by No Single Name

Created on: April 15, 2009

For being the world's oldest profession, prostitution sure does catch a lot of flack. The question of "Why?" is certainly reasonable, when one considers that it fulfills two important roles, if not more: the need for sex, and the need to provide for oneself and/or others. When done with proper respect to both parties, it is a legitimate business transaction. Money is exchanged for sex, often with a special request from the customer; much like a woman at a salon might request a specific hairstyle, a family ready to go on vacation request the rental of a specific car, or an ink addict requesting a specific tattoo be placed permanently upon his skin. When boiled down to simple economics, the business is legitimate; it is simply some of the finer details that must be worked out.

When the media, the government, and anyone else says there is a prostitution problem, they often point to the widespread horror stories. Think Iris, the twelve-year-old prostitute in the film Taxi Driver. Say the word "prostitute," and the general population immediately pictures young runaways selling their bodies to support a coke habit before going home at night to be beaten by their pimp.

But the question must be asked: would there be a "problem" at all if prostitution was legalized?

To ponder this, it's best to take a look at infamous Moonlite Bunny Ranch in Carson City, Nevada, run by proprietor Dennis Hof. The women of the brothel (approximately 500 licensed prostitutes) are, by and large, very content with their lifestyle. The fact that the Bunny Ranch is regulated means a safer, healthier environment for both workers and patrons: girls are screened for sexually transmitted diseases once a week, and are given blood tests once a month to check for HIV. Many choose to work part-time. When the environment is positive, the taboo is removed. To legalize prostitution would be to, in part, do away with crooked pimps and smack-addicted streetwalkers; funneling the business into carefully-regulated brothels would make it safer, healthier, and smarter for the people involved.

Another big reason to legalize prostitution is, stay with me folks, the economy. Yes, that's right; because turning prostitution into a legitimate source of income means it is also more money up for grabs from the tax man. We've already seen it with the much-bemoaned cigarette tax hike; vice tax subtly encourages people to quit, but at the same time, helps to finance the nation. In a time of such tremendous economic stress,

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