The Role Of Legalizing Prostitution In The United States

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Legalizing Prostitution in the United States SOC 102 Aug 19, 2012 Legalizing Prostitution in the United States What makes prostitution decidedly controversial, unethical and also criminal for most of the United States? Prostitution, the exchange of sexual acts for money, is called the world’s oldest profession, for it continues regardless of widespread United States laws which prohibit it. Many people consider it just one segment of a larger sex industry like phone sex, internet video sex, lap dances from strippers and pornography. Illegal prostitution is responsible for a thriving sex slave trade, secondary crimes like assault or murder, and what some may say as a moral decline in values. It is often associated with…show more content…
Like any form of legal service based business there are stipulations put in place by governments that must be followed to have public order. Legalized prostitution in many countries has rules and regulations that keep workers safe. These benefits actually reduce the amount of sex slave trade that countries receive by being regulated and inspected by the government. Secondary crimes like sexual violence become less prevalent because of availability of alternatives. Like the economic principle of “supply and demand” when supply is up demand is down. Providing a place for people to carry out their sexual practices would likely prevent sexual violence. Another benefit is leveed taxes against brothels. Legalizing prostitution would take money that had not previously been taxed and produce an additional source of revenue for the government. So far in the United States only Nevada has been able to claim that benefit. The reduction of STI’s including HIV is also a possible conclusion. This becomes possible because of stricter regulation of sex work industry rather than no regulation of the illegal prostitution business. Moral decline is also cited as a con of legalized prostitution. I believe that this comes from a stigma of what is right and wrong according to our own religious views and not what would be best for a majority of the people. Teela Sanders, a Senior Lecturer…show more content…
These women came from various religious and political backgrounds. Of the 20 women, 16 said they would vote yes to a national legalization of prostitution (all of them siting strict regulation and government oversight.) The other 4 women voted no based on religious values and what they thought to be a question of morality. This is in stark contrast to what I believe our culture 30 years ago would have voted and oddly enough, the same as my findings 120 years ago when prostitution was widespread in the United

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