The_Dude

why is it illegal (except nevada)? i dont see any reason it should be.

this is just another attempt by our govt to play moral police for us. if somebody wants to pay $$ to f*** somebody and that somebody is agreeing to this, it's their business!

on the plus side, if it was legalized, it could be taxed! there are a whole bunch of people already engaging in this and this is more money for the govt!

if legalized, the industry could also be regulated.

anyways, what are your thoughts.

__________________
"Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity." - Darrel K Royal

Meridae'n

It's completely legal over here, and taxed. I think it's an important part of society, and although it's not for me, there are plenty of men out there that feel it makes their lives better.

If it's not hurting anyone, and both parties are consentual, then why the heck ban it?

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What's easier to believe: that a guy was born without sex in the manner of several Greek demigods and grew up to be able to transmute liquids and alter his body density yet couldn't escape government execution, or that three freemasons in a vehicle made with aluminum foil in an era before digital technology escaped our atmosphere, landing on the moon, broadcasted from there, and then flew back without burning up?

Conclamo Ludus

If we've got strippers we might as well take it all the way I suppose. Regulate it and it would lower the health risks. All or nothing.

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Lord, have mercy on my wicked soul
I wouldn't mistreat you baby, for my weight in gold.
-Son House, Death Letter Blues

MrFlux

I think a law got passed here making prostitution legal... I don't care either way, it doesn't affect me in any way.

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flux (n.)
Medicine. The discharge of large quantities of fluid material from the body, especially the discharge of watery feces from the intestines.

sadistikdreams

it's the same thing with pot. The govt could tax on pot. Everything's health risks though. Bleedin shit.

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"Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is the noble art of leaving things undone.
The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of non-essentials."
-Lin Yutang

hearts, by d.a.

phredgreen

bah. the world's oldest profession will always be around. i have no desire to partake in it, but i know it's out there... the only reason it's illegal is because of the so-called "moral police" - a government run by people who govern by their religious beleifs. as long as this is the case, america will forever ban this and other "immoral" acts.

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My country is the world, and my religion is to do good.
- Thomas Paine

lafemmefatale

if they legalised it, it'd be probably safer than is atm. Like in some parts of europe, they have sophisticated systems with brothels so that it's less violence, less std's...and it may also solve problems we have now like child prostitution...and it can be taxed heavily like cigs and earn the gov a bunch of money...I say, if it's done right, why the hell not.

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-poor is the man whose pleasure depends on the permission of another-

juanvaldes

vermin

Well, that, and the fact that most prostitutes are virtual slaves to their pimps who get them hooked on drugs, use and abuse them, beat the shit out of them, and sometimes kill them. Pimps tend to prey on young naive girls who don't really know what they're getting into.

The whole point of America is that it is a government of the people. I may have read more into your post than was intended, but by the way it was worded (and the quotes), I got the impression that you think this is a bad thing. I respectfully disagree. Most Americans have religious beliefs that help to serve as a moral compass. And the whole point of democracy is that majority rules. Not "Let's accomodate every splinter and fringe group with another weird idea of how things should be". That's PETA thinking. The majority of Nevada residents thought prostitution should be legal (apparently), so it's legal there. Every community sets its own standards for how life should be (ideally).

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If puns were sausages, this would be the wurst.

Slims

I think you should be able to do whatever the fuck you want. If you want to sell your body, then more power to you. At least you are guaranteed a job in this economy.

I am too squeemish to ever pay for a prostitutes services, but I think other people should be allowed to make that decision for themselves.

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"Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery." - Winston Churchill

"All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act out their dream with open eyes, to make it possible." Seven Pillars of Wisdom, T.E. Lawrence

zfleebin

I dont agree with it but legalizing it might stop future sex offenders from becoming rapists. I wonder if someone has done some statistics on that.

Phaenx

I don't have the numbers or a link off hand but I read somewhere that with gambling/prostitution there is often a significant rise in crime.

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"I went shopping last night at like 1am. The place was empty and this old woman just making polite conversation said to me, 'where is everyone??' I replied, 'In bed, same place you and I should be!' Took me ten minutes to figure out why she gave me a dirty look." --Some guy

Roark

I think both the legalization of marijuana and prostitution. People are going to do it anyway. Mise well let uncle same tax it and regulate it (ie health standards etc for prostitutes etc..)...

losfp

Don't see why it should be illegal. Sex is legal right? It's a service, providing something LEGAL. If people are willing to pay for it, why not have it legal and run properly?

