Legalization of Prostitution

Legalization of Prostitution

University of Phoenix

[Name Removed]

COMM 215

[Name Removed]

September 22, 2006

Prostitution can be traced as far back as the 6th century B.C. during the great Roman and Greek empires. Although an overwhelming amount of people feel that prostitution should not be legalized, it is still here today and is one of the oldest professions.

There are various reasons why society still rejects the idea of legalizing prostitution. In America, most people categorize themselves as middle class; therefore their mindset is predetermined as "better than the destitute, but not as good as the wealthy." This means that both the wealthy and middle class will formally deny prostitution as a profession all the while seeking it's now forbidden fruit. Here you can see how feeling chauvinistic can consume one so strongly. Another plaguing concern is homicides and how it brings property value down. The average homicide rate for street prostitution is 204 per 100,000. Try selling your house after a prostitute's been murdered down the street. Street "walkers" are easy targets for serial killers, the most infamous of course, being Jack the Ripper who killed prostitutes in the late 1800's in London.

There are risky health factors when prostitution comes to mind, but in a controlled environment, sex can be safe if condoms are used and the prostitutes are subjected to mandatory physicals primarily for the detection of sexually transmitted diseases. So here you can see that there are health risks but they can be disposed like a condom if the necessary measures are taken. Places like the Moonlite Bunny Ranch in Carson City, Nevada take many preliminary precautions to ensure that they provide the safest sex. The Moonlite Bunny Ranch is fortunate enough to be the only legal brothel in America and that is probably because it is a place that was and still is glamorized as a wealthy man's play pen, therefore it's okay. Although they are the only legal brothel in America they are required to meet very strict county health codes, such as, no drug usage, passing weekly blood tests, and a physical to ensure that their workers are free of sexually transmitted diseases. Having no felony criminal charges, no drug related charges, and no theft charges are also required to become a possible candidate to work as the Moonlite Bunny Ranch, therefore it is clear that these strict requirements allow little elbow room for potential health risks.

It is far too expensive and tedious to fund law enforcement programs to catch prostitutes and their clients. It is also a waste of precious time that could be better spent catching child predators that wouldn't be there if they could turn to prostitutes in the first place. Prostitutes and their clients must go through the judicial system and that can waste even more money and time. After fulfilling their sentence, they usually become repeat offenders, so wouldn't making prostitution legal and heavily taxing it be a better idea? Here it is extremely clear that the current law enforcement program is not only faulty, but an extreme waste of time and money that could of funded education.