Enough Already It's Time We Decriminalize Prostitution Summary

Pat Kelly's, "Enough Already, It's Time We Decriminalize Prostitution," discusses the scandal that occurred when a New York Senator, Eliot Spitzer, was revealed to have spent thousands of dollars on prostitutes. Pat Kelly's, who studied sex for profit, essay provides arguments for why prostitution needs to be decriminalized. This essay provides important points about the safety and health of sex workers, but fails to provide arguments that are compelling reasons for decriminalization while passing off legalization as a bad choice without any argument as to why. Pat Kelly reports that 1 in 10 Americans have paid for sex in their lifetime and that it is not an uncommon practice. She writes that Spitzer's resignation will convince voters that

In her argumentative essay "Enough Already, It's Time to Decriminalize Prostitution," Patty Kelly asserts that decriminalizing the practice of prostitution is in America's best interests. Her essay begins with several statistics to prove her claim that prostitution is a long-standing "part of our culture," will likely remain as such, and should, therefore, be legalized, as warrantable (Kelly 436). Following this, she draws upon her personal experience as an anthropologist closely studying regulated commercial sex in Mexico and reports that prostitution is an often conscientious and profitable decision for the women involved. She also argues that while prostitution

According to Jacqueline Barnhart in her book, “The Fair but Frail,” there is an increase of sex crimes in locations where prostitution was made legal. She also argues legalized prostitution promotes and contributes to

Patty Kelly’s article, “Enough already, it’s time we decriminalize prostitution”, takes the reader into a fascinating behind the scene look into one of Mexico’s legalized brothels. Although it is apparent that her research and investigation into this social experiment are well defined, it is too narrow a focus to gather all the required information to support her argument. Kelly begins with a half hazard analysis of Elliot Spitzer infidelity, then continues down the path that is far too laser like to see the overall effect on these women; failing to see these prostitutes as real people with hearts and souls. Instead, she produces an impression that the prostitutes are just commodity, bought and sold on the open market, lacking feeling

Patty Kelly wrote the persuasive essay "Enough Already, It's Time to Decriminalize Prostitution" while she was an assistant professor of anthropology at Washington State University. She wrote this essay in response to the 2008 scandal of New York Senator Eliot Spitzer, who was found to have spent over $80,000 dollars on expensive prostitutes and consequently, was forced to resign. Kelly takes a positive stance on the decriminalization of prostitution. Arguing that because prostitution has been and always will be prevalent in our global community, she declares that our first concern should be about maximizing the safety and well-being of sex workers. The appeals to pathos, ethos, and logos are all used effectively in creating a well-rounded

Throughout history, prostitution has been an issue of intense debates in the US and the larger global society. Many countries legally prohibit prostitution and associated activates. Except Nevada, the United States also illegalizes prostitution. However, the benefit of legalizing prostitution in the US would not only be for the workers but also for the economy as well. It is high time that prostitution be legalized for various reasons.

Whether or not the United States should legalize prostitution is a highly debated social, political, ethical, and cultural issue. Prostitution by definition is to engage in sexual activity with someone for payment. Although many countries and even some rural counties in the U.S. have legalized prostitution, it still has dire effects on the women involved and is an immoral and exploitative act. Prostitution is an unethical and immoral act of exploitative, degrading, and abusive work that the United States should not tolerate. The abolition of prostitution is a legal approach with proven positive results that could dramatically reduce the amount of illegal prostitution and human trafficking taking place in the United States.

There are several reasons that the United States should legalize prostitution in every state as they have in Nevada. If prostitution were legal, licensing and regulation could contribute to making the occupation, which already employs around 1 million people in the United States, much safer. It would also be much more profitable for both the prostitutes and the rest of the country.

