Should Prostitution Be Legalized?

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.

Prostitution is said to be “the world’s oldest profession” (Ramchandran par. 1). The Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary defines prostitution as “the act or practice of engaging in promiscuous sexual relations especially for money” (“Prostitution” par. 1). Many people argue that prostitution should be legalized, but it hurts people more than it helps. Legalization of prostitution condones sexual behavior for profit. Not to mention, the increased risk of illness or infection via sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs), or death. It also does not “enhance women’s choices” (Raymond par. 45). This means that whether

The most common argument against the legalization of prostitution is that it establishes sexual immorality. The prostitute,

Women who can legally prostitute themselves will not need government assistance; therefore there will be a decrease of the number of women who need a form of government assistance to survive their everyday lives. As a result of the United States government declaring prostitution illegal, many women get arrested and serve long sentences for their conviction. The United States government spends approximately $45,000 to house an inmate in any state correctional facility or federal penitentiary per year (Hirby, 2013, p.1). The same $45,000 that the government is spending to send a woman that has been convicted of prostitution to prison, could be spent to send that exact female to any private college in any state to further her education. Education is knowledge; knowledge leads to innovation, and innovation leads to a bigger, brighter future.

If prostitution was legalized in America the high rate of violence against these women should drop significantly. If it was legalized, women could actually report whenever crimes or violence has been committed against them without themselves being arrested just for being a prostitute. This incredible injustice done to American’s daily, should be considered unconstitutional. Women should be able to choose whatever career path they want and not have to worry about their lives potentially being put in danger.. With no other choice for safety, prostitutes are forced to flock to a pimp for safety. Pimps work outside the law and sometimes abuse the prostitutes or even treat them as slaves. Pimps work only for profit and they sometimes treat them like assets instead of human beings with a soul and a voice. If prostitution was legalized it would eliminate the need for pimps or other protection.

Prostitution is an issue that has been debated in many countries. 22 countries have legalized prostitution. In the United States, prostitution is only legal in 11 rural counties in Nevada. It used to be legal in Rhode Island due to a loophole, but since 2009, it has been illegal. Women are not the only ones who are prostitutes, about 20 to 30% of prostitutes are male, which means both genders are affected by laws against prostitution. Men and women should be allowed to choose how they want to use their bodies how they wish, and that includes prostitution.

An article in The Business Insider gives seven reasons on why prostitution should be legal in all fifty states of America. These reasons include: 1) It Would Reduce Violence Against Women. 2) Legalization Would Make Sex Workers Healthier. 3) Prostitution Is Arguably A Victimless Crime. 4) Legal Prostitution Can Be A Source Of Tax Revenue. 5) Legalization Could Save Precious Law Enforcement Resources. 6) Legal Prostitutes Could Get Labor Rights.

Prostitution is defined as the act of “providing or receiving sexual acts, between a prostitute and a client, in exchange for money or some other form of remuneration” (Hock 557). The idea of exchanging sex for valuables has been around since the beginning of human society. The first reported data about prostitution was reported around 3000 B.C.E in one of the first known civilizations, Mesopotamia (Caraboi and Fierbinteanu 362). It is often referred to as “the world’s oldest profession.” Today, even though prostitution is illegal in most parts of the world, it is still prevalent worldwide with different ways to exchange sexual services for payment and many different types of prostitutes. One of these types of prostitutes are brothel workers; brothel workers work in “a house of prostitution,” a brothel, which are normally in areas where prostitution is not criminalized or is legalized (Hock 560). Like prostitution, human trafficking has been around for thousands of years and is still present today.

