Prostitutes and Politics Why is it still illegal to pay for sex?

Reason Online ^ | May 7, 2007 | Cathy Young

[Lusis]

The resignation of Randall Tobias, the chief of the Bush administration's foreign aid programs, for "personal reasons" following the revelation that he had engaged the services of two escort-service workers has provided rich grist for amusement on the punditry circuit. There was indeed plenty of material for humor in the situation, from Tobias's strong stand in favor of abstinence teaching in AIDS prevention programs to his "I didn't inhale"-style assertion that he never had sex with the women. But the predictable laughs have obscured a much larger issue than hypocrisy in the ranks of social conservatives. The reason Tobias's call-girl adventures became public is that the owner of the Washington, DC-based service, Pamela Martin, is facing prosecution and has turned her records over to news organizations to help pay for her legal defense.

Even those who feel a certain schadenfreude at Tobias's downfall should be asking the question: should there have been a criminal case in the first place?

[Niteranger68]

And that is the main reason why prostitution was made illegal in the country during the late 19th Century, women were being forced into prostitution against their will. Most of the place in Europe that permit prostitution have numerous laws in place to ensure that this doesn’t happen, yet the reports of women being trafficked as sex slaves in those same countries are commonly reported here on Free Republic.

Then landscaping should be illegal, since someone might be doing it against their will.

[Little Ray]

The issue was prostitution spreading STDs, not how effectlve the laws are, especially in an anarcho-tyranny like most of Africa seems to be.
Point remains, prostitution has an issue as a vector for STDs.

[JamesP81]

You are just arguing semantics.

No, I'm not. I'm arguing exactly what the Forefathers did.

How would you define a right?

Rights do not need to be defined. They either exist or they do not. Among those that do exist are the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Also included are rights detailed in the Bill of Rights. And as the 9th Amendment clearly informs us The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

In other words, there are rights retained by the people in addition to those listed in the Constitution.

This is not semantics. It's the principles upon which our great nation was founded. I consider myself a social conservative and tend to vote for social conservatives, but to be blunt, the sooner the generally politically and historically naive social con movement learns the basis of our system, the better we'll be. The same can be said for RINOs and Dims as well.

[jiggyboy]

Wait, which is the straw man argument in your post? Suggesting that only HIV/AIDS can be transmitted during sex, or suggesting that herpes et al are easily transmitted during sex?

[Red in Blue PA]

Sounds like a quote by Oscar Wilde.

[MEGoody]

Perhaps because trafficking in human flesh is bad policy as well as immoral.

Bears repeating.

[Uncle Miltie]

A: Because law is an expression of morality against which prostitution is an offence.

[MEGoody]

Would they allow legalized abortion?

Unlikely.

[Tribune7]

It’s often not a matter of morals but of public order. For some reason wives and mothers feel uncomfortable with women in short skirts following their rational self-interest to maximize profit by soliciting their husbands on their way home from work.

[FormerLib]

Then landscaping should be illegal, since someone might be doing it against their will.

There are anti-slavery laws that do protect people from being forced to labor against their will. This is why it was the remnants of the Abolitionist movement that was largely responsible for having prostitution made illegal.

[Zon]

A certain tell-tale sign of an immature, underdeveloped conscious mind is the person who attempts to control other people via the initiation of force, threat of force or fraud. 

When a person thinks they've been harmed they have the right to take the suspect to court before an impartial jury and prove their case so as to gain restitution for their loss and suffering. Secondary, yet still important is protecting other persons from the suspect and is the reason for criminal trial and sentencing. 

How many violent criminals -- murder, rape, assault, theft, fraud -- in prison are working to pay restitution to their victims? The imprisoned criminal should be working to pay his or her victim restitution.

Many if not most people sacrifice the individual, in whole or in part, for the greater good of the group -- the ends justify the means. They place the secondary, the criminal court, as more important than the primary, the victim, gaining restitution. They place State authoritarian power above individual rights, above inalienable rights. 

[taxed2death]

Yup, so true.

[pgyanke]

No sir I am not ignorant of history.

Yes, you are. Here is your comment to frame the discussion...

But slavery was ok?

Reader's Digest version: The writers and signing delegates of the Constitution had significant disagreements regarding slavery. In fact, the southern delegation threatened to walk out if opposition to slavery wasn't dropped from the final draft. This fight culminated in the Civil War as opponents to slavery attempted to stop its spread to the territories that would eventually become states and strengthen their position in Congress.

It would be wrong (to the extreme) to say that our Founding Fathers were "ok" with slavery.

[Thywillnotmine]

Yeah — no kidding! Takes two, ya know. All that preaching about sexual temptation, internet porn, and so forth: it doesn’t speak to ME but it speaks to most guys I know.

[Red Badger]

Sounds like a quote by Oscar Wilde.

How would HE know?.............

[sentis1]

Prostitution was legal under the government formed by the founding Fathers and only became illegal when Women got the right to vote.

[Oberon]

I see you use the big L when not taking Libertarians seriously. Most who consider themselves libertarians dont necessarily follow that party’s line.

True, in my case.

I say that prostitution is not addressed by the Constitution, and so is most properly considered a matter for the several states to regulate or criminalize as they see fit. Personally, though I believe prostitution ought to remain illegal, I also believe that law enforcement agencies have bigger fish to fry most of the time, and rightly so.

It's a crime, but a relatively small one in the grand scheme.

[Niteranger68]

If you don’t think someone suffers harm in “victimless” crimes, you’re either deluded or sociopathic. I’ve seen it. And, as others pointed out, the disease vector issue isn’t just about HIV/AIDS.

Sex itself can be quite risky. I don't see where the exchange of money has anything to do with it.

[gracesdad]

“I’ve already pointed out the unregulated activity of babysitters.”

You average kid babysitting simply doesn’t earn enough to pay taxes. At leats my daughter never did.

Still, I would agree that prostitution should be legal.

[Froufrou]

Dang, you guys are bitter!

Keep in mind, fellas, you ordinate your own priorities...

;o)

Anyway, “everyone does it, only Randall got caught.”