Keeping Prostitution Illegal Leads to Crime

2254 Words5 Pages

“Selling is legal, and sex is legal, so why isn’t selling sex legal?”
Prostitution is a world wide controversial matter that has been around for many years. The idea that prostitution entails the selling of one's body in exchange for money has had a negative impact in our society since it was first introduced into our presence. It is somewhat odd to think that prostitution, which is considered to be the world’s oldest profession, would be unlawful and destructive to society. Originally, prostitution was widely legal in the United States. Some of the women in the American Revolution who followed the Continental Army served the soldiers and officers as sexual partners. In the 19th century, parlor house brothels catered to upper class clientele, while bawdy houses catered to the lower class. At concert saloons, men could eat, listen to music, watch a fight, and pay for sex. Around 1890, the term "red-light district" was first recorded in the United States. A red-light district is a part of an urban area where there is a concentration of prostitution and sex-oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, adult theaters and more. Prostitution was made illegal in almost all states between 1910 and 1915 largely due to the influence of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, which was influential in the banning of drug use, and was a major force in the prohibition of alcohol. In 1917 the legally defined prostitution district Storyville in New Orleans was closed down by the Federal government. In all but one U.S. state, the buying and selling of sexual services is illegal and usually classified as a misdemeanor. Regulated brothels are legal in several counties of Nevada.
The concern of legalizing prostitution has come across public c...

... middle of paper ...

...business like brothels could help the economy as a whole.
Prostitution has been around for thousands of years, and it will be around for thousands more. The legalization of prostitution would result in reduced morality issues, help decline the amount of sexually transmitted diseases between both prostitutes and those who frequent them, reduce crime, and would ultimately enhance the economic activity in the United States. Overall, there are many arguments for and against the legalization of prostitution. Such debates could continue for ages, yet what cannot be disputed is that individuals deserve the right to seek out employment in whatever profession they desire. Sex workers should enjoy the same labor rights as other workers and the same human rights as other people. So as George Carlin puts it, “Selling is legal, and sex is legal, so why isn’t selling sex legal?”

Open Document