Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!ora!daemon From: throop@cs.utexas.edu (David Throop) Newsgroups: soc.feminism Subject: Re: Can we sell our bodies and our rights? Message-ID: <991@ai.cs.utexas.edu> Date: 30 Oct 90 00:06:46 GMT References: Sender: ambar@ora.com (Jean Marie Diaz) Organization: Dept of Computer Sciences, UTexas, Austin Lines: 19 Approved: ambar@ora.com Andrea B. Gansley-Ortiz >Prostitution is outlawed in this country for two reasons. >First, the country was based on christian principles and allowing >something like prostitution would be right out. Secondly, the U.S. >government hasn't found a way to tax it yet. Twice wrong. Prostitution is only illegal by state or county law, as it is legal in some counties in Nevada. And the best known (and longest legally operating) whorehouse in Nevada - the Mustang ranch - was closed recently for delinquent federal taxes. Prostitution was legalized / prohibited repeatedly in Europe between the 4th and 19th centuries. According to Robert Sanger (Margaret's father) in his "History of Prostitution" (c 189?) the motive for legalizing it was (repeatedly) so that it could be taxed. Figuring out how to tax it is *not* the problem. David Throop