SHOULD PROSTITUTION BE LEGAL?

[frodo]

cross-posted from national coed forum

Provocative question posed by the cover story in the New York Times' Sunday magazine, on-line now.


http://nyti.ms/26WF0wG

[memdal]

Good article. Those who are interested should post a comment at the end of the article. I did. This topic always gets me riled up.

I have been a patron of escorts for more than two decades. I would say that 70% of the girls I see have built a career out of prostitution. They make a good living, could do other things if they wanted, but choose this profession. They are healthy, clean and intelligent and take all kinds of precautions to protect themselves and their patrons. They generally range in age from 19 to 45. They are on membership websites like this one that keep everything above board. In a room of teachers, lawyers, accountants, housewives, college students, servers, secretaries and these escorts – I would not be able to pick them out as any different. Another 25% of the girls I see are posting on less protected sites, charge less and tend to be a bit more desperate in their need for money. Still, they are honest and nice young ladies. They tend to be in the 18 to 25 age range and are just starting in the business or have entered it due to economic need more than chosen profession. Some of them as they mature and learn the ropes progress into the first group I described. A few of these are also “under the radar” in that they are girls who I find from fellow hobbyists, but the girls are afraid of the advertised scene. The final 5% that I see are mistakes on my part as I didn’t see some of the signals in their ads that they are either “managed” by pimps or are looking for cash for the next drug fix. I walk out of theses as soon as I get that vibe.

There is no reason why that first two groups of ladies can’t go about their business legally. It is a choice. Legalizing and taking it out of the shadows will make it safer for them and help hobbyists like myself avoid the desperate and drugged 5%. That in itself will likely drive the 5% out of business and hopefully toward recovery. Not allowing a woman (or man) to use her body and her interests and talents to make money is ludicrous. How is it different than professional athletes, dancers or trapeze artists who also use their body, their interests and their talents to make money? The only difference is some Puritan politicians, preachers and public do-gooders think it is their right to pass judgment on one group because of a personal moral code. If you want to control it, license it, but don’t keep it a crime.

[Taylor Made719]

Yes yes why not it will get rid of the minors the pimps and most in importantly
It will keep girls from getting hurt.

[Solitaire]

"Prostitution" is a crime of semantics only.

"Prostitution" as a defined term, exchange of sex for money or some other benefit, has always been legal - the legal form being by contract and referred to as Marriage.

Any married person who has been thru marriage counseling can tell you that the first thing that is discussed is His Needs and Her Needs.

His Needs are usually expressed semantically as Devotion/Admiration - but when you get down to the crux of it, it is not about how clean the house is, how ordered the finances are, how well-behaved the kids are, or how good the food tastes - a man will feel most admired/devoted to when he is getting lots of sex.

Her Needs are usually expressed semantically as Safety/Support. She wants to not have to worry about a roof over her and her children's heads, food in everyone's mouths, and freedom to pursue hobbies and interests... which is generally provided for by $$$.

Marriage is a money/sex exchange... it always has been, always will be. Marriage is legal prostitution.

So, many will argue, NO, it more than that!

And I would agree, and say that it is the SAME for ALL male/female interactions, because every time I meet with one of my gentleman callers, it is ALWAYS more than that, but because I am single and polyamorous, society only wants to focus on the sex and money...

So, either we only focus on the sex/money on ALL fronts and call ALL spades a spade; or we recognize that each and every interaction between men and women is negotiated as a mutual benefit exchange, regardless of those benefits, and allow private personal matters to remain private, regardless of what semantics we use.