Comments on: Legalizing Prostitution

By: Floyd

Floyd — Fri, 11 May 2007 21:10:42 +0000

There is, of course, the report from the EU [German I think]of a woman who was refused unemployment benefits because she refused,on moral grounds, to accept a perfectly legal job as a prostitute.
So; which would apply in the U.S.? The "free exercise clause" or the, literally non-existent, "separation clause"??

By: Anderson

Anderson — Wed, 09 May 2007 22:12:22 +0000

Isn't the reason slavery is wrong because the slave has no voice in the decision? Well, you can't sell yourself into slavery, either. But agreed, slavery isn't the analogy. In fact, illegal prostitution dominated by violent pimps is more likely to be oppressive than legal prostitution that's "just another job."

By: JohnG

JohnG — Wed, 09 May 2007 21:54:43 +0000

The slippery slope to serfdom and slavery makes no sense at all. Isn't there a pretty giant difference between a person selling someone else's body, vs a person selling their own body? Isn't the reason slavery is wrong because the slave has no voice in the decision? Most US slaves were farmers or house slaves. We still have non-landowning farmers and servants in the house. By the slippery slope logic, shouldn't this bring us much closer to the return of serfdom than prostitution does?

By: Anderson

Anderson — Wed, 09 May 2007 19:22:39 +0000

All I can say is, with legalized prostitution, my wife would never again have to wonder what to get me for my birthday ...

By: Steve Plunk

Steve Plunk — Wed, 09 May 2007 18:46:26 +0000

Anderson touched upon it, there are still religious objections to legalizing prostitution and even some non-religious objections when it's your daughter rather than just some abstract woman making a living.

Moral standards have served us well in the past and I suspect they will continue to serve us well in the future. While I lean libertarian on many issues I must still respect the historical record of Judeo-Christian influence on this country and take it as a net positive.

Of all libertarian ideas to fight for I don't see this one as important enough compared to the damage it would do as far as the relationship between libertarians and religious believers. I would also warn of the law of unintended consequences, we may not see all the effects before we try it.

Prostitution and the selling of ones body has a link to physical love and therefore love in general. Those emotional factors can complicate this "business transaction" and turn it in to a dangerous thing for society.

By: Tlaloc

Tlaloc — Wed, 09 May 2007 17:03:11 +0000

I always wondered why you are allowed, and strongly encouraged, to sell the use of every part of your body except your genitals.

Actually I don't wonder, I know it has to do with our puritan founding and our completely screwed up view of sex.

By: carpeicthus

carpeicthus — Wed, 09 May 2007 16:52:36 +0000

As usual, George Carlin puts it best. Also as usual, they're in terms that probably shouldn't be put in the comments here.

By: Steve Verdon

Steve Verdon — Wed, 09 May 2007 16:42:09 +0000

A very libertarian position for you James...you have come far my young apprentice [/Darth Vader mode] (although I'm not quite sure which of is the older).

Anderson,

I agree although who knows what the future holds. Not too long ago sodomy laws were enforced (usually agianst gays) and gay marriage wasn't even on the radar. Now....

By: Anderson

Anderson — Wed, 09 May 2007 16:19:11 +0000

You don't have to be a libertarian to admit that prostitution shouldn't be illegal, tho I might favor more health regulation than a libertarian might.

But it's a non-starter in this Puritan-haunted nation of ours.

By: legion

legion — Wed, 09 May 2007 15:57:17 +0000

Indeed, Rick. I wonder what it is about the involvement of an orgasm that makes this particular "personal service" different from any other in Morrissey's mind?

Selling women in red-light districts cheapens everyone by denying the exceptional in humans — the religious would call it the soul — and reducing people to the value of their component parts, or even less. The prostitute is valued for her vagina and possibly her breasts, and the rest comes as a package deal that some customers barely notice.

That's not an objection to prostitution, it's an objection to pornography. And frankly, similar descriptions could be put to any form of entertainment, from acting to singing to creating works of art. He strikes me a little more than a prude who wants to approve what sort of fun other people get to have, regardless of what he uses to justify his own judgements.

By: Rick DeMent

Rick DeMent — Wed, 09 May 2007 15:19:30 +0000

...and further the services a prostitute provides is not any different from that provided by a masseuse or physiotherapist. In fact if exploitation is any reason to ban something, most jobs would be illegal. This entire line of reasoning is flawed. They want to ban it because of perceived ills it imposes on "society" or just because they think it will be "icky". Portion of comment in violation of site policies deleted. Editor's note: Young takes the pro-legalization position.

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