A Rhetorical Analysis of “Enough Already, It’s Time We Decriminalize Prostitution” In “Enough Already, It’s Time We Decriminalize Prostitution” Patty Kelly persuades the readers that the American government should make the prostitution legal. She introduces the three reasons and the facts from both sides of decriminalization and criminalization towards prostitution to support her thesis. This essay was written and first published in the local newspaper of Los-Angles Times in 2008. It is the reaction to the affair that Eliot Spitzer was obliged to resign because he paid to a prostitute which is illegal in United States. The author considers this event as the opportunity to challenge the law against the prostitution. Therefore, she uses examples and research data, original and second sources, rhetorical modes of cause / effect and comparison /contract to persuade her readers who are interested in the campaign of legalized prostitution or the commercial sex consumers to agree with her opinion. In order to expound her opinion, she provides examples and research data to confirm the commercial sex is the part of American culture. In paragraph one, the author chooses Eliot Spitzer’s case as a typical example. She writes “Eliot Spitzer paid a woman for sex. And got caught.” By searching the background of this essay, the readers know Eliot Spitzer was the former New York Senator and a lawyer with great reputation. Therefore, starting with a scandal about a
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
Some say prostitution is the world 's oldest profession. Yet, only a small percentage of the world’s government allows it. The legalization of prostitution is a very controversial topic due to many people’s moral beliefs. Prostitutes all over the world are treated as outcasts. A reason for people to be against prostitution could be due to their religious beliefs, moral standpoints, or lack of knowledge over the subject. Many religions state that sex outside of marriage is a sin and those who do it should be looked down upon. Due to these beliefs people tend to be against the legalization of prostitution. Though there are many facts that show that prostitution should be legalized. Prostitution should be legalized in the United States because then it can be regulated, would help the economy, and would lower the prison population and crimes against prostitutes.
On March 17, 2008, Eliot Spitzer resigned his post as New York governor in a desperate attempt to avoid impeachment. One week prior to his resignation, The New York Times reported a prostitution scandal that involved governor Spitzer frequenting Emperors Club, an elite escort service in New York city, where he is accused of spending a sum of $80,000 in a period of several years. ‘Enough Already, It’s Time We Decriminalize Prostitution’ is Patty Kelly’s response to the scandal, appealing to logos, in which she argues that prostitution is a common part of North American culture which will not soon resolve. At the time, Kelly was an assistant professor of anthropology and had recently returned from Tuxtla, Chiapas, a state in Mexico, where she spent one year working as an anthropologist at a
In “The Laws That Sex Workers Really Want,” Toni Mac discusses the reality of legalization in regards to sex work and their effects. Mac’s purpose is to show the audience the four legal models that are being used around the world and demonstrate why they don’t work. Then, explain the model that sex workers themselves think would work best, decriminalization (“The Laws”). She shares her own stories and experiences to help make her argument and to add to the effectiveness of her use of the rhetorical strategies. She uses all three of them, at least to some extent, but with a heavier focus on pathos and ethos over logos.
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
My paper will present the debatable question, should prostitution be legal in Las Vegas? As I argue for the issue, the reader must know that there is a misconceived idea that the city of sins, Las Vegas, is home to legal prostitution. In contrary to popular belief, prostitution is not legal in Las Vegas; there are rural areas in Nevada where brothels are running and prostitution is condoned, but in the county of Clark, it is the opposite. Although it may not be true, legalizing prostitution can bring Las Vegas and the people who work in such a profession multiple benefits. Any person who resides in this city of lights is aware of the busy streets that are filled with prostitution occurring even though the law is against it. Whether it 's the unkempt streetwalker or the high class escort, this seems to be a booming operation.
