Why do we make prostitution illegal, and then proceed to tolerate it?

[hedgehog]

If you want a comparison, how many people are in prison for using or selling marijuana and how many are in prison for pimping out underage kids?

I think it's safe to say that most large cities have a red light district that features teenage runaways making money the only way they know how. Why aren't the cops all over this like white on rice? Why are the hookers arrested and the johns allowed to walk away? Aren't the johns the ones putting innocent people at risk when they bring home who knows what diseases to their wives? Aren't the johns the ones engaging all too often in statutory rape?

[NC_Nurse]

1. Because this is a fucked up culture.

[hootinholler]

2. Simple, it keeps it off the books.

Thus it is an industry that can be dominated by the patriarchs of the shadow economy. Kinda like drugs.

-Hoot

[MrSlayer]

3. The johns are arrested.

There just happen to be more hookers than cops posing as hookers.

[ananda]

4. There's that longstanding Puritan ethic..

.. requiring so much restriction and control
of the natural urges.. which is basically
unbalanced.

Therefore, the forbidden or repressed urge
becomes all the stronger and often the man
of power and money cannot resist the need
to express it. Also, the fact that it's
forbidden or sinful or criminal makes the
excitement all the more attractive, and it
becomes an addiction.

Moderation in all things or at least a healthy
balance sounds good to me. I think Jung would
agree.

Sue

[defendandprotect]

5. It's an industry which still exploits females and that still works for

patriarchy ---

There is no comparable exploitation of males --


Also agree with hootandholler above ---

[Beregond2]

6. Patriarchy

No man would consider being paid for sex "exploitation." It would be a dream come true for most of them!

[defendandprotect]

9. There are, of course, males enslaved in sex rings and I doubt they quite see it that way --- !!

[EFerrari]

13. That's simply wrong. When I worked in downtown San Francisco,

the teenaged boys came out at about 5 pm. Most of them didn't even look old enough to drive.

[Stinky The Clown]

The Dutch came to that conclusion and said "fuck it"

Decriminalize it ..... and voila! ..... now weed and sex work are legal. And the country survived and prospered.

[hedgehog]

19. Not everyone would agree with that statement.

Aside from several articles AI found suggesting that AMsterdam may close its red light district, I found this:

http://fleshtrade.blogspot.com/2006/01/index.html

[Stinky The Clown]

20. That's a blog ... as reliable as opinions on DU.

Which is to say ...... unreliable.

[Warpy]

7. Puritannical attitudes toward women who allow men to

do that to them aren't limited to pros. Those attitudes are pervasive.

Personally, I want to see it legalized and regulated like any other professional service.

No amount of preaching is ever going to make it go away.

[lostnotforgotten]

8. Presently In Amsterdam

The Red-Light district is open and public.

Most people appear to be gawkers as they cannot believe that such an open and tolerant society could exist.

BTW - the Dutch are the tallest people per capita on the face of the earth.

They are collectively very healthy - lots of bike riding even in the winter.

Pretty amazing place.

Take Care,

International Traveler

[defendandprotect]

11. Would you happen to know . . .

is there an equal use of and services provided by both genders . . . ?

I'll have to see what info I can find on internet about specifics ---

[lostnotforgotten]

14. Good Question - I Did Not See Any Men In The Traditinal District

I did find it interesting that the Cabaret style sex shows were attended by all ages.

Teenagers to the elderly.

Somehow I can never see our middle aged middle westerners ever partaking in erotic dance.

I think their pacemakers would all seize at once!

Take Care,

International Traveler

[defendandprotect]

16. No square dancing --- ???

Thanks for the info --

[razors edge]

10. Money. Control. Power. n/t

[unkachuck]

12. we're a nation of hypocrites....n/t

[blues90]

15. I guess for the same reason it is illegal to attack an innocent

country and then tolerate it .

[housewolf]

17. Because we're a schizophrenic Puritanical society

and we love our hypocrisy.

Not consciously, of course.

[mamre11]

18. because they can't prove it

I am a social worker in a large city with numerous clients who are actively prostituting themselves (both adults and teens). I have contacted police, district attorneys, judges etc. about the issue but it is always swept under the rug. Occasionally my adult clients will get charged with prostitution if they were soliciting an officer or other person in a visible fashion. But the system does nothing to stop the pimps or the teens who are running to this life. Another tangential issue is the huge amount of drugs used by the pimps, johns, and the girls. SO many of my clients say they can't do the "service" without being high on something.

[lumberjack_jeff]

21. I don't understand in what sense it's being tolerated.

Were it not for the profit motive by police agencies, the war on drugs and the war on "Johns" would be pursued with similar zeal.

http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/police/prostitution-convictions/convictions.asp#TopOfPage