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Grrr... Argh....

james t kirk

Prostitution is legal here, but solicitation is illegal.

In other words, having a call girl come to your hotel in Toronto is perfectly legal provided she doesn't make any telephone call in public and neither do you.

A girl selling sex in public is illegal.

A brothel is illegal and so are girls who work out of their homes (incalls)

The truth of the matter is that as long as no-one is under age or hurting anyone, the cops tend to not bother. Every once in a while though, they have a little fun and bust some johns on the street though.

For the toronto sex industry reviews, check out

www.terb.ca

Click on the reviews board.

Jesus Pimp

Escort services=Legalized Prostitution

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Never date anyone who doesn't make your dick hard.

SiN

agreed. is just silly.

legalise it, regulate it, make sure there are health standards and such, and most importantly make sure no one is either under 18 or being hurt/victimised/whatever/etc.
should be easier to do that if it were legal.

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lurkette

I think this is a bit of an over-simplification. I don't think democracy exists to accommodate every splinter group or opinion, but neither does it exist to serve the will of the majority. You could probably safel say that the whole point of democracy is majority rules except where the majority view would infringe upon the basic rights of others. I guess the question is whether the majority opinion against legalized prostitution infringes on anybody's basic rights - say, the right of a woman to do whatever she wants with her own body.

I think you'd be hard-pressed to prove that point right now, in the U.S. at least, because it's so politically unpopular. I personally think legalization would be the first step toward regulation and making the "industry" safer and more self-determining for the women who participate, but you're not going to slip that past the opponents who see it as a fundamental blow against the institution of family. Phooey.

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"If ten million people believe a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing."

- Anatole France

Charlatan

Kirk beat me to it but yes prostitution is legal in Canada. I see no reason for it to be illegal.

What should be illegal is pimping. This is where the majority of the problems come from.

The other problem is street hooking. This is a nasty scene that has a very low threshold for entry and is frequently associated with hard-core drug use and pimping (read: exploitation and abuse of women).

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"My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars."
- Old Man Luedecke

monody

i remember reading Heinlein's Glory Road
(fantasy novel based in earth in the fifties mostly)

the most remarkable thing that struck me in that book is that out of umpteen millions of humanoid parallel universes- ours was the only one to have prostitutes.

okay- i am aware that it's a fictional source, but it made me curious as to why there is a need to have prostitutes.

don't get me wrong. i support prostitution in a general, wishy-washy "as long as it's not hurting anyone" sense.
and i believe that many (not all!) women think of sex as a currency to get the things they want... but why is this so?!

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Wickedness is a myth invented by good people to explain the curious attractiveness of others.
-Oscar Wilde.

The_Dude

if it was legalized, we could prolly get rid of the pimps.

women can pimp for themselves in the open (or at brothels, where it could be regulated).

---------

and the bill of rights was written to protect minorities from being trampled over by majorities

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"Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity." - Darrel K Royal

Psivage

I think marriage is a higher form of prostitution. You buying your wife gifts and other crap on the off chance of getting laid.

World's King

This is why I go to the massage parlor.


Get me a little something extra.

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heavy is the head that wears the crown

Bob Biter

In Canada, as Kirk and Charlatan said, it is sollicitation of sex that is illegal, not prostitution itself. However, both outcalls and incalls are legal in Montreal (we are Sin City, after all). Also, a lot of "erotic salons" that offer "massages" and "haicuts" also dabble in prostitution, but I don't think this is legal. These places are just waiting to be busted, but then again that's what bribes and perks are for. Ahh, the Police Vice Squad...

As the great and wise George Carlin once said: "Selling is legal. Fucking is legal. Why isn't selling fucking legal?!"

If pot becomes decriminalised across the board in Canada, then marijuana, prostitution and gay marriage would be accessible to all in this country. Who needs Europe? Come to Canada!

