Should it be illegal to buy sex?

[Jennifer Williams]

I cannot see why it is wrong fora man to buy sex, or for a woman to sell it. However, that seems to be the way British puritanism seems to be taking us. (It also seems that it would not be wrong for a woman to buy sex, but that's another debate ... or is it?)

Let me get this straight: If I dress slutty, stand on the right corner and wait, a man will come by, give me sex, and then give me money, too? What's the catch, lol?

In all seriousness, though, a lot of the problems surrounding prostitution are caused precisely because it is illegal (pimping, sex slaves, spread of disease, underground trading), but as SadisticNature pointed out, if it were legalized then governments would be responsible for regulating it and that would be a giant project. And since right now a simple STD test isn't even covered by insurance companies if you test negative (but if you have it then they pay, how sick is that?), I doubt any politician anywhere is going to be willing to tackle this.

On a side note, my father was a cop for twenty years in a very large city and they knew all the prostitutes and they didn't bother them for the most part, unless there was something else involved like assault or robbery or drugs, because they'd rather go after the "real criminals" (his words), like thieves, drug dealers, gangs, murderers, etc.

[leo9]

Let me get this straight: If I dress slutty, stand on the right corner and wait, a man will come by, give me sex, and then give me money, too? What's the catch, lol?

Well, the catch is that if he was anyone you'd likely want to fuck, he wouldn't have to pay for it.

I recall a French novel where the heroine's niece declares her intention to leave home and live by whoring. The heroine cures her of the idea by taking a walk down the street saying "Would you want to do it with him? - with him? With him?"

In all seriousness, though, a lot of the problems surrounding prostitution are caused precisely because it is illegal (pimping, sex slaves, spread of disease, underground trading), but as SadisticNature pointed out, if it were legalized then governments would be responsible for regulating it and that would be a giant project.

I agree with denu, it doesn't sound so big. There are plenty of agencies tasked with enforcing health and safety laws at work, they could carry the extra load. And if it were legal, the sex workers' unions would be able to organise properly and carry some weight.

On a side note, my father was a cop for twenty years in a very large city and they knew all the prostitutes and they didn't bother them for the most part, unless there was something else involved like assault or robbery or drugs, because they'd rather go after the "real criminals" (his words), like thieves, drug dealers, gangs, murderers, etc.

The most dangerous laws are the ones that are only enforced when the cops feel like it. It means that you depend on the cops' goodwill, so they can do as they please and nobody dares to argue. That way lies bribery and corruption.

[MMI]

Let me get this straight: If I dress slutty, stand on the right corner and wait, a man will come by, give me sex, and then give me money, too? What's the catch, lol?

There's no catch ... we're good like that.