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Should prostitution be legalized?

Should prostitution be illegal?

  • Yes, it is an offense against God and man.

    Votes: 2 1.2%

  • Yes, it is a gateway to other bad behaviors.

    Votes: 5 2.9%

  • No, it should be legalized and regulated for disease control.

    Votes: 127 74.3%

  • No, it should be decriminalized and unregulated.

    Votes: 24 14.0%

  • On Planet X, we have pleasure-bots and don't need prostitutes.

    Votes: 13 7.6%
  • Total voters
    171
  • Poll closed .

BenBurch

Gatekeeper of The Left
BenBurch
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The recent Eliot Spitzer case highlights something that has been wrong with the American legal system for about 110 years; Prostitution should not be illegal.

In the 19th century, it WAS legal. Making it illegal was part of the wonderful Temperance Movement that we can thank for alcohol prohibition as well.

If a woman (or a man) has a right to have sex with whomever s/he wishes, then why does s/he not have the right to do so because of compensation? Many people who are not sexworkers have sex because of things like nice gifts or a great night out on the town, don't they? How is that different?

So, what do YOU think?
 
BenBurch said:
The recent Eliot Spitzer case highlights something that has been wrong with the American legal system for about 110 years; Prostitution should not be illegal.

In the 19th century, it WAS legal. Making it illegal was part of the wonderful Temperance Movement that we can thank for alcohol prohibition as well.

If a woman (or a man) has a right to have sex with whomever s/he wishes, then why does s/he not have the right to do so because of compensation? Many people who are not sexworkers have sex because of things like nice gifts or a great night out on the town, don't they? How is that different?

So, what do YOU think?
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Agreed. It should be legalized. What a waste of law enforcement resources to prosecute hookers and johns for consensual sex, simply because one party only consented for the money.
 
I have no problems with legalizing prostitution, but it should be up to each State to decide.

How is it different from a night on the town or a gift? The explicit up-front contract. For people just dating there is no agreement that certain levels of food and drink quality will result in specific sex acts later that evening. There may be some expectation on the part of the one who pays, but thats different than the transaction between a prostitute and client.
 
It should be legalized. Why do people comment but not vote? I´m the first one so far.....
 
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I think it should be illegal from a "Planet X" standpoint, but from a practical perspective it should be legalized and highly regulated.
 
BenBurch said:
So, what do YOU think?
Click to expand...


For the sake of more important issues being presented in political news, it should be legalized. It's getting boring to listen to "an incredible outrage and fabulous sensation" every two days.
 
I think the government is missing a golden opportunity here. If they were to make prostitution legal and safe and then tax the holy bejesus out of it (the ultimate sin tax), they might make a fair amount of revenue off of it.
 
I don't understand the poll. Isn't it already illegal?

The thread title and the poll question are confusing.
 
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Legalize it? But then the radical Islamists would have just one more reason to hate us and want to behead us.
 
BPSCG said:
Legalize it? But then the radical Islamists would have just one more reason to hate us and want to behead us.
Click to expand...

Right. Reason number 1,378 on the list. That will be the straw that breaks the camel's back.
 
madurobob said:
I have no problems with legalizing prostitution, but it should be up to each State to decide.
Click to expand...

As far as I can tell, it is, save for some laws regarding interstate transportation of people for the purposes of prostitution (which should probably go), and some regarding minors (which should stay).
 
JoeEllison said:
Why?
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For the same reason we handle laws regarding smoking, alcohol, porn, gambling, etc... at the state level: these things are best regulated to community standards. The federal government adds no value in crafting a law that attempts to suit the standards of all communities across the country. The resulting law would be useless.

Is there a federal, USA-wide prohibition on prostitution? If not, why should there be a federal USA-wide legalization?
 
As a wise and learned man, Sir George of Carlin, once asked:

"Selling is legal. ****ing is legal. So why isn't selling ****ing legal?"
 
tsg said:
As far as I can tell, it is, save for some laws regarding interstate transportation of people for the purposes of prostitution (which should probably go), and some regarding minors (which should stay).
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Yeah, that was exactly what I was getting at. You want legal prostitution? Go to a state where its legal. Want it legal in your state? Start a campaign.
 
My icon hovered over the "decriminalized and unregulated" option, a libertarianoid choice that I wouldn't normally consider. You could argue that the gummint has plenty of more important things to do than define, supervise, inspect, and tax whoorin'. It would save a trainload of bureuacracy just to stay out of the whole scene.

But public health is a very important concern of government, so I had to vote for legalize and regulate.
 
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