Decriminalize Prostitution

There are quite a few controversial topics that have existed for centuries. Prostitution has existed since 2400 BC; it is arguably one of the oldest professions (“Historical” 10). Many argue over whether or not prostitution should be legalized throughout the United States. Proponents argue that prostitutes are not protected against violence and crime, prostitution costs about 200,000,000 tax-paying dollars for the numbers of madams and prostitutes arrested, and legalization would decrease human trafficking. The opposing side disagrees claiming to be prostitution being a dehumanizing and dangerous institution. Also, they argue, decriminalizing prostitution would give a boost to human trafficking and increase the spread of disease. This debate

This upset the settlers and the French government because these women did not get married and the prostitutes were making their own income. One hundred and seventy six years later at 1897, New Orleans created America's largest red-light district. A red-light district is a system where commercial sex is kept restricted and sometimes promoted (Grant 3). Conflictingly Louisiana passed a law in 1805 declaring the act of “engaging in oral or anal intercourse, for compensation or for free, to be a crime against nature” (Grant 4). This law targeted prostitutes specifically and even though red-light districts were legal, there were still legal preventative measures. A lot of states tended to refer to the new court mandate regarding prostitution. In 1910 the first federal law surrounding prostitution, the Mann Act, ending the red-light districts. At the start of World War One, a Navy mandate closed all sex-related business in close range of military bases to prevent soldiers from receiving sexually transmitted infection (Grant

Seventy-seven countries have made prostitution legal thus far and some believe the United States should allow the legalization of prostitution. One reason why is because prostitutes are not protected against violence and crime. Prostitution is unregulated therefore when prostitutes turn to the authorities for help when exposed to violence they are often arrested (“Prostitution” 1). The death rate for prostitutes in the US is two-hundred and four out of every hundred thousand. Additionally, the average prostitute gets physically attacked at least once a month (“Prostitution” 2). Due to the lack of law enforcement protecting them, prostitutes are easy targets for violence because of their vulnerability. Many human-rights groups argue that “criminalization makes it more likely that the rights of sex workers will be violated” (Picard 1). Furthermore, advocates believe abolishing prostitution would lead to the expansion of human and trafficking, which defeats the purpose of criminalizing prostitution (Picard 1). It costs taxpayers approximately two-hundred million dollars for the amount of pimps and prostitutes that get caught. In addition, the people arrested are 70% female prostitutes and madams, 20% male prostitutes and pimps, and just 10% Johns