why is prostitution illegal?

I don't consider prostitution selling one's body, rather than renting it. It's just semantics, but that's how I feel.

I don't think legalizing it will make it easier for those who would prostitute children or others in general; regulation can make it safer, because we're not going to get rid of it. Too much demand. Sadly, many men don't understand women selling sex aren't always doing it as a matter of choice, and some don't care. They see a woman and want her, spend some money and get what they want.

On a side note, there are some jerks who ask prostitutes for "free samples," like a woman is ice cream or something. I know there are male prostitutes, too, and I don't mean to leave them out, but I'm speaking in generalities for the moment.

Ya know, AkAngel's comment got me thinking. Especially the comment that women sometimes are drawn to prostitution due to anger towards men. And in the end, the women are still getting hurt.

When you close your eyes and visualize actually what a prostitute does, one would generally conclude she can't really feel good at the end of the day. Guess the only one "feeling good" would be the man..Although she may have earned enough money for dinner and a room for the night, am sure her heart is aching for a better life.

I don't know how much money a "street prostitute" would make. Have a feeling it isn't all that much..maybe enough to survive another day... And then the "high dollar" prostitutes probably are living really good. But then all of the prostitutes can't demant high dollar, being they probably aren't high dollar material...Even so, after a period of time, and all that sex, even the high dollar prostitute must shed some tears from what she is doing with her life....Multiple sex partners can't bring a woman joyous memories, no matter how much money she makes....

Just talking sorta out loud again... sorting out my thoughts... thinking that prostitution in the long run isn't really that good of a thing.. Legal or not legal...

We can take a short cut to the "strippers"... now there is money in that too.. And no sex involved. Maybe that is why stripping is legal...soooooo instead of prostituting, go for the dancing, stripping... Am sure those ladies sleep good at night with little regrets.... maybe

There were sooooooooo many good points brought to my attention in this thread..Things I never even thought about.. Maybe in my "magical" thinking prostitution was like that movie, Best Little *****house in Texas..Not realizing the pain and abuse involved in prostitution. Thinking the woman came out ahead with the "dollars". That little anger inside, make em pay for it... Wrong anger never solved anything, other than sometimes making things worse.......................

so how do I feel about legalizing prostitution now...I don't know....I just don't know..

I just wanted to add... I can't or won't point my finger at a prostitute and put them down. I would never judge or degrade them either. Prostitutes are people.. People with the very same feelings as those who aren't prostitutes..

Drawing on my experience managing the strip clubs I would share this: I've never met a woman who stripped for a year who didn't turn to women sexually, if not exclusively, at least bisexual. Personally, I could care less what someone's sexual orientation is and am supportive of everyones choices in that department but 100%? This is more about hating men than it is loving women. Their attraction to women is more of a rejection of men, at least in many if not most cases.

I'd say that 15-20% of the girls who were hired ended up having drug problems that I missed (or I wouldn't have hired them), but eventually most developed drug problems - maybe 75% or more. I steered many to drug treatment programs but the money was too easy and too many guys were willing to party with them. Stripping led to prostitution for most girls though many they didn't consider themselves such because they weren't charging money - but what else do you call it when you sleep with a guy you loath cause he's got a couple of eightballs?

Every strippers got stories of $1000 nights, but there's a lot more nights where they are spending $1000 to forget what they had to do to get that $1000.

That's how I feel. Women are detested if they're in this business, when, according to my reading, documentaries and other information I've gotten, most women don't choose prostitution; more often than not, a pimp meets a runaway teen (who may have it worse at home, and looking for support--then the pimp makes them feel loved, but turns them on the streets once she's hooked), and those grown women who are prostitutes often started out as those teens.

I read a book of prostitutes' experiences...I think it was called SEX WORK, but it's been a while since I read it. Most of the stories were not "I'm glad to be a prostitute!" stories.

Geez, I was hoping to get here sooner.... just that.... darn life gets in the way sometimes..

radioflyer-- very well said-- "Survival and pain equals prostitution"...
I think for many young women/girls it is sadly the way they see to survive.and the culture is all too happy to accept their lost soul and trample all over it.

AkAngel-- perhaps this could be the case, in the few places on this planet where it is all legal... I believe there are very few cases where this would be true though.... or else women would be growing up saying how that's what they dream of as their career and many men would be wanting to "covet" such a woman.... I sure don't see much of that happening.
I agree with your comparing prostitution with drug addiction/use....yes, most don't go into thinking that's what they want out of life.....
it's just sad that unlike drug addicts, prostitutes don't seem to get the same compassion, support or understanding to get out of it(women often despise them more than men) and prostitution is often valued within the confines of the men's locker room, where stories fly about how this guy got some prostitute to do this or that and then they all laugh and give him a "high five"..... seems it's funny to keep a prostitute dehumanized but not so much a drug addict
I wish there would be talk in that same locker room about how some guy got this prostitute a job and how she is now earning a respected living and has her own apartment... and every guy in the locker room gives him a "high five"....
ah... I'm such a dreamer
to treat each and every person like a-- Human.

wish I had time to write more.... got to run now... hope to be back later.

to all--

fins

I was raised to believe our bodies are sacred, a gift from God - especially our genitals. Not only are they used for reproduction, they are to be used to enhance LOVE between partners.

