitution, and the oversight system seems to work well. Everybody benifits and safety is insured. Plus the government generates revenue.

Nevada is such a perfect example, but not because the system is always perfect there. Most of Nevada has legal prostitution. In these areas, such as Pahrump (a town about 45 minutes away Las Vegas,) the crime rate is low, and anyone can buy sex in a 'chicken ranch', the nickname for Nevada prostitution houses, which are often just a bunch of trailers connected to each other. There is almost no crime in these places, and the women are about as clean as anywhere in the world. I don�t know if the government regulates prices, or how much it costs, but after seeing some of the low income people that go into these places, its legalization must not have affected prices too much.

Clark County (where Las Vegas is) has no legalized prostitution. The state law says that it is only legal in low population counties, which is almost the entire state. Even though you can drive 45 miles away and get safe legal prostitution, Vegas abounds with illegal prostitutes. Unlike their legal counterparts, they are known to be some of the most disease-ridden prostitutes in the country. There is a high crime rate surrounding the sex business in Las Vegas, and instead of having respectful 'massage parlor' owners outside of town, you can hardly go anywhere in the city without seeing them. A woman crack head with nothing on but her underwear is not a site most people want their children to see, nor the vision the people who call Vegas home want visitors taking home with them. This is just one example of over regulation, even though it is legal within the state. The key is such a small level of regulation as to be almost unnoticeable. Nevada is both a shining example of the right way to do things and a shining example of the dangers of over-regulation.

I guess the government in this case would be his/her second pimp??

Damn, TL, every time I get home from work, you have already made the point I wanted to. Between you and Amuk, I don�t have anything to do but sit back and read most of time.

Originally posted by Bleys
I wasn't going to respond to this thread at all since my personal views on this differ from my Liberatarian counterparts, but since Fred has weighed in on this in contrast to his own party's beliefs....
If you are going to legalize prostitution I say regulate the hell out of it. Weekly medical examinations, weekly health inspections, mandatory profit-sharing, a cap on retainage by the House and background checks on all employees to verify age and consent.

Ah as the Governator said there is room for dissenting views in the Republican party. That being said, Its been my experience that the members of ATS have thier beliefs, but are pragmatic about it. I am curious to see where the Dems weigh in on this issue.

I agree with you it should be subject to huge regulation and testing.

Originally posted by TrueLies
If your going to regulate the hell out of two consenting adults having sexx but getting paid... Then why not regulate the hell out of two consenting adults but aren't getting paid...

There are many mattress backs out there who give freely of themselves and all the guy had to do was buy em a couple drinks...

See you knew we would find something we disagree on. I don't have a problem with legalizing prostitution - I have a problem with multitude of problems that result from illegal prostitution increasing if its legalized without sufficient regulation.

Sex trafficking in women without their consent and that of children is a real problem and issue that must be considered in this debate. We have some vile little (supposedly respectable otherwise) men in this country who make regular trips abroad to have sex with children. Now imagine legalized, unregulated brothels in this country where you slip the doorman an extra bill or two for an opportunity to have sex with a child. No way. Regulate it.

You fail to realize that if all this things are leaglized, cops wont have a job. Prisons would be out. That is not going to happen.

People should not be protected from themselves.

As For regulating prostitution I doubt my points are pragmatic, but thanks for trying to belittle my argument...

I'm going to be blunt about this topic..

If someone wants to hire a leg spreader for an hour, whats the big deal? It's not hurting you... And from my past experience with dealing with prostitutes, they take more safety precautions then your average joe blow at a meat market (bar).

Prostitutes are not stupid people, many of them have psychological problems, but that doesn't negate the fact that they are smart enough to use safety precuations...

I have yet to meet a prostitute with an STD...

I can vouch for call girls or escorts, streetwalkers are more dirty then the professional prostitutes.. Many streetwalkers don't care about themselves, $50 for a blow job, just enough to get a rock to smoke for two minutes...
And actually from my past knowledge with crack it goes for $50 a rock..
(I was a social worker)

If you want to talk about regulating hookers, then talk about regulating your average joe blow.. He's more inclined to not use a condom because he's in the heat of the moment and just wants to get his dick wet from that chick he met at the bar... Whereas the joe blow business man who called up a call girl knows that she gets around (it's her job) thus using necessary safety precautions...

Again, if it's not harming you? Why do you care what two consenting adults do??

YOu might as well go ahead and regulate the hell out of butt pirates.

[edit on 13-9-2004 by TrueLies]

Porn is legal.....You get the good with the bad... Child porn gets thrown into the mix, nothing is perfect..

Prostitution should be legal, and you will get the bad thrown into the mix as well. Child prostitution is a problem, and should be dealth with accordingly. I don't think red taping this profession is going to make child prostitution go away.

I'd say when caught, harsh punishment for those who would support such a thing, just like animal cruelty.

I'd like to see the stats on amsterdam and prostitution. I wonder what the child prostitution stats are over there...