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A plan is just a list of things that don't happen.

eribrav

Anyone here ever watch "Cops" on TV? Some of the episodes they will have a whole squad of officers (5 or 6) spend their whole day making prostitution busts. What a total freaking waste of time! They just harass the hookers and embarass the johns, with absolutely no benefit to society that I can see.

There are much more important duties they could be filling. Seen the murder rate in LA this year? How bout the fact that a truck full of 100 illegal Mexicans can come across the border totally undetected (I am referring to the tragic incident where 18 died in the heat)? Maybe all the cops busy shaking down johns could be doing something useful about the real problems. Next time instead of 100 Mexicans that truck might have 50 Arab terrorists and 50 suicide bomb vests......

KeyserSoze

I look at it this way:

First date with a young lady includes dinner,drinks and conversation: $150.00 and a good night call me again

Second date with the same girl: Dinner,dancing,drinks $175.00 and then she says let be friends when you make your move.

Total $325.00


Escort Service: No real conversation if you don't wish to just SEX and a goodbye $250.00 to $350.00

Massage parlor: $50.00 for the massage and then she leans over and say's "what you want" another $50.00 to $75.00 for what you want.

Hmmmmmmmm.....Lets see...should I go out on a couple of dates and waste my cash on a possible nightmare (if any of you remember my last experience I posted ) or shall I go get what I was after in the first place with no hassle??

Legalize it is my answer.....shit in Lost Angeles most of the girls out here just want a guy with loads of cash anyway so it's the same thing in my book.

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THERE IS NO KEYSER SOZE!!

guthmund

EXACTLY! and then they act like they've just nailed the single most dangerous man in the city.

"We did some good work out there today...." yeah, you busted a a handful of guys who have to sneak around and pay for sex.

Don't bother catching the guy who's been breaking into houses in my neighborhood; I'd rather you catch the speeders and bust the hookers.....that'll make me feel safe, numbnuts

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No signature. None. Seriously.

BoCo

As far as I'm concerned, we should just leave the hookers and the johns alone and let them do what they want. If they catch diseases, then they get what they deserve.

It's one of those things that society shouldn't even get involved with. Basically, it's illegal because a bunch of religious law makers didn't want their own kids growing up and going that direction with their lives, and they knew they hadn't taught their kids the Bible well enough to convince them not to do it. Instead of doing a better job teaching their religious beliefs, they simply write laws to try to control their children and the rest of society.

Personally, I'd never go to a prostitue, but if someone else does, then they'll have to pay for it someday, somehow.

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Activism is a way for useless people to feel important.

CaptainGumby

Exactly what came to my mind while reading this thread. He also asked "why should it be illegal to sell something that's perfectly legal to give away."

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Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedies. -Groucho Marx

LittleOralAnnie

These people can do whatever sick twisted things they want to do and live out their horny little fantasies. All I ask is that they stay the hell away from my family and myself.

I hope I don't offend anyone, especially those that partake in paid sexual acts with other people. I feel that what they are doing is morally wrong. Don't they care about diseases and the crime that can most definitely come from having pimp daddies and the like?

Maybe it's a great way to get paid a shitload of cash real fast but why would someone sell their body out like that when they could easily find someone who will treat their body with respect as they should be doing.

One night of passion with some sleeze that turns you out is not worth risking your health, morals, self image, or life for.

Midnight_Son

how can it be illegal to sell somthing that is perfectly legal to give away?

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SWM, tattooed, seeks meaningful tits and beer. Enjoys biker mags, pornography, and Sunday morning walks to the liquor store. Winners of erotic hot dog eating contests given priority.

VirFighter

I say bring on the legalization! Freedom to do whatever you want with your body, including profit from it. Professional athletes profit from their bodies (in a way), strippers profit from their bodies; so why can't so inclined people profit from their bodies for sex?

Just doesn't seem right.

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"The South is gonna boogie again"
- Disco Stu

CSflim

But if it were legalised, this type of thing wouldn't happen. It would be regulated like any other industry.

But is the majority always right? Democracy is based on debate. Using the majority argument is NOT good reasoning, it hinges on faulty logic. the whole point of a debate is to (should be) allow people to make more informed decisions, and possibly CHANGE what the "majority" believes.

To illustrate my point, I will use an analogy: Do you think that the top 10 chart music singles represent the BEST music, currently available? Is the majority "right" in this case?