In the state of California, many progressive matters such as same-sex marriage and marijuana are widely accepted and legal, and the oldest profession in the world should be, too. Prostitution is illegal in 49 out of 50 states, the exception being Nevada. Prostitution has been around for centuries, but has yet to be embraced by many cultures as ‘socially acceptable’. The underground operations and stereotypes of prostitutes have created the stigma that prostitution is a job for low-life, uneducated women who deserve less than human rights. From the law to feminists, people have been ostracizing prostitutes because of their occupation. Could the persistent moral issues and stigmas that prostitution connotes be detrimental to sex workers? Will

The first thing that someone may think about when they hear the word prostitution is that it’s illegal but also dangerous. This is a completely fair claim to make, however if America legalized prostitution, it would be a completely different story. If there was to be a standard policy implemented that would ensure safety in all aspects, prostitution would no longer be viewed as a negative thing. Likewise, nobody would be forced into anything as opposed to those currently involved in the business. Prostitution in America should be legalized because if there was a standard policy, then there would be less health risks, no more danger for the girls involved, and regulations on the market.

Prostitution is a profession that has been around for centuries and has a majority of negative stigmas toward it. People of different genders and sexual practices have found jobs within this industry. They face problems within their line of work due to many areas having this profession marked as illegal. These legal restrictions breed further problems for sex workers ranging from health problems, work environment dangers, and tough economic situations. The idea of legalizing prostitution within the United States has been pitched as a solution to these problems. The negatives ranged from all prostitutes being drug addicts or that legalization of this profession would create many more problems than it would solve. Further examination of the claims for and against the legalization of prostitution nationwide show that the pros of legalization outweigh the cons. If legalized nationwide the sex industry would solve many problems for sex workers and others within the country.

Prostitution has been around as long as human beings have engaged in sexual activities, and it is even touted as the world’s oldest profession. Despite these proclamations, the subject of prostitution continues to spark controversy in the United States in moderns times as it is a hot debate topic. Off and on, throughout the years, various states around the country have proposed that the practice should be decriminalized; however, it remains illegal nationwide, except for a few counties in Nevada. The reasons for this stem from both sides of the argument, as anti-prostitution advocates claim decriminalization of prostitution is immoral and sexually exploitative, while pro-prostitution advocates want to keep the government out of the bedrooms of consenting adults. No matter the stance for or against prostitution, the current legal construction surrounding it is undeniably harmful. Regardless of the arguments against prostitutes, it is time to decriminalize the laws against this practice to protect the rights of sex workers.

In his book Love For Sale, Nils Johan Ringdal wrote, “If nobody wants to sell sex, it is a crime to force anyone to do so. But when men or women do want to sell their bodies, they should have that full right without encountering punishment or discrimination.” Prostitution, often described as the world’s oldest profession is a legitimate criminal offence in 109 countries of the world today (“Human Trafficking Statistics”). Laws on prostitution vary considerably from country to country: in some countries it is punishable by death penalty ("Iran - Facts on Trafficking”), in some it is a crime punishable by prison sentence, while in other jurisdictions, it is a lesser administrative offense punishable only with a fine ("The Sentencing and

In this paper, I discuss the “Swedish model” which bans the purchasing (but not the selling) of sex and its effect on the people it governs. The general world view seems to be that prostitution propagates male violence against women. The Sex Purchase Act was based on the idea that in an ideal gender-equal society, it is shameful and unacceptable for men to pay for casual sex or even a nice blow-job. The penalties for this “crime” range from petty fines to six months’ in prison. In reality, it is the decriminalization of prostitution that would make conditions for all people in the sex industry happier and safer as well as decrease the occurrence of other crimes involving rape.

One of the oldest legal debates comes from one of the world's oldest profession, prostitution, there is no denying that the sex industry has taken international dimensions and is recognized as an economic motor for many countries. As countries around the world debate the merits of legalizing or at least decriminalizing prostitution. The following questions should be addressed. Would legalization reduce some of the inequalities and abuse suffered by the women involved? On the other hand, by legitimizing prostitution, would society reverse decades of work to promote human rights and improve the status of women? On the surface, this looks like a rehashing of a timeless debate. However, it is not. The question is no longer about