There is no LOVE shared in prostitution. It's the ultimate disrespect of the human body - using a sacred gift as a toy or a way to make money. I would not want to see this dehumanizing "profession" become a legalized career choice.

How many men would marry a prostitute, and would they have a problem with her "working" outside of the home? How would it be explained to the children?

How do the children of prostitutes thrive in society? Would they be able to "show and tell" what they know about their mothers? Would they be able to proudly report their experience on "take your child to work day?" to the rest of the class?

How many children say "When I grow up, I want to be a prostitute!" How many parents or grandparents would feel a sense of pride from such a proclamation? My guess....not many (at least I hope not).

I always wondered - how does a person feel when they have to PAY for sex?

I beg to differ. Please don't put those of us down, who may differ with your opinion. My morals come from God, and He isn't paranoid nor does He have low self esteem.

Don't forget, there are male prostitutes too.

Some here may be forgetting the law of unintended consequences. Living in an imaginary world where everything is allowed and good won't work here in our world.

Let's think about just a few things IF prostitution was legal ... what do those who make a living from pimping and kidnapping etc to provide the prostitutes, once the act is legal? What about the people who get off ONLY because it's not "allowed" or it's in secret, etc. I'm especially considering those who will draw on the illegal stuff, children, mainly....

Legalized prostitution tends to provide the same social problems as illegal prostitution. Germany and the Netherlands may very well be considering changing their laws. http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=...LN_QFdCR7b1rUA

MYTH: Legalization of prostitution will stop illegal prostitution
FACT: Legalization of prostitution in Nevada, Germany,
Australia and the Netherlands has resulted in an increase in
illegal, hidden, and street prostitution. Decriminalization
and legalization promote sex trafficking. Germany and the
Netherlands are currently reconsidering whether to get rid
of legal prostitution because of these social problems.

I think that NV proves that this can be legalized and regulated. Legal women have to get regular check ups, STD tests etc. A friend of mine that is from NV states that there are still illegal "hookers", because they are cheaper than those that are regulated.

I have no moral issue with prostitution, what each person decides to do is their own business. There have been prostitutes since the beginning of time. But I would have a problem with a brothel setting up business next to by home. I think many people agree with this and that is why it's still illegal. They rezoned a home at the end of the block as a business and its increase in traffic has made me crazy, I cannot even comprehend what the traffic would be like with a brothel.

Hi AAAAA - would you feel the same way if one of your children chose this as a profession? If so, would it be a source of pride or shame to share your kid's career choice with your friends, neighbors and other family members.

Respectfully, I don't think that an individuals pride or shame is a valid way for me to choose what should be legal or illegal.

For instance, sixty years ago interracial marriage was illegal. If we were debating whether or not interracial marriage should be legal and someone asked, "Would you feel the same way if one of your children chose a black person to marry? If so, would it be a source of pride or shame to share your kid's spousal choice with your friends, neighbors and other family members?" I've no doubt that a mod would step in. Back sixty years ago societal norms thought it seemed like a pretty good argument.

Pride and shame come from societal programming.and society gets it wrong so very many times that I am extremely hesitant to use that as a yeardstick.

not paticulary good. Some people, due to physically deformaties, lack of social abilities, etc... do not have an alternative except for self gratification

Libertarian Neal Boortz sighted a case a while back in which a fellow at a health club made overtures to a female employee and was ridiculed for his physical appearence. Sometime later he came in an murded said woman, very tragic event and of course deserving of full punishment.

The man wrote about his inability to get dates and how lonely he was. Neal speculated that perhaps if he had a legitimate means to relieve his sexual frustrations, the life of the health club employee would not have ended tragically...

Of course he has no proof that this is true, but it does make one think...

I have a condo in Vegas and have lived there many times; I can't speak at all for the other countries. Prostitution is legal in Nevada on a county by county basis. Currently twelve counties allow prostitution but only eight have operating brothels. Since prostitution is not legal in Clark County (Las Vegas) every prostitute there would fall under the illegal, hidden or street label.

I would blame a population and tourism explosion (over the last thirty years) as the reason for an increase in illegal prostitution, not that prostitution is legal in outlying counties.

