Today's poll question; do you think that prostitution should be legal? An Ontario Judge has decided that the current laws endanger the lives women and is not constitutional. The governing Conservatives have decided to appeal the ruling, and I am assuming that this will be placed into their election platform. I understand the need to discourage young women from entering this profession, and yet if they do there is a high risk of serious harm. Demand creates supply and so long as the demand exists, there will always be supply. Prostitutes are the number one victim of serial killers, something that I might tell my niece to discourage her from ever taking up that career, but still not a fate that I want to see other girls exposed to. I am conflicted on this issue. I generally favour the decriminalization of prostitution, but would not support any of the women in my family entering the profession.
I suppose that makes me a hypocrite. Where do you stand?
I would agree with legalizing it because then you could clean it up, regulate it and tax it. The women would be safer, the customer would be safer and the pimps would be eliminated.
ReplyDeleteDecriminalizing however accomplishes none of those goals.
Can someone explain how legalizing it will save the women involved from being shaken down and run by pimps? If anything it will make life easier for the pimps, because a good part of their business will have just been legalized.
ReplyDeleteNow the prostitute is required to share her income with her pimp. If legalized she will also be required to share it with the government - Pimp #2.
There are other laws that could be used against pimps. The threat of jail is one of the ways that pimps force their girls not to leave.
ReplyDeleteAs far as Pimp #2 - prostitutes of all kinds are already required to share their income with the government. Revenue Canada could care less about the legality as long as you write cheques...
"Can someone explain how legalizing it will save the women involved from being shaken down and run by pimps?"
ReplyDeletePretty simple really.
Many prostitutes are drug addicted (by their pimps) and the drugs are used to control them. If it was legalized and regulated the prostitues could be drug and disease tested as a requirement of being licensed. If you were a customer would you go to the licensed prostitute who is tested for diseases and drug use and works in a legal operation or would you go see the girl on the street with the track marks. Take away the customer and the illegal workers disappear.
Pimps also control the girls with intimidation and threats of violence. If prostitutes were legal and regulated they would be much less afraid to go to the police for help. You don't see pimps shaking down any legal businesses, that is because the people in those businesses know that they have the protection of the police and society because they are working in a legal trade.
Lastly living off of the avails of prostitution would still be illegal. You could take the vast resources that are currently spent on busting hookers and their customers and concentrate more on the predators that abuse and enslave the women. Those resources could also be aimed at the underage prostitution market which is where most of the problems begin anyway.
It's all supply and demand. If you offer a clean, legal alternative (at a competitive price point) then the customers will stop going to the illegal market.
Decriminalizing would be the worst thing to do, I think it would make everything worse.
Prostitution should be legalized and taxed. Tax the h@ll out of it and then add HST. And they should be paying a health tax too.
ReplyDeleteBest way to save Ontario's economy. Frankly I'm surprised Dalton is against it.
Joanne I hope you're being sarcastic. I'm not in favour of this. I don't believe you'll clean it up by legalizing it, you'll just make it more permissable and mainstream. I'm not in favour of that. Prostitution is morally wrong, and should be illegal, there are plenty of other more honorable professions for women to choose from. No woman wakes up in the morning wanting to be a prostitute.
ReplyDelete"If you were a customer would you go to the licensed prostitute who is tested for diseases and drug use and works in a legal operation or would you go see the girl on the street with the track marks"
ReplyDeleteFor many, it probably depends on the price. As far as I know the sale of cigarettes is legal in Canada, but still many many people smuggle and sell them on the black market. I wonder if it has anything to do with the taxes (like the ones you are suggesting be imposed on hookers)?
"For many, it probably depends on the price."
ReplyDeleteThat is always a consideration but keep in mind that the amount being taxed would be at least partially offset by the amount that is now going to the pimps and slave traders.
I think you would see less people buying illegal cigarettes if they knew that he people selling them were being physically and emotionally abused by the cigarette supplier. They would likely pay the extra couple of bucks and get a pack from the local gas station. Likewise, give the legal choice I think most 'Johns' would choose the cleaner safer alternative.
If we can set it up next in next to the residence of NDP-Liberal Bloc MPs that support it.
ReplyDeleteIf they truly support they should be on the front line for the effects of having the business next door.
I expect NIMBY like Windmills will take over. Do we want to set up a Las Vegas North with a red light district for drugs too?
1) Prostitution is illegal in Las Vegas.
ReplyDelete2) There is a huge difference between legal prostitution and legal drug use.
Prostitution is morally wrong, and should be illegal
ReplyDeleteLuke, I'm only half-kidding. In this day and age who has the right to say what is moral?