“I don’t understand why prostitution is illegal. Selling is legal. Fucking is legal. Why isn’t selling fucking legal? You know, why should it be illegal to sell something that’s perfectly legal to give away?” (Carlin, n.d). Prostitution is the act of selling sexual services in exchange for money. Prostitution has been around for thousands of years, it is known as the oldest profession in the world. Today both, women and men are engaged into the industry of sex and prostitution. Even though it is still illegal in the United States, it is still a common crime that strongly affects the community. Some people have a negative view about prostitution, arguing that it is immoral and should remain penalized as a crime, while there are others who believe that laws prohibiting prostitution do more harm than good. Since commercial sex industry is illegal, gathering up the precise statistics on prostitution in the United States is difficult. However, according to Sex-Crimes Laws, over 80% of prostitutes say they wish to get out of prostitution. Recent statistics show that the death rate for prostitutes in the U.S. is 204 out of every 100,000 and every year in the United States about 70,000 and 80,000 people are arrested for prostitution.

There is no surprise that the world today is shifting and becoming overwhelmingly sex driven. Sex has always been a natural part of life, but it is becoming more prevalent and dominating as the years go by. This is not to say that prostitution, either forced or voluntary, did not exist long ago, just simply that it has become more of an issue as time has progressed. Perhaps this is due to the media, celebrities, social media, the now early on-set of puberty, and the wonderful use of technology and cell phones. Nevertheless, prostitution, sex tourism, and child exploitation tend to be a bigger deal in Latin American countries than the United States. Overall this is likely due to the fact that many Latin American countries have legalized prostitution. The legalization of prostitution has made these countries more attractive for sex tourism as well as using the body as a business for the mean to make money, even though not all prostitution is by choice and a lot of it is forced. Although Latin American countries have laws trying to prevent and protect those who are forced into and those who choose prostitution the government is not holding a firm hand on enforcing them.

Prostitution has been practiced for thousands of years. It is believed to be the world’s oldest profession. Its beginning in ancient Mesopotamia began a somewhat morally disturbing practice that has flourished in the shadows of every civilization through time (Fanni, 2014). Recently, governments have chosen to overlook the morality of this act by making it legal in various countries. America has begun to discuss the pros and cons of allowing such a commonly despised and misunderstood profession to be legalized throughout the country.

There are many jobs that most people couldn’t imagine having whether it’s because it’s too great to be in there reach, or because they wouldn 't dare of doing such a thing. One of these unthinkable jobs is prostitution. It is said to be “one of the oldest professions, “yet it’s not viewed as that in our society. There 's no box for it when you fill out what your career is. This may seem crazy to some. However, I think that prostitution should be legalized.

Did it feel good to use me like I was just a piece of dirt?

Prostitution has been a growing concern on a global scale. Supporters of legalization argue it is a person’s right to decide how they want to use their body, while opponents argue that most people in the sex trade are trafficked, sold, bought, and do not have a say over their own bodies. It seems the world is split on the right and wrongs of this issue. Many countries seem to have no definitive answer to the illegality of this issue. While some countries (such as most of Europe, Australia, and even her in the U.S. in parts of Nevada) have “legalized” prostitution, many strongly condemn the practice. While many people strongly condemned due to cultural and religious factors, many others have no problem in hiring prostitutes for sexual pleasure, creating a multi-billion dollar industry. So what is the right answer? Prostitution shouldn’t be legalized, not because of a morality issue, but because like with many aspects of legal acts it would get abused since it would be easy to obtain and legal to participate in, and unfortunately we are not talking about sodas, or alcohol, or marijuana, we are talking about human lives.

Prostitution. Streetwalking. The sex trade. The sex industry. Whoring. Hooking. Et Cetera. The exchange of sexual activities for money. Prostitution is probably one of, if not the oldest taboos in our culture, and for good reason. Often times, prostitution is monitored in places called brothels, meeting places for finding prostitutes and sex in general. This scandalous practice is currently legal in many parts of the world, i.e. Germany, most of South America, Spain, Australia, Canada, France, Italy, here and there in Africa, Mexico and many more. It’s been legalized in many places, but why should a profession like this be outlawed? Well, there are many pros as to why prostitution should be abolished. A) Legalization of prostitution is an invitation to human trafficking and slavery. B) Legalization would attract more customers, promoting affairs and divorce. C) Prostitution is degrading. It turns woman into commodities, thus making them nothing but items to be used. I don’t think it would be a good thing to have more divorced couples, more human slaves and more sexism in America. Do you?