Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!watmath!att!linac!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!think.com!mintaka!bloom-beacon!ora!daemon
From: sharring@cs.tamu.edu (Steven L Harrington)
Newsgroups: soc.feminism
Subject: Re: Legalization of Prostitution (bodies & rights)
Message-ID: <10399@helios.TAMU.EDU>
Date: 29 Nov 90 21:01:07 GMT
References: <7684.27388aae@uwovax.uwo.ca> <510@antares.Concordia.CA>
Sender: ambar@ora.com (Jean Marie Diaz)
Organization: Chess Studies Division, Texas A&M University
Lines: 32
Approved: ambar@ora.com

In regards to the prostitution debate, I would like to point out a few
things that haven't been mentioned. First of all, there are practical
reasons as well as moral ones for legalizing prostitution.

Prostitution is a victimless crime, wherein two consenting adults
engage in a practice that would otherwise be legal (were money not
exchanged).  Further, it has been shown throughout history that
prositution laws are virtually unenforcable; while this is not a
reason to quit enforcing a law (i.e. murder) in and of itself, it
should be when the crime does not have a victim.  Thus, enormous
amounts of money are wasted in a futile attempt to stop prostitution.

The enforcement of prostitution laws is patently sexist.  It has been
shown that women (the prostitutes) are disproportionately arrested and
harrased wheras the solicitors (men) are frequently given a wink and a
nod from the cops.  There are notable exceptions which usually involve
famous male personalities, such as James Worthy, Edwin Moses,
politicians, etc.  In addition, the women are usually back on the
streets almost immediately.  The judicial system is merely wasting its
resources on the trivial issue of prostitution.

Finally, it has been shown in country after country that when
prostitution is legalized and regulated, the rate of transmission of
std's by prostitutes decreases.  This is reason enough to legalize
prostitution.

We must ask ourselves whether our tax money could be better spent on
stopping real crimes (those that involve a victim and which don't
involve two consenting parties) rather than prostitution. I believe
the answer is clear.

--steve harrington