Prostitution should be legalized

I'd like to start off by rebutting a your arguments: First of all you state that it's a universal moral rule that "there is no crime without a victim." This is simply not true. Exceeding the speed limit does not inherently have any victims, but it is very much a crime due to the potential risk to cause harm that is involved. Laws and regulations don't exist simply to punish people after the fact something has been done. They are put in place to mitigate the potential for the action to happen in the first place especially if less than favorable outcomes are likely to happen or those outcomes are extreme in nature. Furthermore, our laws are not necessarily made according to comply with indisputable morality. Abraham Lincoln described the US as "A government for the people, by the people." If this is the model of government that exists it is logical that its laws would be shaped and formed by the opinions of its people. I'm not saying that those people can't be manipulated and coerced, but the law of the land is very much shaped by the opinions of people. That's why homosexual marriage took so long to make it to the supreme court. Nor would I say the laws are moral. I don't consider the conflict of interests created by the provision and effectual legalization of bribery concerning government officials through campaign donations provided by large corporations moral. Furthermore your argument that, "the criminalization of sex work can be dangerous to the workers- it can make it much more difficult to get out of the business if they choose to, as the cycle of jailtime, court, and recidivism creates financial trouble and vulnerability. Sex worker suicides are incredibly high, especially in situations of arrest, and the stigma of sex work caused by lawmakers makes it hard to reach out," is irrelevant. While there may be a problem with the justice system in ostracizing criminals from society by labeling them a "criminal" on their record, the solution is not to legalize the crime, rather the solution is to reform the justice systems reintegration process of those who have paid their debt to society. This would make it easier for not only sex workers to walk away from illegal work but also, drug dealers, gang and mob members, thieves, and many other illegal professions. I searched for the Prostitution Act of 1996... It doesn't exist. Outdated laws can be revised, but that doesn't warrant the legalization of prostitution. For my first argument I want to build on my earlier statement regarding the Government being of the people and by the people. A country is made of its people and it's laws reflect its people. The public opinion and sentiment of the people is that prostitution is wrong and they don't want to see it it advertised publicly advertised and flaunted. To the majority of the public chasteness and loyalty to one's spouse are still admirable virtues. Whether the public practices such things is not the point. But the public feels that these virtues should be protected to some degree and that prostitution may be an affront to such qualities. Legalizing prostitution could be viewed as a rejection of those virtues and the public isn't ready for that. Now I would disagree with public opinion when it comes to the matter religious and civil rights. The constitution protects the religious and civil liberties, freedoms,and rights of its citizens even if they be in the minority. But prostitution does not fall under any of these categories. If public opinion could be changed country wide then we could very well see the legalization of prostitution, but as it stands: The overwhelming majority of the public is not in favor of legalizing prostitution and that is enough for it to be illegal.