LEGALIZING PROSTITUTION.   Term Paper ID:27023 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Argues for legalization & regulation to do away with related crimes, disease, drugs, violence.... More...

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Paper Abstract: Argues for legalization & regulation to do away with related crimes, disease, drugs, violence. Paper Introduction: Prostitution should be legalized in order to regulate the world’s “oldest trade” that has constantly defied attempts by authority to suppress it (“Street cleaning,” 1991, p. A28). Banning prostitution has not only failed to eradicate the trade, but has transformed the trade into a seedy world of criminals, pimps, and disease-ridden prostitutes contributing to the health risks of society. A Dutch town hall official’s comment captures the reality of the situation in the Netherlands succinctly: “If an industry is unregulated and criminalised then it’s going to be run by criminals” (Sissons, 1999, p. 27). Furthermore, government authorities have expended a tremendous amount of resources in their attempts to enforce prostitution laws, leading to widespread police abuse of the system and the diversion of resources away from more serious crimes, such as homic Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. The oldest profession turns kosher. Maryland Judge Darryl Russellcaptured the reality perfectly in his comment: "We're just putting outbrush fires while the forest is blazing" (Bovard, 1995, p. 18). 38).Prostitution has contributed greatly to the AIDS crisis. Some police officers spent money on alcohol andexpensive hotel rooms in the name of creating sting operations to entrapstrippers and prostitutes (Bovard, 1995, p. On the other hand, in Nevada's 36legalised brothels, governed by governmental regulations, not oneprostitute had tested positive for AIDS ("Street Cleaning," 1991, p. Insight on the News, 11(9), 2 -23.(1991, September 7). We deserve the same rights and liberties aseveryone else - maternity leave, state pensions..." (Sissons, 1999, p. Ultimately, the prostitution industry will be elevated to the statusshared by other industries, instead of being manipulated by the criminalsin their playing field. Society will be forced to shed its hypocriticalattitude towards prostitution by recognizing the practice of prostitution.Legalizing prostitution does not mean that there will be an eruption ofbrothels everywhere on the streets. As long as people have unfulfilled sexual desires andare willing to pay others for services, they ensure that prostitution willcontinue to flourish legally or illegally (Bovard, 1995, p. Under the regulations erected for this industry,licenses are issued to brothel owners who have registered their workers andcomplied with strict safety standards. A28). More significantly, the underground prostitution industry had becomeinterwoven with drugs crime and gangsterism, in some cities like Amsterdam,resulting in the formation of dangerous areas (Sissons, 1999, p. In a regulatedsetting, the government can also benefit from the taxes it collects fromthe prostitutes and the brothels. 19). From the perspective of some prostitutes without professional skills,this work has generated more income for them than working in otheroccupations. And what about the woman whose backgroundnever afforded her the chance to develop any skills? Should prostitution be legal? The brothel owners are subjected topolice screening, Those who employ under-age prostitutes or illegalimmigrants risk being arrested by the authorities (Sissons, 1999, p. A29).In these brothels, the prostitutes had regular medical checkups and clientswere inspected before they were permitted to have sex ("Street Cleaning,"1991, p. Therefore, they can also enjoy health insuranceand retirement benefits (Otchet, 1998, p. In 1991, more thanhalf of the street prostitutes in New York and Newark were HIV-positive.After homosexual sex and intravenous drug abuse, prostitution ranked thirdin the commonest ways for a man to catch AIDS in the early nineties("Street Cleaning," 1991, p. At the same time,the law enforcement agencies can target brothels that violate laws byabusing women or using children in prostitution. Prostitution should be legalized in order to regulate the world's"oldest trade" that has constantly defied attempts by authority to suppressit ("Street cleaning," 1991, p. Currently, there are more than5 , prostitutes in America. Brothels will need to fulfill new health and safety regulationsranging from fire precautions and hygiene to safe sex policies. Legalization the "profession" would sanction the abuse. A Dutch town hall official's comment capturesthe reality of the situation in the Netherlands succinctly: "If an industryis unregulated and criminalised then it's going to be run by criminals"(Sissons, 1999, p. Furthermore,prostitutes and customers will be protected in an open and healthyenvironment. Off Our Backs, 29(7), 8-1 .Sissons, S. In return, the brothels will be accepted as an establishment, justlike a bar, and the women will receive health insurance and retirementbenefits for their work. (1995, February 27). Some women's groups believe that legalizing prostitution willofficially sanction female oppression, thus negating the strides made bythe women's movements (Volkonsky, 1995, p. Furthermore, government authorities have expended atremendous amount of resources in their attempts to enforce prostitutionlaws, leading to widespread police abuse of the system and the diversion ofresources away from more serious crimes, such as homicides. Los Angeles' illegal drinking clubs had alsoserved as pick-up places for prostitutes ("Street Cleaning," 1991, p. 38). Diseases passed by prostitutes such as AIDS, which can spreadto the general society, will be controlled through mandatory medicalcheckups. A28). 