Provided that it is legal, I would feel no shame what-so-ever if one of my children chose this profession. Nobody wants to admit it, but prostitutes fill a niche, if it didn't, this wouldn't be the oldest profession known to man. I do not depend upon outside sources to find my pride and joy in my children.

I don't either, but the moral issue got me thinking. I wasn't singling you out. In general, parents and grandparents like to boast of their children's development and achievements in life.

I can imagine a scenario of a dinner party with family and friends and the subject of children comes up. One says "My child is a doctor," another "My child is a lawyer." People would generally be impressed and possibly ask for a business card. Would the reception be the same if a parent proudly proclaimed "My child is a prostitute?" Would the parent feel good if all the men in the room asked for their child's business card? How would their wives react if the parent handed their husband a business card?

I'm not singling you out. I'm just in a pondering mood.

This is difficult for me because I do not think it is a moral issue... or rather, if it is a moral issue it is a contrived one, not an absolute one. You seem to be coming from a religious standpoint (which I very much respect) and so we would see this differently, For you, I believe, morality is an absolute as it would pertain to whatever religious documents or doctrines you ascribe to. From a secular position, it is a moral issue because we as a society says it is but it is much less absolute.

People think I am being obtuse or difficult when they ask me about my children and grandchildren and I respond differently than they like. For instance,

"What does your daughter do?"

"She is a loving, kind person."

"No, I mean for work?"

"That is her most important work."

But I'm not trying to be difficult. We show pride for achievements, money, education, 'things'. We brag about their promotion at work, the new house they bought or the vacation they just took but seem to ignore the fact that she makes her children feel special every day or that today she forgave someone who wronged her terribly. I have one daughter on welfare who struggles to raise two children and deal with her mental illness. I don't care what she does in life as long as she continues to be the wonderful person that she is. Doctor or stay at home mom - I remain just as proud of her.

Here's some food for thought. One of my daughter's friends is a stripper. Pre-med 4.0. As my daughter toils away six days a week to earn money to sustain her through her college months, this young woman earns more money working Friday and Saturday nights. She has five nights a week to study and prepare for the upcoming year.

Now this is not a field my own daughter would be comfortable with. She put on a bra at 11 and has not been without one since with the exception of bathing. I've preached until I was blue in the face that she should at least give her body a rest while she's sleeping.

In my own opinion, morals are subjective. I think we would all agree that stealing is wrong, but if someone steals food because they are hungry I don't think it makes them a bad person. I don't think a person's career defines their character. It is not unheard of to have an honest prostitute and a dishonest clergy for example.

Does any one wonder if maybe part of the reason prostitution is illegal and strippers are frequently frowned upon has to do with our country's Puritan upbringing? I'm not trying to bash religion, but I feel that religion in the US has put a lot of constraints on sexuality. I feel like a lot of people can't even enjoy sex once they are married because of how ingrained "sex = sin" has become in their heads. I can't imagine it is healthy for the human mind to constantly restrain itself from something natural, which Adam and Eve enjoyed freely until the Fall. I guess this leads me back to the morals discussion... Is this a moral dilemma because of how society was raised generation to generation?

I just feel, like someone else mentioned earlier, that if we could legalize and tax prostitution then funds and resources and man power used to currently track down prostitutes could go after the people who deserve to gone after, such as the pimps trafficking young girls. I'm sure this is a bit of idealist thinking, but I also think it could be put into play as long as people were serious about stopping child trafficking and accepting legal prostitution.

I also wouldn't be surprised if legal prostitution in places like Amsterdam partially has a bad rap for the same reasons as those mentioned in Nevada -- tourists eager to try something forbidden to them else where.

Also, JD, I was just curious how you found that article? It's very interesting

Oh, and this is just a side note. Someone mentioned earlier about having parts of theme parks have brothels or something in them. Well, in China they tried to open a sex theme park, but it didn't work out. In South Korea, there is a sculpture park dedicated to sex -- it used to be part sex ed for honeymooning couples.

Okay, I've rambled enough... Just some more musing and ponderings like the rest of you I'm really enjoying this civil discussion, I'm very impressed

I think our Puritan heritage has a lot to do with the USA's often-hypocritical views on sexuality and related laws.

I find things through resources at home, or searches online. I find that posing the issue/question that is being sought in the search bar brings up the information. I searched for "problems of legal prostitution".

This has been a good discussion, lots of good points and views here, let me throw this out and then I will hang back and see if you guys react.

We all agree that the general definition of prostitution is the exchange of sexual gratification for money, right?

Now consider the following case, Hugh Hefner. The founder of Playboy is 84 years old and has at one time had 2 or 3 "GirlFriends" These young, attractive women in interviews have at times admitted to having sex with Mr. Hefner.

