The Stiff Debate over Prostitution

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The Stiff Debate Over Prostitution I argue that prostitution should be legalized throughout the United States. With the legalization of prostitution, many benefits would come by doing so. We would have the ability to generate tax revenue, eliminate the amount of money we as taxpayers put into incarcerating these prostitutes, clean it up and protect the prostitutes; thus decreasing the spread of STDs. Think about it logically, remove morals from the equation, religious views, everything, and break it down. Prostitution is the voluntary sale (or rental) of a labor service. What we as citizens do in the privacy of our bedroom is our own business, even if it involves the payment of a sexual service. It is in fact a business transaction between two consenting adults for a negotiated payment. “No person's human or civil rights should be violated on the basis of their trade, occupation, work, calling or profession” (Prostitution Act of 1996). Prostitution could be considered the oldest trade in the game, and no matter how much authorities try and eliminate prostitution, it will always be around. So why not tax it? “The average annual income of an employee at one Nevada brothel working only one week per month is at least $100,000” (Ayres). If this were taxed, each sex worker would contribute approximately $20,000 per year in tax revenue. In Nevada, where this estimate was generated, the legalization has proved a success. The war on prostitution causes a huge deficit in taxpayer’s dollars and in fact in the city of Los Angeles alone “spends close to 100 million dollars annually dealing with illegal prostitution” explains Paul Armentano. Imagine what the legalization of prostitution would do for the economy. Instead of throwing money into prisons where it is “assumed that as much as one-half of a typical urban city's prison female population are prostitutes”
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