No Clear Answer Concerning the Decriminalization of...

No Clear Answer Concerning the Decriminalization of Prostitution To decriminalize or not to decriminalize? That is the question people in the United States and other nations have been asking themselves for decades. Many countries, including Costa Rica, Italy, Norway, and Singapore, do legally sanction certain forms of prostitution, and some find it odd that a nation like the United States, which prides itself so heavily on the principle of individual liberty, would forbid any type of activity between two consenting adults. Nonetheless, countless Americans find the prospect of legal prostitution offensive to their ideals concerning traditional moralism, sex, or womanhood. While morality debates may rage on, it does seem rather strange†¦show more content†¦Such a system would enable those willing to pay for sex to do so without the danger of contracting a sexually transmitted disease. It would also improve the health of prostitutes themselves. Some worry that legalization would give prostitution a stamp of approval that would spur a dramati c and potentially dangerous sexual revolution, but judging by the way legal strip clubs and pornography are regarded by society at large today, it is unlikely that much of the stigma attached to prostitution would disappear. (Societys view is reflected in the fact that almost every city and town restricts both the type and location of both strip clubs and pornography stores that can exist there.) What would change, though, is that prostitutes would finally have the option of going to the police after being raped by their customers or managers. In a 1998 survey of 475 prostitutes led by Dr. Melissa Farley of Prostitution Research and Education, 62% had been raped since entering the profession, and 46% had been raped more than five times. Meanwhile, 82% of the American prostitutes surveyed had been physically assaulted on the job. A socially responsible government would provide these victims of violence with a place to turn for help, but unfortunately, there is no way for them to redr ess the crimes committed against them. Since their business is against the law, contacting a police officer would do more them harm than good. Despite the fact that legalization would make prostitutionShow MoreRelatedProstitution Essay1724 Words   |  7 Pages Prostitution has been a part of our worlds culture since the beginning of time, and is the worlds oldest profession. Ever since the beginning of time man has felt the need to pay for services of a sexual nature, whether are legal or not. In our culture; however, prostitution has become a topic of debate concerning the merits of this professions legality. In viewing the legalization of prostitution one must take into account all the pros and cons of the situation, but more importantly what isRead MoreA Christian Approach to Homosexuality7265 Words   |  30 Pagessupported gay marriage, reversing his position on the issue. Mr. Obama was against same-sex marriage as a candidate in 2008 but supported civil unions. In the fall of 2010, he said his views on gay marriage were evolving†. Now he has made his position clear and added that he was influenced by gay memb ers of the military and his staff who are raising children together in monogamous relationships. Mr. Obama is the first sitting U.S. president to publicly support gay marriage. His endorsement is largelyRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pagesit is not), migration served as a mode of escape from oppression and poverty and, in many instances, as an avenue toward advancement for an unprecedented number of people that soared well into the hundreds of millions by century’s end. But for a clear majority of these migrants, movement was coerced by flight from war and oppression or was enticed by labor recruiters who preyed on the desperately poor. The prospects for the great majority were almost invariably lives of drudge labor in urban sweatshops