by Lauren Feldman.
When confronted with the dilemma of whether or not to legalize prostitution, I find that many people simply cannot look past their moral values or religious affiliation to think their opinion through fully. While I won't be one to sit here and advocate prostitution as something completely acceptable, or something that should be encouraged at all, I simply feel the need to point out that religion and morality aren't all that needs to be taken into consideration when faced with this particular situation. The fact of the matter is that prostitution will still exist, whether it's legalized or not. This is the bottom line, and you must accept it in order to see the bigger picture. If prostitution were to be legalized and performed in a clinic, it would be a lot safer for everyone involved; protection would be used, thus halting unwanted pregnancies; both parties would be tested for STD's, ensuring that neither would get a disease from the other; and prostitutes would not be afraid to report rape, violence, or crimes against them in any situation. Prostitutes would also be paying taxes for their work, so it would actually benefit society. Now, a common misconception I often hear is that legalizing prostitution would encourage it or make it seem more socially acceptable, thus creating more prostitutes. This logic flawed for the following reason: prostitutes don't actually enjoy what they do. In fact, the majority of them are often ashamed by their line of work. It is for this reason that legalizing it wouldn't necessarily promote it; only women in desperate situations with little money, poor living conditions, and families to support would turn to it in their time of need. So while I'll be the first to admit that prostitution isn't the most respectable thing in the world, I'll also implore you to at least consider what I've said. No one else should be forced to live by your personal values or religious beliefs, and legalizing prostitution will simply make it a safer, more beneficial practice for everyone.
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3 comments:
I see your point; however, I must disagree with your claim about the supposed newfound "safer" prostitution that you outline. Just as in the case of the gun industry, legalizing something loses its usefulness in cleaning up when you impose to many strict limitations. People who can't get guns the legal way just buy them on the black market. Legalizing prositution would merely create secondary market, parallel to, but not replacing the illegal market for bedslaves. Now, I personally have little opinion as far as the ethical ramifications of an expanded prostitution market go, but idealism will crumble and fall in the face of mankinds most basic need...
You have a point. Protection and STD testing would only be guaranteed if prostitution were to be done in a clinic (or by using a similarly organized method), but even if it did reach the "black market," and was done on the streets, at least prostitutes would still be able to report rape and crimes. Prostitutes are afraid to do that now, because they would have to admit that they were committing a crime in the first place. This is just not right. In my opinion, though, the pros of legalizing prostitution far outweigh the bad, in any situation.
Although prostitution has already penetrated our subculture and street life, I agree with your point about being able report crimes. I do however, feel, that the acceptability of prosititution cannot be forced. Again, I do not lean much in either direction regarding the moral and ethical issues involved in prostitution, but I think that as long as prostitution is regarded as a degrading practice, it will be impossible to make it anything but exactly that. I think that, as you wrote, most women are ashamed of being prostitutes, which is I think a stronger motivation to not report crimes than a fear of reprehension. I support your beliefs, but I am not sure if our society is ready to see prostitution as a widely acceptable practice.
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