Let us be real here, if Viagra consuming Hugh, were just some regular 80 plus year old guy I seriously doubt that a gaggle of 20 something women would have the slightest interest in being with sexually. They are there because of the potential of possible earnings they may have being seen with him, and for the opportunities they may gain (financially) from being with him.

They traded sex for wealth, fame, etc... In other words that makes them..

Prostitutes

Now to JD and others who wish to keep this illegal, should we have him and the women arrested? Or do we maintain some kind of double standard?

Such laws regarding "vice crimes" are so laden with hypocrisy.

For example in my state, one can get arrested and jailed for smoking a joint, on the other hand it is perfectly legal for a parent to have their child pumped full of pyschoactive drugs (Ritalin) if they cannot focus in class, drugs which do far more long term damage to brain activity than "mary jane"

My state also outlawed, online gambling from stations set up in storefronts, because it is "addictive to poor people" yet sponsors a lottery that is just as addictive, I guess you can hook the poor on gambling if it pays for a "public" Good, (schools)

sorry for the long post, I think you guys get my point... thanks for reading

LOL AkAngel - I have no connection whatsoever to any religious organization. One of my favorite quotes is "Lord, protect me from your followers."

I completely agree with your post. I don't judge people by what they have or what they do either. The focus on money, status and possessions turns my stomach.

I question illegal versus legal. For instance, why are street drugs illegal, but alcohol and pharmaceutical companies who sell dangerous narcotics and chemicals legal - both can cause addiction and death?

The problem I have with making it legal would be in the promotion of the trade. I don't want to be bombarded with advertisements to young girls and boys about the "wonderful career opportunities" in the sex trade industry. I don't want parents sending their kids off to accredited schools to learn how to be "sexual napalm." I don't want young boys to objectify women, and I don't want young girls to think the perfect woman should behave like a prostitute. The profession will always exist. I just don't want to see it glorified and promoted as "legitimate" because someone will always push the boundaries.

I focus more on the moral issue of prostitution because I was raised to consider consequences in life and treat my body with respect - not for religious purposes, but because we only have one life and only one body. Once it's gone, our journey here on Earth is over. I didn't need to read a book to see for myself this is true.

It can be emotionally damaging to the prostitute - taking away the thrill of a good, solid sexual relationship. It can seriously alter her view and trust of men. It can damage the family life of their "clients." It can be emotionally damaging to any children born from these unions between prostitute and client. With the exception of earning some fast money, I see no other benefit for a woman (or man) who chooses prostitution as a career.

Yes, I wonder that all the time. what would the world be like if women never had to have the "first sin" held over their heads for centuries?(I truly believe this part was written by men to have the power/shame over women-- How come everyone looks at EVE as the bad one instead of bashing Adam for not having a mind of his own and not even taking a bite??? what a follower!... wonder how things would be different with that frame of mind??)..... I think religion can be key to a lot of things... including women's sexual oppression/degradation. (wonder if we're going against the site rules here-- conversing of religion?? sorry- if that's the case)


Timgt- I think this is a case in which semantics are the "get out of jail free" card. They supposedly had a "relationship". -- like you said-- "girlfriends". A guy can have sex with a "girlfriend" -- that's not prostitution... so long as they have some kind of "relationship".... it doens't seem to matter if the guy then gives her money to go buy an outfit or whatever.
It never ceases to amaze me what money can buy and/or damage.
like--It can buy an 80 year old famous man -- a 22 year old woman-- but I've never seen it buy an 80 year old famous woman a 22 year old man.

fins

I think there's some pro's and con's on this topic.

Pro's : The abuse would calm down a bit, and they wouldnt be out late in the night time as much.

Con's : Children would think its okay if they did it since it's leagal, if they needed a few extra bucks, and might take it as a easy way to make money.

There's not just pride and shame, moral and immoral; too black and white. If one is going to deal in dichotomies (and one's children) there are good career choices and better career choices.

I wouldn't have a moral issue with telling others my child's choice (if it were their business or mine to be telling others my children's business) anymore than I would whether they were mentally ill, handicapped, sexually oriented differently than myself, etc.

I think like AAAAA, I wouldn't want a business in my neighborhood because of the strangers and traffic and, if it wasn't a type of business I frequented or had a majority of clients I was comfortable with, I especially wouldn't want it there.

Prostitution doesn't "help" anything. It's not a moral thing for me but the social problems the business causes/would cause, with or without legalization, does not make it something I would support. If the prostitute went to the client's home, that would be fine with me. I support liquor stores because I use beer/wine but I do not want them in my immediate neighborhood because not everyone who buys beer/wine acts responsibly when they use it; I don't want people loud, loitering, or drunk around my home. However, I don't use prostitutes so I do not support them, in my neighborhood or not. But if you want to support and use prostitutes, be my guest.