It is rather odd to think that prostitution, which is considered to be the world’s oldest profession, would be illegal and harmful in nature. The issue of legalizing prostitution has entered public conversation around the world, which is severely divided. Many, like myself, consider prostitution to be a victimless crime. Despite such opposition to legalizing prostitution, many argue that legalizing it would result in decreased morality issues, increase the economic activity in the United States, and help decrease the number of sexually transmitted diseases among both prostitutes and those who patronize them,
Prostitution is one of the oldest professions throughout the ancient and modern culture. It has been around for one of the longest times. Prostitution will possibly be found where one finds evidence of life and human. By definition, prostitution is known as commercial sex. A prostitute receives payment in exchange for sexual services between another person. However, the criminalization of prostitution is necessary in most countries as there is capital gain involved, puts the environment at a greater risk of violence, and causes less protection for sex workers. Most countries including Canada have done an effective job in outlawing prostitution with new legislations. Current Canadian laws tend to respect sex workers and additionally, address their issues as well. Within my essay, facts about the Bedford V. Prostitution case along with the government’s response to the case will be addressed. Media coverage and representation of the case will be discussed along with the media coverage in relation to criminalization of prostitution amongst different viewpoints will be analyzed. A critical opinion about the current state of law in Canada in regards to criminalization of prostitution will also be addressed. Comparison between the academic articles and media will also be discussed in depth. The current laws in Canada for prostitution are fairly effective by ‘ending demand’ for sexual services in Canada as Bill C-36 was passed.
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.
Feminists are concerned whether or not a prostitute controls her own sexual identity. Others believe prostitution is degrading, and sexual slavery towards woman while someone like Martha Nussbaum, believe its not threatening a woman anymore more than any other paid job. Where do you stand when it comes to prostitution? Personally I’m concerned with the moral factors and the harm it brings to women both physically and mentally. Throughout this paper I will examine the issues and questions which arise from Nussbaum’s paper, “Whether From Reason or Prejudice: Taking Money for Bodily Service” in order to help come to a conclusion on whether or not prostitution is something society should control through the use of the criminal law.
Thesis: The criminalization of prostitution does more harm than good when often women are left unprotected, both socially and legally, and therefore, the United States should make efforts to decriminalize and regulate prostitution instead.
Prostitution and human trafficking are taking place all over the world despite the legal restrictions put upon them. According to Ronald Weitzer, “The sex industry refers to the workers, managers, owners, agencies, clubs, trade associations, and marketing involved in sexual commerce, both legal and illegal varieties” (1). There are many questions that arise when discussing the sex industry. Should prostitution be legalized? If it were to be legalized, would anything change? Is prostitution morally acceptable? What is being done to stop human trafficking? There is not one correct answer for any these questions, but each question can be analyzed by scholars who have different opinions on the issue. Prostitution should be legal while
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
Prostitution has frequently been touted as the world's oldest profession, for the simple fact that it has been prevalent in society for quite some time. In order to properly discuss the many social ramifications of this particular crime and possible ways for dealing with them, it is first necessary to define prostitution and to explore the reason why it is a crime. Prostitution is the exchange of money or monetary assets for sexual favors and pleasure. It is the paying for sex in all of its myriad facets, from conventional coitus to a number of lewd and arcane acts from which people derive pleasure. Prostitution is part of the sex industry, which includes legal business such as strip clubs (Weitzer 7). There are a couple of different reasons as to why exchanging money for sex is deemed illegal. One principle reason is that if it were legalized, it would be exceedingly difficult for the government to tax and to capitalize off it, which is one of the reasons in which marijuana is widely considered illegal. More importantly, however, prostitution is illegal because it promotes the objectification of women and their bodies, and inherently reduces the degree of parity between men and women in which the latter are viewed as things simply for the fulfillment of men's sexual desires. Additionally, there are a variety of noxious activities that accompany prostitution such as trafficking in which the will of another is subjected to someone else's.
One of the oldest known jobs in history is Prostitution, otherwise known as the sex labor industry. It is a major part of our society as an illegitimate source of income and employment. The prohibition of Prostitution creates a larger number of issues in society. Before, prostitution was a more individual decision, where countless women picked it as a last resort in emergencies; whereas now these women are coerced into the industry and experience abuse, murder, etc. The involvement and trauma prostitutes experience results in mental disorders. Furthermore, I investigate how the prohibition of prostitution has greater drawbacks on our society and introduce three policies that may help resolve the social issue within sex workers. Some policies I believe will provide the most benefits are first, the legalization of prostitution, second, enforcing and strengthening the law enforcement for human trafficking, and third, development of availability of medical resources.