Issue of Legalizing Prostitution - Essay Example

Legalizing Prostitution Prostitution is an issue that continues to raise considerable concerns in different countries, based on its moral and legal implications. Different countries have their own different ways of addressing prostitution. In many countries, this practice is highly discouraged as and is viewed negatively. Nonetheless, the perceptions of society on prostitution have been dynamic since years past. In the early periods of prostitution, it was seen as an acceptable practice. However, as years pass by, perceptions change. Today, most countries consider prostitution as illegal, unacceptable, and subject to sanctions. However, these conditions have not killed this practice, as it continues invisibly from the law. Due to this case, authorities cannot address the problems that emanate from prostitution, since they cannot be reported as well. This therefore, puts the whole society at risk. Nonetheless, it is wise for countries to legalize prostitution so that it is practised in an organized manner that will ensure the safety of the prostitutes, their clients, and the society as a whole. According to Floyd, there are differences in the way prostitution was practised in the past, and how it is practised today. These changes are in the form of society’s perception of the practice, and the changes in prostitution itself over the years. Ancient Samaria, which is the present Iraq, holds the record of the earliest prostitution in 2400 B.C.E. This was in the form of temple maidens pleasing the gods and ensuring land fertility through soliciting for temple donations in return for sexual favors. However, in later years, the Greek started practicing prostitution as business. This practice later spread to other areas, including Rome, China, among others. Today, prostitution is practised in almost all world countries in different ways. Weitzer notes that legalizing prostitution means that prostitution is tolerated provided it adheres to the set standards and regulations to ensure control. Legalization therefore, is part of regulation and aims at controlling all activities related to prostitution. When prostitution is legalized, it may involve conditions such as compulsory medical tests, registration of prostitutes, location, or zoning conditions, and registration and licensing of brothels, as well as escort agencies (“Legalizing Prostitution: From Illicit Vice to Legal Business.” 49). All these conditions and new prostitution laws will have to be enforced by the police. In legalized prostitution therefore, any prostitute found operating outside the laid down set of rules is considered a criminal, as they will be guilty of engaging in unlawful prostitution (Dressler 102). Today, in most countries, including the USA, where prostitution is illegal, the government, through the legal system, penalizes prostitutes and their clients for actions they are involved in as consenting adults. In this situation, government finances are spent on efforts aimed at arresting prostitutes and their clients, and enforcing laws regarding prostitution. According to Weitzer, when prostitutes and their clients are arrested, the government incurs costs in the series of their prosecution process (“Legalizing Prostitution: From Illicit Vice to Legal Business.” 48). However, the resultant issue is that the police force and courtrooms are burdened with numerous prostitution cases they have to address, and finally, have very little or no impact at all on the case of prostitution in the country. The prostitutes and their clients are always set free after paying their fines, and so they go back to the streets to continue with their business of prostitution. Therefore, the approach of catch and release employed by the legal system to curb prostitution has never worked nor has it registered any alleviation in the prostitution level in the country (Lehman & Shirelle 88). According to Weitzer, the rate of prostitution has sharply increased in the present years. This increase is attributed to the role the internet plays in prostitution. With the internet, it is easier to locate prostitutes as they advertise their services over the internet. This has led to increased prostitution in the USA and in other countries across the globe. On the contrary, the number of arrests of prostitution in the USA has sharply decreased, despite the increase in prostitution rates. For instance, in 1983, it is estimated that 125 600 arrests related to prostitution were made, however, this dropped to 56 600 in 2009 (“Legalizing Prostitution: From Illicit Vice to Legal Business.” 4-5). If prostitution is made legal, this will lead to the issue being given considerable attention as opposed to how this issue is overlooked today because it falls under the illegal practices. Prostitutes are exposed to considerable dangers in their practice, but these are not addressed in public limelight because of the illegality attached to prostitution. However, prostitutes are human beings who are entitled to all the human rights, just like the other citizens. Prostitution therefore has to be legalized in order for the human rights issues in prostitution to be addressed (ProCon.org WEB). Such pressing issues faced by prostitutes include the subhuman treatment that organized crime groups subject on prostitutes when in business with them. Additionally, in some countries, prostitute groups buy women and sell them on black market, where they are exposed to hostility, violence, and a lethal work environment, yet they have to comply and adhere to this brutal treatment. Nonetheless, as long as prostitution is illegal, prostitutes will always work in secrecy and independently, stomaching abusive relationships with their clients. These prostitutes do not report such cases, which call for justice, as they have no right to do this since they are in an illegal profession (Alexandra 31). It is estimated that about 3 million teenagers in the United States are involved in prostitution, which they practice in secrecy ("Prostitution and freedom” WEB). Teenage prostitution is dangerous as these are underage persons, who do not have sufficient knowledge and a right judgment of the whole issue. Underage prostitution goes unnoticed, and is not addressed, owing to the fact that, the mainstream prostitution is illegal and therefore, practiced invisibly from the law. Young adults are more likely to be manipulated