Note: I am not against democracy. It has many flaws, but it is by far the best system of government that we have yet to come up with.

I think that alot of people suffer from closed minds on this type of topic. They follow the following sort of logic: I don't want it, therefore nobody should have it.
Personally, I would NEVER go to a prostitute, but I see no reason why someone else should not be allowed make up their own mind!
Similarly, I have no desire to smoke marijuana, but I believe that that is my own damn choice, nobody elses!

And from a purely pragmatic point of view, people are going to do it anyway (marijuana included) why not have it regulated, safe and taxed At least we could make some money from it! Plus it would reduce crime. At the moment it is only criminals who are making money from these highly profiecient industries!

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Nyenrodian

In my country (the Netherlands) prostitution is perfectly legal and I see no reason why it shouldn't be. I'll bet you every single one of you has heard of the Red Light district in Amsterdam.

Both the prostitute as well as the client are doing this completely out of their free will. No one is forcing them to. If a prostitute is forced to be a prostitute, she shouldn't be the one that gets punished. It should be the person forcing her.

The prostitutes make a heck of a lot of money and mostly they chose to do it to get them through college. These prostitutes actually pay income tax and are obligated also to pay Value Added Taxes. So, the government is profiting from it also.

The_Dude

i dont think legalizing this has even come up in discussion in our legislatures.

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"Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity." - Darrel K Royal

Nyenrodian

Well, my country is pretty progressive about quite a number of issues America isn't ready for yet.

This is not meant as a flame towards Americans by the way, please don't take it the wrong way.

The_Dude

i completely understand.

isnt assissted suicide and gay marriages also legalized there ?



one day, it'll be legalized here too, but not yet

__________________
"Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity." - Darrel K Royal

Nyenrodian

Assisted Suicide, or as we call it Euthanasia, is indeed perfecty legal. However, the person requesting it should be fully sane. Also as stated, an euthanasia request should only be fulfilled if: "there is no quality of life" for the person. Which is very subjective of course. But mainly it is viewed as having a form of cancer (or any disease) that can not be cured.

The Gay marriage is just the same as a heterosexual marriage and gay people are also allowed to adopt children.

I have read in this thread that some people want Marihuana legalized. Many people think Marihuana is legal in Amsterdam. Well it is not. But our government has chosen to tolerate it. Which in practice means, you are not allowed to grow it. You are not allowed to sell it. Unless you're a "coffeeshop". Coffeeshops should fulfill some legal requirements though. But you are allowed to smoke up.

Also some sorts of hard drugs are tolerated. Like XTC. Not officially. But I don't know any cops that will take you down for it. However, the U.S. government is pressing hard for stronger enforcement on XTC because 90% of the worlds XTC supply comes from Holland. And it seems it is your primary import from the Netherlands.

james t kirk

I doubt i will ever see the day in which pot, prostitution, or gay marriages are legal in the US of A.

It's just too damn conservative. That puritan thing still runs strong (puritans = religious whackos the British wanted rid of.)

I am all for Gay marriages, it only means more work for the lawyers when they all get divorced.

Toronto as of a few weeks ago is allowing gay marriages and I say fine by me.

That's one way for the tourism industry to bounce back after SARS.

As to those who argue that prostitutes are disease carrying whores, I beg to differ. 90 percent of prostitutes insist on condom usage, and you would be a fool not to use one at all times.

Nick Nolte was once interviewed in Playboy and at one time he lived over top of a bordello in Mexico but never caught a thing, yet one time he fucked a miss america entrant and caught a sexually transmitted disease.

I guess my point is that you can catch an STD if you engage in unprotected sex whether with a prostitute, or a regular girl with whom you have gotten lucky.

I generally adopt a open mind on the issue. If she is over 18 and willing to sell her sex for money, so be it, it's not for me to judge.

I also agree with those cop shows being a complete joke. Every time you turn around they are busting some poor hooker or harassing her customers. Give me a break. Shouldn't those useless cops have something better to do, like catch a terrorist or something.

Double D

Rapists don't rape for sex. They rape for power, control, degradation. Sex is just a means to these ends.

And for you morals police out there, why do you sully yourselves with the likes of us?