Legalizing Prostitution

Contrary to popular belief, ideas are not always good or bad; they often have vast gray areas. Is gay marriage right or wrong? Are all government members and politicians corrupt? As interesting as these issues are, the real question being posed asks whether or not prostitution should be a legal, legitimate business, or if it should be held as a crime. Obviously there are strong foundations for arguments on both sides, but which is really the correct one? Issues that relate to morality are the most difficult and offer the most gray areas. Prostitution is one of these areas. Is selling one’s body a personal choice or just wrong? Once the history, the pros, and the cons have been analyzed, legalizing prostitution becomes the most viable option.

Thought to be one of the oldest professions known to man, prostitution has been around for as long as any record of history with humans shows. While it is seen now as a job for the poor, it was actually not always this way. Back in Ancient Greece, some of the wealthiest people alive were prostitutes; surprisingly, it was neither illegal nor frowned upon in those days. (Head). Once Christianity was established, sex trafficking became something that was viewed as immoral and became illegal. The royalty of England realized that it would be too difficult to make prostitution illegal, so instead, it was a heavily taxed industry; as well, there was also a law that only single women could be involved in this profession. France handled the matter a different way. Instead of immensely taxing prostitution, in the 1800’s, they created what was called, “The Bureau of Morals.” The purpose of this department was to regularly inspect brothels and make sure there was some sort of regulation w...

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...able in order to have more assurance for safety. As far as money goes, of course, the government would have to create some sort of rate for tax with these services because, like any business, the wealth must be shared. Instead of taxing the citizens more, the government would have another option for cash, not to say that they would not just tax their own citizens, but it is a start.

Whether someone supports the moral idea of prostitution or not, it is evident that the benefits of legalizing it outweigh the issue of morality. Making this industry regulated not only helps the people involved, but also the people outside of it, such as taxpayers and family members of the escorts. Participants.` While this may seem negative for the occupants, it is just a small price that would have to be paid in order to legitimize the business and also make it more user-friendly.