Even so, thats like trying to red tape guns because some people have accidents... ie/playing with guns... or children finding them....

It's not a perfect world and people shouldn't have to be regulated because they choose to participate in a taboo profession or taboo hobby...

Originally posted by TrueLies
It's not a perfect world and people shouldn't have to be regulated because they choose to participate in a taboo profession or taboo hobby...

Are you suggesting simply because it is a 'taboo" hobby that they should not share the burden of societies systems that protect him or her? Professions are regulated all over. From pilots to bus drivers, all professions that can impact peoples lives require oversight. Case in point, I am a critical care transport nurse. If I came to a hospital to pick up say your child, how confident would you be if I told you that no im not a registered nurse, but rather I have taken all the classes?? Not very eh? From a prostitute standpoint, its more a public safety hazard. Regulation will ensure that the women and men will get tested not only to protect the public but themselves as well.

Originally posted by FredT

Originally posted by TrueLies
It's not a perfect world and people shouldn't have to be regulated because they choose to participate in a taboo profession or taboo hobby...

Are you suggesting simply because it is a 'taboo" hobby that they should not share the burden of societies systems that protect him or her? Professions are regulated all over. From pilots to bus drivers, all professions that can impact peoples lives require oversight. Case in point, I am a critical care transport nurse. If I came to a hospital to pick up say your child, how confident would you be if I told you that no im not a registered nurse, but rather I have taken all the classes?? Not very eh? From a prostitute standpoint, its more a public safety hazard. Regulation will ensure that the women and men will get tested not only to protect the public but themselves as well.

Maybe you should use the same ideology for gays and bar whores too...

Originally posted by TrueLies
[Maybe you should use the same ideology for gays and bar whores too...

Quite frankly Ive grown tired of your racist and homophibic comments and they are contrary to the Campaign 2004 Forum guidelines. I have tried to extend this debate with honest answers to the points you made, but you have moved in a direction and I do not care to go. Good Day.

Originally posted by FredT

Originally posted by TrueLies
[Maybe you should use the same ideology for gays and bar whores too...

Quite frankly Ive grown tired of your racist and homophibic comments and they are contrary to the Campaign 2004 Forum guidelines. I have tried to extend this debate with honest answers to the points you made, but you have moved in a direction and I do not care to go. Good Day.

Huh? What are you talking about??

I asked a question that had everything to do with your prior post? If you don't have an answer to my question, just admit it... You don't need to start name calling... Racist ?? homophobic? how do you figure?
Please stick to the question and answer it so that I may figure out if you would apply those same regulations to gays and bar whores??

It's an honest question you don't have to divert to smear tactics.

Does this ring a bell:

You might as well go ahead and regulate the hell out of butt pirates.

I asked a question that had everything to do with your prior post? If you don't have an answer to my question, just admit it... You don't need to start name calling... Racist ?? homophobic? how do you figure?

Im sorry, if you were sincere about your responce to my post, its simply, Being gay or a barfly is not a profession, its a lifestyle choice. If you cannot differentiate between the two, what else can I say?


[edit on 13-9-2004 by FredT]

Originally posted by TrueLies
Huh? What are you talking about??

He's talking about the fact that both of us attempted to engage you in a debate regarding our concerns over legalizing prostitution without sufficient regulation. But rather than engage in debate you accuse me of belittling your arguments and make homophobic comments to Fred. (you ought to go back and read some of your posts)

Originally posted by FredT
Im sorry, if you were sincere about your responce to my post, its simply, Being gay or a barfly is not a profession, its a lifestyle choice. If you cannot differentiate between the two, what else can I say?

Hmmm, you have a point my friend.

Ok, back to the argument..

Next question:

How do you justify the government stealing "hard earned money" through that cozy little sugar coated word we call "sales tax" whether it be through prostitution, purchasing a car, or chainsaw??

I can't personally vote for someone who is condoning such a crime. Personal income should be just that. Personal income.
Prostitutes' income should be left alone, just like anything else...

On a moral / ethical level I can understand your concern for public safety ect, but you cannot legislate morality. This medical exam stuff should be left up to the prostitute's discretion, not the government to enforce such a thing..

If this were to happen, i don't see prostitutes coming forward to tell the government their occupation, it's so underground as it is and they are making much money off their chosen profession, without government regulation, what makes you think if government condones this profession but adds red tape to it, prostitutes will come forward??

Medical exams are a good idea, I agree, but if you believe in individual rights and freedoms a is a... Politically this is not a good idea, you will not get prostitutes to come forward, you will not get the income tax you wish for, and you will not get your medical exam done..

She/He is already a misfit to society, what makes you think she/he's going to adhere to federal regulation?

If I was a prositute and your party was in office and they decided to do what you just proposed..

I'd keep my business running underground, at least this way I wouldn't have the burden of government on my back and I wouldn't get my personal income stolen from me.