Prostitution should be legal in the United States

Thanks, Con. I tried to keep this round short and to the point... 1. Through the principle of self-ownership, people have the right to determine what they do with their own bodies, including sexually. 2. Prostitution is a victimless crime. Neither of the consenting parties are forced into the trade agreement (money in exchange for sex). 3. Promiscuity is rampant. People are already having casual sex. Being paid for it wouldn't affect the morality of what is already happening. This would be true even if it encouraged people to be more promiscuous. Moreover, it is not the role of government to ensure that people behave morally. However it IS the role of government to enforce contractual agreements. 4. If somehow legalized prostitution led to the transmission of more STDs, that would be up to the individuals to manage. People must be responsible for their own health. Just as you would be responsible for your obesity if you chose to eat 60 cupcakes a day, you would be responsible for your herpes if you chose to have unprotected sex. No activity or job is risk-free. 5. On that note, regulating the prostitution industry actually protects sex workers. In Nevada, women who work in brothels are frequently tested for STDs. "We see very little STD among the working girls in these brothels," says Dr. Randall Todd [1]. These environments not only encourage but often require safe sex. 6. Further, legalizing prostitution would prevent underground prostitution that occurs today. Right now sex workers are being manipulated and controlled by pimps and organized criminals like the mafia. They are often stripped of their profit, and forced to pay the money they earned in exchange for their safety. By decriminalizing their profession, prostitutes would be free from this oppression. They could seek protection from law enforcement rather than criminals. 7. If prostitution were considered a legitimate profession, you could collect taxes from the work that many are already being paid to do tax-free. This would contribute to the economy significantly as it already has in Nevada. It not only helps the government through revenue, but the individuals who now have more job options [2]. 8. An exorbitant amount of money is spent on law enforcement to catch prostitutes and their customers. Once caught, justice departments have to process these people through very expensive systems. Our courts are crowded, police are over-burdened, and in the end the hookers simply pay the fines and go back to work on the streets. 9. Again, neither the customer nor the sales-person is a victim. Society cannot be considered a victim. Victims are people who have PERSONAL grievances against them. Throughout society, there are innumerable perceptions of polygamy and sex, just as there have been throughout human history. 10. In fact, prostitution is probably the oldest profession. A chef cooks, and a hooker hooks. I see no difference. Both employees exchange their labor/services for the enjoyment of another. Sex is only taboo in certain cultures (like ours) because of traditional, often religious backed sentiments that are perfectly fine - but have no business in government. Otherwise it is simply an activity (that hurts no one) like any other activity. 11. Saying prostitutes might be "damaged" or any other appeal to emotion is both presumptuous and fallacious. Further, it is irrelevant (especially if they are over 18). Plenty of people take jobs they despise in order to make ends meet. An individual should be free to weigh their options. On that note, many sex workers enjoy their jobs. They like sex, and would prefer to make money that way as opposed to flipping burgers or sitting in a cubicle all day. That's their prerogative. 12. Most importantly to consider, pornography is legal. Pornography is nothing more than money in exchange for sex… in front of a camera. It is literally documented prostitution that is viewed and shared all over the world. Prohibition doesn't stifle demand. Pornography in itself generated 97 BILLION dollars in 2006 alone [3]. Over 70% of men in the U.S. view porn regularly [4]. As such, we see that there is a high demand for sex work. [1] http://www.overdriveonline.com... [2] http://voices.yahoo.com... [3] http://theweek.com... [4] http://articles.nydailynews.com...