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Growing up, I lived in a city where it was a common occurrence to see a prostitute walking down the boulevard. I was perplexed when people told me that what those men and women did was illegal. It’s your body; shouldn’t you be able to do what you want with it? A person should have the right to give sexual service for money if it’s done willingly. The earliest records of prostitution dates back to 4000 B.C and is made in reference. Prostitution has been a much tolerated and popular practice of almost every society and it is only in strict religious societies that it was barely tolerated up until about a hundred years ago when they started making stricter laws against prostitution such as England. Legalization is different from decriminalization which means that you cannot be thrown in jail for doing something instead the most the government could do is fine you for it, whereas, legalization would mean taxes and actual backing by the government. I argue that prostitution in the United States should be decriminalized for the following reasons: it would lessen the cost the government and subsequently taxpayers spend arresting prostitutes yearly, prostitutes rights shouldn’t be overlooked because it goes against the moral standards of the higher echelon of society, and decriminalizing it would help in decreasing violence and possibly even rape count.
Thousands of men and women are arrested yearly for prostitution and selling elicits bodily services. According to the Bureau of Justice’s statistics of on average nearly 70,000 men/women were arrested from 2000 to 2010 for prostitution and commercialized vice arrests and of these arrests nearly $20,000-$40,000 a year per inmate depending on the state. This doesn’t even include the money spent on raids and stakeouts of sexual massage parlors and other sex work businesses. When you considered the amount of money spent per
Patty Kelly’s article, “Enough already, it’s time we decriminalize prostitution”, takes the reader into a fascinating behind the scene look into one of Mexico’s legalized brothels. Although it is apparent that her research and investigation into this social experiment are well defined, it is too narrow a focus to gather all the required information to support her argument. Kelly begins with a half hazard analysis of Elliot Spitzer infidelity, then continues down the path that is far too laser like to see the overall effect on these women; failing to see these prostitutes as real people with hearts and souls. Instead, she produces an impression that the prostitutes are just commodity, bought and sold on the open market, lacking feeling for their plight. In Kelly’s investigation, she neglects to create an entire picture of what decriminalizing prostitution will cost humanity due to the fact that her investigation ignores society’s accepted understanding of what problems are produced by, or result from prostitution. There was absolutely no research cited that relating to sexual addiction, the effects on the prostitutes’ emotional and physical wellbeing, or even the acknowledgment of the organized criminal element behind prostitution.
Patty Kelly was an assistant professor of anthropology at Washington State University and she had just completed a study of the place of commercial sex in the modern world when she wrote the essay “Enough Already, It’s Time We Decriminalize Prostitution”. The title itself gives the reader a clear direction in which the author wants to sway the reader. While the essay was written as a response to a political scandal involving New York Senator Elliot Spitzer, Kelly sparks discussion on why prostitution should be legalized. The author backs her stance by providing the result of research that she herself has conducted, along with research conducted by the government of Sweden. Kelly spent a year working as an anthropologist at the Galactic Zone,
Should prostitution be legal in the United States? Nevada is currently the only state in the nation to legalize prostitution. They exercise this right in the form of regulated brothels. The power to legalize prostitution is a state power; however, most states have chosen not to legalize this service. Some view prostitution as a business, selling goods and services to make a profit, but others view it as morally wrong. Most people think selling one’s body for money should not be promoted, but others simply see prostitution as business.
The Unites States of America prides itself in the freedom and liberty it allows its citizens; one of these freedoms testifying that individuals have the right to do what they want with their bodies – as such, if one wishes to participate in prostitution, an individual has that right. In fact, the 9th Amendment specifically states “the enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people” (cite). The constitution attests that simply because a right is not listed within it, doesn’t mean that it can therefore be violated; so, why aren’t citizens legally able to participate in prostitution? The act of prostituting is a choice that consenting individuals make with their bodies; this decision is mutually made in the exchange of sexual services for money. These individuals may be partaking in potentially risky and unfavorable actions, but that is between both the service and client. The government has no justification in involving themselves so heavily in voluntary, private affairs among two people. It can be assumed that prostitution is disapproved of in the United States; the only place in which this action is legalized is within eight counties in Nevada (cite) – could this be because of how unfavorable and uncomfortable the behavior is for society? Regardless of how individuals view this action personally, it does not justify taking another’s rights away from doing so. If it did, then we should also be creating laws against obese people and active smokers; after all, obesity kills about 300,000 Americans each year (cite), and the mortality rate for individuals who smoke is three times higher than those who don’t (cite) . Both of those examples are also looked up...
When it comes to the topic of legalizing prostitution, most of us will readily, agree that prostitution is a human right. Where this agreement usually ends, however, in on the question of prostitution being legalized. Whereas some are convinced that it should be legalized, others maintain that it should remain illegal. I agree that prostitution should be legalized. A point that needs emphasizing since so many people still believe that the government should not interfere with their life choices. Considering that it goes against the 1st Amendment, why shall someone not do as they please. A portion of the United States believe that legalizing prostitution would bring down the percentage of people being raped. It can save kids’ lives that are being forced to be
Should we decriminalize prostitution? Decriminalize means the removal of criminal penalties or the restrictions against something. In the article “How we should handle prostitution” by Simon Hedlin, Birgitta Ohlsson states that we should decriminalize prostitution. Decriminalizing prostitution means to remove the criminal penalties and the restrictions against prostitution. The thesis of the article is to decriminalize prostitution. Critics think by decriminalizing prostitution there would be an increase in human trafficking. In order to not decriminalize prostitution, the author says to decriminalize the selling of sex, but not the buying of sex. David Grosso is Washington Councilman. He wants to enter a legislation that decriminalize prostitution in the nation 's capital. Grosso says that America needs new laws for prostitution. The new laws that have to be made for prostitution have to “respect the fact that sex workers are human beings too." Critics think that by decriminalizing prostitution is going to get worse and increase human trafficking.
