by Smartie Pants

Created on: October 26, 2009   Last Updated: November 01, 2009

Prostitution is legal. That is if you use the common definition of trading sex for something of value. Sexual trading happens in many ways from the illegal types of prostitution to the much more subtle trades.

In order to illustrate my point, I will describe some situations and mind sets that the reader might be offended by. I won't use lewd language or say anything other than the strictly G rated. So, instead of judging a scenario to see how it fits you, just judge it to see if I am being accurate.

It is even a cliched scene used over and over again on TV and in the movies. Many times as the entire plot. Some of the sillier portrayals are sex for a fur coat, diamond ring or the deed to the ranch. In real life it may be as low as for a meal or higher, a fancy meal out. I have no way of knowing a percentage to present to you, but I am sure it is sizable number of women. Sure, many might look down at this behavior, but few would think of it as a punishable crime. This type of trade is only very slightly different than sex for money. Using stuff instead of money doesn't change the legal definition. If you can attach a dollar value to something, than it is the same as money in the eyes of the law, This applies to bribery, employee benefits and gambling winnings, Why is sex so different?

More elusive is the trade of sex for intangibles, not just for favors, but for more tender things like acceptance or love. It may be hard to always see these as trade, again don't judge the action for appropriateness, just for truth.

The arguments for keeping prostitution illegal are typically weak. From the illogical inferences like it would increase social disease and create more perverts. That prostitution would cost to much to regulate and would be hard to tax correctly. That it degrades women, like jobs can be degrading, ha.

Here is one that is my favorite faux logic. Take the this logic test yourself or do a survey, don't just guess or generalize at the answer. If prostitution were legal everyone would be doing it.

Ask yourself this, if you have never used a prostitute before, would you go because it was legal. It sure wouldn't motivate me to give it a go, by the way, I would answer the same for drugs or assisted suicide. How about the reverse. If someone wanted to do those kinds of things, it would be a small minority that would stop because it was illegal.

The law cannot and should not replace moral judgment, it is to protect us from harm. Prostitution should be legal for the same reasons that being a republican, or democrat, or driving ugly cars, or dressing funny, or being gay is legal. Those are personal questions, regulating those is loss of personal freedom.

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