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| Yes | 25% | 40 votes | Total: 157 votes | |
| No | 75% | 117 votes |
Yes
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Add to FavoritesI will not dismiss prostitution as a vulgar occupation. I will not shy away from the fact that is a facet of society and always has been and may always be. I will state that prostitution in its raw form is a dangerous and cruel universe that must be regulated if it is to be tolerated.
While I don't find need to take part in the event, or harbor much sympathy for those involved, I see no reason to condemn them.
There will always be zealous arguments that place prostitution as a socially and morally unacceptable choice to make a living. Its more complex than that.
Federal governments exist to protect the rights of the people living in them. They exist to ensure that the basic human rights and privileges are not violated by state authorities. In the example of the United States, the states make laws forbidding or allowing certain activities. Nevada allows gambling and prostitution under the federal guideline that it be closely monitored and strictly regulated.
Federal law should have this power. As for the question of whether it should be applied to outlaw prostitution is answered by the method in which countries that already federally regulate prostitution.
In some countries it is entirely unregulated because it is illegal. This is an example of society denying its nature, and consequently pays the price. Sexually transmitted diseases are rampant and the massive revenues cannot be accounted for in a country's GDP. It cannot be taxed, and it places both the consumer and provider in a precarious position. The provider, who may feel, it's the only option runs the risk of simply having sex for money (their choice) and going to jail for it. The consumer runs the risk of being held accountable for simply wanting to blow off steam or just being plain old lonely. Filling up prisons for just having sex for money is a little over the top. Putting them in prison for exposing them to disease and unsafe environments is a horse of a different color.
In Germany, every city, depending on that size and the vote of its people, has the right to a "Red Light" district. In this district, building owners provide room and board for voluntary prostitution. These prostitutes are examined for cleanliness and required to maintain it. For lack of a better way to say it, they are licensed to solicit.
Federal governments around the world should use this as an example and enact laws to regulate against ILLEGAL prostitution. That is defined as, unlicensed, unclean, and publicly unsupported centers for prostitution. It can be up to the state vote to outlaw prostitution entirely, but in response to whether or not federal laws should be made against it, I add a word.
Federal laws should be made against UNREGULATED prostitution.
Learn more about this author, Neil Dalson.
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No
When one suggests that a federal law against prostitution should be implemented, we're talking about making it a felony. Not simple jail time for those in violation, but a prison sentence! This is absolutely absurd. Prisons are designed to confine violent criminals such as murderers, rapists, predators, armed robbers, kidnappers, and terrorists. Prostitution shouldn't even be a misdemeanor; let alone a felony.
The United States is one of the few places left on the entire planet where this profession remains illegal. There are exceptions, of course. In a few barbaric locations, those convicted of prostitution are executed! As a whole, however, one can find brothels in any number of civilized nations.
Selling your body (or rather renting it out for a specified amount of time for a set fee) should be an individual's choice once the age of majority has been reached. With that choice, sensible precautions should be observed. Clients should always be required to wear latex condoms and those who provide the service should undergo mandatory STD testing on a regular basis. This works in other countries as well as in the few counties in the state of Nevada where prostitution is legal.
Adult entertainment has become a multi-billion dollar industry and it is here to stay. Besides the fact that prostitution is often referred to as the world's oldest profession, it would also serve as a next logical step in the US as the ultimate in adult services.
Escort services are already abundant in any major metropolitan area, and it would be quite ignorant not to believe that law enforcement is aware of what really goes on behind closed doors, so to speak. The same applies to the vast array of massage parlors scattered across America's landscape. Sex sells, and it's not going to go away.
Arresting these workers, putting them on trial, convicting them, and then sending them to a federal prison would be a waste of tax dollars. Not only would money be wasted in court costs, but either more prisons would have to be built or these new "felons" would be locked up with real criminals. Moral issues aside, imagine the following scenario: Some 30-year-old divorced single mother of two toddlers is quite attractive. She can't find a "real" job anywhere because of the economy, so she goes to work as a stripper in a club across town. She needs to keep a roof over her head while providing for her children. Things go well for a while, but then business at the strip club slows to a crawl.
In order to make ends meet, she decides to leave the kids with Grandma a couple of days a week and become an escort. A new mayor has recently been elected, and he has vowed to "clean up" the city by cracking down on prostitution. An undercover cop answers the unwary mother's ad, and as soon as she attempts to negotiate a price for the "date," she is promptly arrested.
A few weeks later, she is sentenced to five years in prison. Dad abandoned the kids right after they were born, and Grandma is getting old. What will happen to these children while their mother sits behind bars for the next five years?
A federal law against prostitution? Get real!
Learn more about this author, Patrick Sills.
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