I am still pretty busy. If there is anything I skip you really want a reply to, let me know.
I am a liberal libertarian (notice the lack of capitalization there; I am not a member of the Libertarian party of the US and I probably never will be), and I believe in freedom above all else (if not taken to certain extremes). I don't like prostitution, but I can't condone keeping people from choosing that profession unless they are shown to be incapable of making rational and free decisions for themselves. Using this philosophy means that we have to tolerate things that we find distasteful. I am willing to make that sacrifice in order to guarantee everyone's freedom. Now, I don't think that TOTAL freedom would work very well, but there has to be a DAMN good reason for me to think that someone's freedom to choose should be denied. If I decide to have sex with someone for money, that should be MY choice. Someone who is emotionally unstable or in a situation where they feel they have no choice at all, those are different stories, and each situation should be treated individually.
Originally Posted by Yoda
Let's not be coy, here; we all know there'd be far more demand from men than women.
Of course there would, and there is absolutely nothing in what you were responding to that suggests I am being coy about how much more demand there would be from men than women.
I do not think a demand for prostitutes indicates a preexisting objectification of women, but a preexisting tendency to objectify them; a tendency which is heavily reinforced when the state all but sanctions the idea by formalizing and legalizing it. It's possible that legalized prostitution could contribute to an an immeasurable degree of societal degradation. Whether or not it'd be the cause or symptom of that degradation, though, I'm not entirely sure.
You are right; it is possible, but I don't see the plausible effect on society being nearly dangerous enough to justify eliminating people's rights in this way. Letting anyone eat hamburgers who wants to endangers people's health. We could outlaw sex, violence and profanity in movies to try to protect the whole country, but restricting freedom like this is not the way I would even CONSIDER going.
Would you agree or disagree that prostitution is a profession that a healthy, well-adjusted person would willingly enter? If so, do you believe a person can remain well-adjusted and emotionally balanced as a prostitute? To answer no to either of these questions makes a fairly decent argument against its legalization, and to answer yes to either of them would indicate a rather shallow view of sex, in my opinion.
Definately. Call me shallow if you want, but yes, I believe many people can remain well-adjusted and emotionally balanced as a prostitute. People often sell themselves sexually or otherwise whether they are technically committing prostitution or not, and I bet that you would rarely ever call those people maladjusted. But, for some people, being a prostitute would be too traumatic, or a decision that they are already not in a position to make rationally. Those prostitutes need to be helped.
I want to come back to the children, Pid
Originally Posted by Piddzilla
Prostitution, for the absolute most part, is not an "occupation" you choose because "the trade's always fascinated you", but something you've been driven to because of reasons most likely connected to poverty and/or drug addiction. In parts of both the Third and the First Worlds prostitution is sometimes the only income option for young girls and boys. I think that it would be very hard to find facts or statistics supporting the opinion that prostitution is not overrepresentated in the lowest of the low classes.
Prostitution should be illegal for children, and that is a crime that should be quite a bit easier for us to enforce than that of adult prostitution. Other countries may differ, and how the problem should be dealt with should also differ.
Or you go to Nevada and tell me how rich they were before they became prostitutes. And you mean that the prostitute business in Nevada, thanks to the fact that it's legal, attracts a higher number of well-educated upper middle- and upper class women than in states where it is not legal? Show me one Nevada prostitute that wouldn't take a conventional job for the same money if she could. Making prostitution legal doesn't end the fact that it's mainly a last way out for people in deserate need of cash.
Believe it or not, I know a prostitute (a pretty rich one) who has told me she would never do certain jobs, like running a big business or being a lawyer. She doesn't seem to hate her job very much, if at all, as I'm sure the vast majority of people would. There are many jobs I would hate to do, but I wouldn't deny other people's right to do them.
No, I know that you can't see why those things will be worse by legalizing prostitution but that is because you don't see any bad things with prostitution period.
This is NOT true.
I don't know exactly what you mean with "keep them".... Men are keeping women?
Kind of. This IS the kind of ownership attitude we were discussing, Pid.
You say you view it as any other service but...
No, I didn't.
but I think if you a) put yourself in that position, or b) put a female family member in that position, you would realize that it is not so.
What I would realize is that it is something I would not want for them; but I also don't want them to smoke, and my objection to that, while not QUITE as severe, would be pretty similar. However, I would respect their right to make the choice to be a prostitute (legally, that is) as long as they are old enough and mentally healthy enough.
I'm sure I could find someone who gladly would sell me his liver or one of his kidneys. There's a big black market for this (inner organs), but it's not legal for obvious reasons. You think that would be ok too?
This is a VERY interesting question. I have to think about it. If I forget, please remind me, because this is definately at least close to being a borderline right, to my way of thinking.