In EnglishOne of the subjects that never get boring is the dilemma of prostitution. Should the world's oldest profession be allowed to be practiced in public or should it be condemned to the lowest levels of Hell? I have the nature of a programmer, so I always want to put things into logical order. Divide positive factors into one category and negative factors into another. Then I compare those two and admire the outcome. That is what I'm planning to do with this prostitution issue as well.
Positive sides of prostitution... A very touchy subject, and the fact that it has been illegal or despised for centuries and even millenias in most cultures makes it interesting. Prostitution was born to fulfill the human need for sexual activity. It's an important part of human nature to copulate and just a damn fine coincidence that we also happen to enjoy the process. So, practically, prostitution has existed since mankind learned to handle currency. I can imagine hairy men in loincloths handing over some pretty mussels for sex.
So what makes prostitution an evil thing? When someone wants to pay for sex and someone else wants to get paid for sex, what's the problem? Yes, of course such things as sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), pimping, sex slavery and family breaking exist. But when you really think about it - why do they exist? Diseases spread because nobody demands the prostitutes to be checked for them on regular basis or their customers to use contraceptives. There are pimps and sex slavers because no one cares enough about the prostitutes' human rights to actually supervise them. Family men who seek adventures from the laps of a prostitute exist, because their marriage sucks on so many levels.
Now, let's see which parts could be fixed if prostitution was legal. I hope you're still following me, because now it gets rough - kiss political correctness goodbye. Alright, I'm claiming that all possible negative side effects of prostitution could be eliminated if prostitution were a legal profession and under government control. Think about it: less tax money used on getting rid of prostitution means more money on things like major crime investigation and public education or even (the magic word) tax cuts! Legal prostitution would also bring in more tax money, which also means more resources to put on those things mentioned earlier.
Well, isn't prostitution a humiliating, degrading and shameful profession, you might ask by now. Let's take a look at Netherlands. Their prostitutes earn very well, have a lot of free time, have no fear of being violated or working against their will and in general enjoy rather good standards of living. The police patrols in "Red Lantern districts" to make sure these private entrepreneurs can work in peace. Health inspectors regulary make visits to those districts as well, to make sure the so called "bedroom conditions" are in order and the prostitutes are clean of all venereal diseases. Customers must also use contraceptives and prove that they're not underaged.
So, to add it up to the list of "good things about legitimate prostitution":
+ less expenses
+ more income
+ eliminated spread of STDs
+ less crime
+ more human rights
Now, to the negative side:
- nothing
Oh my, how did it turn out this way? I guess it just happens to be so, that people are people - they will use the services offered by prostitutes if they need to. It's not so easy to draw the line between prostitution and "normal" relationship in the first place. You can give 200 dollars to a prostitute for having sex or you can buy a girl flowers, take her to a restaurant or movies and then have sex with her. Both are just as immoral, because neither requires both of these two people to be married (with each other), and they are both aimed for the one and same goal only.
You might think all those married men will, the moment prostitution becomes legal, leap out of their sub-urb houses' windows, run into their cars and drive as fast as they can to the closest prostitute or brothel and have sex like rabbits before winter while their Mrs. and kids are left silently suffering back home. This horror scenario somehow seems to indicate that all married men are miserable and honestly disappointed with their lives and that they all want to have sex with prostitutes IF prostitution was legal. Somehow, criminalizing prostitution kills all these feelings from all men, or at least so people with "high morals" think.
Prostitutes are not family breakers. Lazy, incompetent, sociopathic or just plain wrong people marrying each other and having children are. Besides this little moral issue, there is nothing horrible or wrong with prostitution. A prostitute sells him- or herself the same way a barberer or a musician does. He puts a price tag on his skills and natural abilities, nothing more. Most prostitutes are prostitutes volunteerily. They wanted to earn money that way and it's completely their own business if they do so.
Government is needed to have control over this activity, which can only be enforced if prostitution were a legal profession. While it's criminal, it will stay underground, out of any authority's reach. Public prostitution could not neglect hygiene and law. I hope I have given you something to think about.