Legalize or Illegalize?

[Nomad]

Well there is currently a discussion going on whether or not to make prostitution illegal, and thereby making the "customer" an law offender. Or to just make it legal.

I am somewhat torn on this subject. Mostly because I do not understand how someone can sell their body in the first place, there is just some barrier in my head that does not permit me to understand, from other then a last resort.
Though prostitution is widely used in other cases, to get a promotion, get the guy to take out the trash, or for some tickets to a good show etc. But these are all in the realm of personal relations if you may say so.

I do however see some good qualities in getting it legalized, in this way you would be able to make a Union, set certain rates, get job acknowledgment which in turn boosts of social benefits, for having a legal job. You might even get rid of pimps as you would now be able to tell why you where beaten up, and the likes. And it might prove to lower or eliminate rapes.

The latter is the thing I feel most for, giving some lost people (men and women alike) a chance to get it together, it is after all the oldest profession of them all. Yet it is not included in WoW hehe.
I even think that they are going to ban it is ridicules as we where the first in the world to legalize pornography, which if I may say so is just another form of prostitution. So aren't we kinda going back on our first choice??

What do you think?

[Nibby]

I don't see any reason to forbid prostitution at all.

[Olias of Sunhillow]

Part of the abortion debate is, "it's a woman's body, she can do with it what she wishes." And then the response to that is, "then why is prostitution illegal?" (as it is here in the US except certain counties of Nevada, which makes no sense.)

It should be totally legal; what business is it of the government who does what with whom? As long as both parties are of consent, although that brings up another issue, what is the age of consent? 21? 18? 16? 14? A family pressuring a 14 year old into prostitution would be a problem, but a 22 year old (or 19 year old?) CHOOSING to do it should be legal.

they would pay income taxes like any other entrepeneur or business owner which would help out the economy, and it would clear out some jail space for people who SHOULD be there.

there's also the disease argument - prostitutes spread disease by virtue of the number of people they have sex with, but as part of their job 'benefits', they would receive medical check-ups and care like any other taxpaying worker, either through health insurance they pay for or their job pays for, or through medicaid if they're uninsured.
Plus, bar sluts who go out to bars and pick up random guys just for sex spread just as much disease, and there's no law against going out to a bar and picking up a stranger and fucking them. Since the only difference is the money, then tax the money.

[Jeeeeoker]

Age of consent: 18. If you're old enough to sign a legally binding contract, you're old enough to be responsible for any other decision you make. This should apply to alcohol and cigs too, but that's another topic.

Past arguments for making hookers illegal would be that putting sex on the free market lowers the value of it, loosening the stranglehold held by the institution of marriage. In the old days if a man wanted to get laid, he had to marry a girl first. And so the price of pussy was to have dependents for the rest of your life (the old ball n chain). Our culture changed so that now everybody's fucking each other with no thought of marriage (special thanks to condoms for making this possible), so the price of pussy is the cost of a few drinks, and possibly a cover charge. So it can't really be devalued anymore.

Another argument against would be that its presence in a neighbourhood makes that neighbourhood rather sleazy. So to respect this, there would still have to be regulations regarding what zones can and can't have them, and what time of day they're allowed to solicit, much as is currently the case with tittie bars. But that's all at the discretion of the individual city.

Nomad asked why they might choose to do it. In most cases the answer is money. It's the easiest way for a girl from a poor family to make a living. The rest of the time, they're tricked into it by promises of a good lifestyle (tricked because they're uneducated and don't know how the world really works), and then denied the opportunity to quit. But those cases would fall under the category of human trafficking. Perhaps if prostitution were legal, slave rings might get crowded out of the market, or at least be easier to identify and break up. Much like how if drugs were sold in pharmacies, the street pushers wouldn't be able to compete and would have to give it up.
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He was the Nightrider. Remember him when you look at the night sky.