Perspectives on Prostitution
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Contact the author. October, 2000. Prostitution -- a word that will gain the attention of all around you if mentioned in a room. Prostitution is "the act or practice of indulging in promiscuous sexual relations, especially for money".1 In simple terms, prostitution is the act of selling one's body for sex. Prostitution has long been an issue in controversy, and both sides offer compelling arguments to defend their position. To begin, those opposed to the legalization of prostitution reveal several valid arguments. Foremost, it is argued that prostitution is an immoral practice, and thus should be against the law in the United States. Opponents of the morality position would claim that the job of the government is not to legislate morality. Another solid argument against legalizing or decriminalizing prostitution is that it encourages adultery. But, opponents would answer back that adultery occurs even with prostitution illegal. Legalizing prostitution, opponents argue, would victimize the desperate; for instance, young children and runaway children who needed money to survive. According to one expert on prostitution, current prostitution ratios in Europe are "incompatible with universal standards of human rights." This expert and others activists against legalprostitution are worried that physical and sexual violence will increase as the demands increase. The same author concludes that prostitution should now be classified as violence against women, and all future rulings regarding prostitution should be based upon that premise.2 In Nevada and Australia, where prostitution has been legalized, prostitutes have not achieved greater autonomy nor protection from exploitation by their pimps. And in the Netherlands, legalization has led to the increase of organized crime, making the trafficking of women a very lucrative business. 3 Additionally, there is a widespread view that prostitution should be legalized. Proponents of the idea have fascinating answers and solutions to the problems raised by the anti-prostitution crowd. For instance, legalization proponents point to Nevada as a success story. Since prostitution was legalized in Nevada in 1986, HIV testing shows no positive tests amongst the state's prostitutes, according to Randall Todd, chief of the Nevada State Health Division's Bureau of Disease Control and Intervention Services. 4 Additionally, costs are in favor of the legalization crowd, as "According to studies compiled during the 1980s, the average prostitution arrest costs taxpayers $2000,"5 which was a considerable amount of money during that time period. Current estimates for prostitution enforcement in cities across the United States average around $7.5 million per year. New York City spends over $23 million each year on outlawing prostitution.6 Not only would legalization help save city costs, but it would also generate revenue through special taxes commonly called "sin taxes". Opponents argue that legalization is a risky scheme not worth the time of day. Realistically, proponents argue, people sell religion, politics, and education all the time. Others buy the products sold without problem. Only when the product happens to be your own body -- what is rightfully your own property -- does the government step in. The debate over the legality of prostitution will continue despite valid arguments on both sides of the spectrum. The criminalization of prostitution is likely to continue unless a drastic change in policy occurs in the near future. Until that change does occur, the push for legalization of prostitution will continue, along with the growing movement to overturn drug and sodomy laws. In any case, the prostitution profession will continue. Works Cited (1) Merriam Webster Dictionary OnLine. © 2000. (2) Hughes, Donna M. Legalizing Prostitution Will Not Stop the Harm. The Coalition Against Trafficking in Women. February, 1999. OnLine. http://www.uri.edu/artsci/wms/hughes/catw/mhvlegal.htm. Accessed October 13, 2000. (3) OnLine. http://www.sas.upenn.edu/~barthele. (4) McNaught, Sarah. Street Smarts: Why we should legalize prostitution. The Boston Phoenix. October, 1997. OnLine. http://weeklywire.com/ww/10-27-97/boston_feature_1.htmlhttp://weeklywire.com/ww/10-27-97/boston_feature_1.html. Accessed on October 13, 2000. (5) Fetting, Katie. Legalize Prostitution. UW-Wisconsin Badger Herald. April 15, 1997. OnLine. http://www.chicagomaroon.com/articles/a861117014.shtml. Accessed on October 13, 2000. (6) Ibid., see (3) above. |
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