by most opportunistic clients, since the teens lack the basic survival skills in prostitution. Their customers often exploit these teenagers, and this has devastating effects on them. If this continues, more teenagers will be engulfed by prostitution and it may be too late to rescue them. If prostitution is legalized, it will be easier to identify and address child prostitution (Alexandra 22). The approach of legalizing prostitution is important, as this will positively address the issue of spread of sexually transmitted diseases. The most worrying STDs today are syphilis and AIDS. Prostitution has played a contributory role in the global spread of these diseases. Legalized prostitution involves health testing for STDs; therefore, this will reduce the rate at which these diseases spread, hence resulting in a society with an improved health system. Additionally, legalizing prostitution will also improve public health status in a country. In China, a human rights activist “Ye Haiyan” advocated for legalization of prostitution in her country after experiencing the working conditions of the prostitutes in brothels under the illegalized prostitution system. Prostitutes lived in poor structures, windowless houses, with no showers, in addition to a very low pay. These therefore suffered in silence, as any reporting to authorities would lead to their arrest instead, on the grounds of practicing prostitution, which is illegal. According to Miss. Ye, if her campaigns get a breakthrough and prostitution is successfully legalized in China, this would be a great move in controlling spread of HIV/AIDS, addressing human rights issues of prostitutes, and a source of revenue for the Chinese government ("Old profession, new debate; Prostitution"). Women who practice prostitution are victims of circumstances. Most were led to prostitution because of lack of any other viable choice. In the harsh economic times, most prostitutes are characterized by low educational level, and poor family background (Alexandra 17). They therefore were compelled to practice prostitution in order to provide for their families and sustain themselves economically. Prostitutes are therefore innocent victims in need of fairness and justice. Weitzer notes that radical feminists realize the predicament of prostitutes and recommend for them to be called “prostituted women,” “survivors,” or “sex slaves.” These terms clearly show the lack of choice women have and how prostitution victimizes them. Therefore, legalizing prostitution will ensure better working conditions for the sex slaves, including a better pay for them, which will comfortably cater for their basic needs (“New Directions in Research on Prostitution” 213). Governments should consider legalizing prostitution because this move will increase country revenues. When prostitution is legal, the prostitutes, escort agencies, and the brothels are all registered and licensed for taxations. Weitzer argues that, given the big number of people involved in prostitution, countries will earn a lot of revenue from taxing prostitution, and this money can be used in nation building. This move will also cut on the costs the government incurs while hunting down prostitutes and processing their court cases (“Legalizing Prostitution: From Illicit Vice to Legal Business.” 33). Finally, basing on the principles of democracy and liberalism, women are entitled to their personal choices. Therefore, if an adult woman chooses to have sex for money, her freedom of choice should be granted. This freedom of choice will be realized only in legalizing prostitution (Raymond WEB). In conclusion, prostitution is a subject matter that continues to elicit many debates in society today, considering the issues that surround it. Prostitution is associated with various problems that emerge in society, such as the rampant spread of sexually transmitted diseases. Different countries have their own different ways of dealing with prostitution. Primarily, prostitution is viewed as a vice in most countries basing on moral and legal frameworks in which it is judged. Therefore, most countries have criminalized prostitution, hoping that the anti-prostitution laws will be effective in ending this practice. Ironically, law enforcement has terribly failed to curb this situation as more people today engage in underground prostitution. Therefore, the only alternative left is the legalization of prostitution. This will come with more benefits to the country, as well as the prostitutes themselves. First, this presents control in the environment, and fosters safety in the practice. Some clients exploit and abuse prostitutes today, taking advantage of the fact that they cannot be reported to authorities due to the criminality attached to prostitution. However, legalization of prostitution will address such human rights issues of prostitutes. Brutal clients would no longer physically or psychologically abuse prostitutes because when prostitution is legal, prostitutes can freely report these cases to the authorities without fear. Curtailing of underage prostitution would be in place, as well as health-safety improvements in prostitution. Most importantly, there will be a substantial boost in national economy due to additional revenue from prostitution taxes. Works Cited "Old profession, new debate; Prostitution." The Economist [US] 27 Oct. 2012: 46(US). General OneFile. Web. 3 Dec. 2012. "Prostitution and freedom. (Religion & Philosophy)." The Wilson Quarterly 27.1 (2003): 96+. Academic OneFile. Web. 3 Dec. 2012. “ProCon.org.” “Top 10 Pros and Con: Should Prostitution be Legal?” 2009. Web. 3 Dec. 2012. Alexandra, Pricilla. “Sex Work: Writing by Women in the Sex Industry.” 1987. San Francisco: Cleis Press. Dressler, Joshua. Encyclopedia of Crime & Justice. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2002. Print. Floyd, John. “Prostitution: The World’s Oldest Profession.” John T Floyd. 2007. Web. 3 Dec. 2012. Lehman, Jeffrey, and Shirelle, Phelps. West's Encyclopedia of American Law. Detroit: Thomson/Gale, 2005. Print. Raymond, Janice. “10 Reasons for Not Legalizing Prostitution.” Prostitution Research and Education. 2003. Web. 3 Dec. 2012. Weitzer, Ronald. “Legalizing Prostitution: From Illicit Vice to Legal Business.” New York: University Press, New York.2011. Print Weitzer, Ronald. “New Directions in Research on Prostitution.” Crime, Law and Social Change. (2005) 43: 211–235. Read More