As prostitution is criminalized, this profession is driven underground which undermines the safety of prostitutes. Legalizing prostitution would provide sex workers with regulatory protection and allow this form of work to be recognized as legitimate. As the author of “Think Again: Prostitution” states, “evidence shows, that criminalization of sale or purchase (or both) makes sex workers-many of whom come from marginalized social groups like women, minorities, and the poor-more vulnerable to violence and discrimination committed by law enforcement. Also, criminalization can dissuade sex workers from seeking help from authorities if they are raped, trafficked, or otherwise abused.” Therefore, sex workers are subjected to unfair treatment that could be prevented if this work was legalized and safe conditions were enforced. The author of "Counterpoint: Prostitution Should Be Legalized” states, “prostitution is legalized and regulated in a variety of developed nations throughout ...
Esselstyn, T. (1968). Prostitution in the United States. The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 367, 123-135. Retrieved February 21, 2014, from http://ann.sagepub.com/content/376/1/123.full.pdf+html
In the United States of America, prostitution is illegal in all of its 50 states with the exception of the state of Nevada. Nevada is the only U.S. state with allows legal prostitution in some of its rural counties. Occupational health and safety laws are applied to the brothels in these counties but the sex workers elsewhere in the country still remain exposed to the threat of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and violence from pimps and customers. Prostitution exists in various forms in the States: street prostitution, escort prostitution, and brothel prostitution (Harcourt). It has been estimated that the sum total of the revenue generated by the underground prostitution industry in the U.S. is about $14.6 billion (“Prostitution Revenue”), the fifth highest in the world (about 8% of the total annual worldwide revenue). If prostitution were made legal, it would increase the U...
Prostitution is illegal in the United States, except for some counties in Nevada. However, prostitution is in most part of the United States, despite the fact that it has been legalized. Prostitution is an act whereby, one sells his/her body for sex. In the United States, Prostitution is divided into three broad categories; street, escort, and brothel prostitution. Brothel prostitution takes place in brothel houses, which are houses where prostitutes can sell sexual services. This kind of prostitution is illegal in all parts of America, except in some counties in Nevada for example; Douglas County, Clark County, Carson City, Washoe County, and Lincoln County. Another form of prostitution is escort prostitution. This is always considered as entertainment, and massage services. It is supposed to be heavily regulated, but unfortunately, it is not because, in many counties where it is practiced, the only difference between escort and street prostitution is a phone call away. The last category of prostitution is street prostitution. This is the most unaccepted, and illegal type of prostitution in the United States. Street prostitution involves scantly dressed up women, and men roaming the streets looking for client to sell their bodies. It is the most frowned kind of prostitution because it is done openly. The question is should prostitution be legalized in the US? The answer is yes, this is because, it will help eliminate all the vices related to prostitution.
When looking at legalized prostitution you see safer and healthier women, and shouldn’t that always be the point of everything we do? To answer this question it is important that you understand what prostitution is. As defined by the Merriam –Webster dictionary prostitution is “the act of having sex in exchange for money”. In most of the United States prostitutes or sex workers work on the streets, shady alleys or what some would refer to as “crack houses”. Prostitution is sometimes referred to as the longest standing profession, and what is very clear is that it isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Brothels and prostitution was frequent and rampant in the past. If you look into ancient Roman society you will find a great deal of art depicting sexual acts between, men and women along with sexual acts between homosexuals. It is also important to know the difference between legalizing prostitution and decimalizing prostitution. Legalizing prostitution means creating a system of regulation with government control. Decimalization means removing all laws against prostitution.
Catherine Smith is a single 42 year old woman with two children. Her job as a secretary is no longer sufficient enough to cover her bills. She does not have a college degree and her job will not cover any part of tuition if she does decide to attend college. One night, while coming home late from work, she noticed women walking around on the street counting their earnings for the night. That is when she acquired the idea to become a prostitute. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines prostitution as the act or practice of engaging in promiscuous sexual relations in exchange for money. These type of situations occur on a daily basis. Some women really enjoy having sex, so why wouldn’t they want payment for it as well. Prostitution should be legalized in the United States.
Little do most know, but on “[a]verage [prostitution] arrest[s], court and incarceration costs amount to nearly $2,000 per arrest. Cities spend an average of 7.5 million dollars on prostitution control every year, ranging from 1 million dollars to 23 million dollars.” Prostitution is the oldest known profession. Currently in 49 countries and counting prostitution is legal. Here in America there is a stigma following the label prostitute. We would rather resort to underground markets of sex labor. Endangering health, rights, and economics. Legalizing prostitution can reduce health hazards by giving heath care, also by giving rights to those that choose prostitution as their profession. In the long term this
Prostitution is one of the most controversial subjects in the United States. There are many pros and cons to this subject. Should prostitution be legalized? Or should it stay illegal with no chance of becoming decriminalized? Some researchers confirm that prostitution is indeed the most ancient profession, while others argue with it; however, everybody agrees that trading sex for money has existed for quite a while. Prostitution is still a part of modern society. The fact speaks for itself, as there will always be a demand for the services that it provides, prostitution will exist in some form no matter what.
In conclusion, prostitution should be legalized for the well being of all parties. Labor laws would protect prostitutes, money would be saved on pointless investigations, and the number of Sexually Transmitted Diseases could be potentially decreased. Legalized prostitution could be altered to protect women; laws have to be specific and strict. Prostitution is inevitable, and those who practice it are not criminals.