38). A28). Althoughsome women's groups view prostitutes as victims of society, there areprostitutes' rights groups who want to improve the working conditions ofthe prostitutes (Otchet, 1998, p. 28). In China, the prostitutes can charge $3 a customer, whilethey stand to earn only $4 a day working in the factories (Otchet, 1998, p.37). A28). Gerda van den Heuvel, amember of the Rode Draad (Red Thread), the prostitutes' trade union, looksforward to the new situation: "We want prostitution to be a respectableprofession like any other. Women in countries like the U.S. Regardless of the debate about morality and sexual exploitation behindthe issue of prostitution, it has been an undeniable part of many citiesand is here to stay. Most importantly, it brings the trade ofthe prostitution into the open, freeing it from the domination of criminalswho govern the underground world. 9). 37). Mandatoryhealth checkups can also be a part of the new rules (Otchet, 1998, p. 27).According to the Rand researchers studying prostitution in Los Angeles,streetwalkers also tended to break the law by "rolling" clients-druggingthem and stealing their money. UNESCO Courier, 37-4 .Post, D. A28). However, in reality, this argument about thefact that women do not exercise free choice when they become prostitutescan be applied to many undesirable and menial jobs in our society.According to Lin Chew, a former spokesperson for the Foundation AgainstTrafficking in Women, this double standard used in assessing prostitutionin comparison to other jobs needs to be altered: "A man who works in achemical factory, whose wages will never get him over the poverty line -did he choose this way of life? Imprisoning prostitutes and customers in already-overcrowded cellsplaces unnecessary strain on the criminal system. Strict regulations against andlicensing laws will keep brothels out of residential zones. 27). With prostitution legalized, prostitutes are expected to pay taxes,just like everyone else. Street Cleaning. Therefore, Dennis Martin,president of the National Association of the Chiefs of Police, called forthe legalization of prostitution: "Prostitution law enforcement is much tootime-consuming, and police forces are short staffed" (Bovard, 1995, p. (1999, April 26). 19). 38). Thus, the prostitutes can be protected fromabuses and occupational problems, such as contracting sexual diseases andnot receiving proper medical care (Otchet, 1998, p. New Statesman, 128(4433), 27-28.Volkonsky, A. Safeguard public health: Legalize contractual sex. These women's groups can better protect the interests of theseprostitutes by calling for the stringent regulation of the prostitutionindustry with legalization. The Economist, 32 (7723), A28-A29. A29). Banning prostitution has not onlyfailed to eradicate the trade, but has transformed the trade into a seedyworld of criminals, pimps, and disease-ridden prostitutes contributing tothe health risks of society. In 1991, slightly more than ten percent ofAmerican men had acquired the services of a prostitute within the last fiveyears ("Street Cleaning," 1991, p. 21).Legalization of prostitution can play an important role in cleaning up theindustry by stamping out the undesirable elements such as the criminals,and brothels and pimps who exploit children and trafficking. Finally, prostitution will be elevated from the dark underbelly ofsociety into mainstream society. Furthermore, studies haveshown that in 1994, police in Boston, Cleveland, and Houston arrested twiceas many people for prostitution as they did for homicides, rapes, robberiesand assaults combined (Bovard, 1995, p. By implementing these laws, thegovernment will be protecting the well-being of prostitutes, customers andsociety. The efforts of law enforcement agencies to eradicate prostitution hasonly resulted in useless expenditure of resources that could have been usedmore effectively elsewhere. 27). 19)Therefore, the present strategy of suppressing the prostitution industryshould be replaced by one of legalization. In spite of its illegal status, the prostitution industry continues toenjoy a strong clientele. A29). In American, a myriad of other laws can also be implemented such aszoning laws restricting brothels in non-residential areas (Otchet, 1998, p.38). and Australia, have used prostitutionto attain their objectives of earning a college degree (Post, 1999, p. 37-38). To them, prostitutes arenot free consensual workers, but are coerced into pursuing this occupationbecause of socio-economic difficulties, such as poverty and a lack of jobskills (Otchet, 1998, p. Holland provides a good example with the legalisation of itsprostitution industry. 2 ). (1998, December). (1995, February 27). Brothelowners or pimps will face prosecution for abuses. For the 35, prostitutes in Holland, thelegalisation of brothels will bring about greater safety, recognition andchoice to the industry and its workers (Sissons, 1999, p. Why should thisquestion of free choice only apply to prostitution" (Otchet, 1998, p. Legalization of the prostitution industry will give the authority theupper hand to regulate it, thus issuing brothels licenses and guidelines,while eliminating undesirable elements. According to researchers from the RandCorporation studying prostitution in Los Angeles in 1991, the city's toughlocal rules had only managed to move streetwalkers from one city to anotherwhere the local policing units were less strict ("Street Cleaning," 1991,p. Insight on the News, 11(9), 18-21.Otchet, A. The brothels and the prostitutes will paytaxes. In this less-than-perfect world,the latter is a more sensible option. Furthermore, brothels canalso be taxed to contribute to the costs of running local services withintheir cities ("Street Cleaning," 1991, p. (1999, July). Legalizing prostitution: A system rebuttal. Law enforcement resources currently misallocated to ineffectivesting operations against prostitution can be directed to fight violentcrimes that are terrorizing cities across the United States. 28). Even thoughthis picture seems to present a fantasy, legalization will initiate thefirst steps towards solving the prostitution "problem." ReferencesBovard, J. From the perspective of the prostitutes, legalization can provide ahealthier and safer work environment for them and their customers. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.