(No, not that Kristin Davis)
The Kristin Davis who brokered former Gov. Eliot Spitzer's assignations with Ashley Dupre and those other versatile co-eds.
Davis describes herself as
a Libertarian/Republican, but she's old-school conservative - lower taxes, less government - not morally conservative.She is also "for school vouchers" and "against having a civilian trial for a terrorist in New York."
The Empire State could do worse and probably will.
And as I think about it, there are perhaps more similarities than differences between the world's oldest and second oldest professions. At least when the client has to empty his wallet to pay the former, he usually gets to do so with a satisfied smile on his face.
Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at March 03, 2010 05:16 PM | Email ThisCRIS ERICSON
USMJP.COM
http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/03/whats_wrong_with_legalizing_pr.html
That's a few times what I get paid every year for stroking the egos of clients, and I rarely get taken to dinner and not one of them has every bought me new underwear.
But seriously, I read your article, and I believe the writer confuses human slavery and child abuse with prostitution. No one is in favor of human slavery or child abuse on this board.
In your writers story, the point is that there is abuse in countries with legal prostituation and I'm sure there is some, although I have serious trouble believing the numbers that 60 to 80% of all prostitutes in the country are there by force. (Although I haven't traveled as much in the countries he references as some others.)
I also believe there is a serious problem with child prostitution out there. (I've been in many countries in South America and Southeast Asia where 12 to 14 year old prostitutes are the norm.)
Even amongst non-forced prostitutes, I'll concede that most are there because it's the only way out of poverty even though they hate it and consider it demeaning. (The same could be said of working at McDonalds or scrubbing floors.)
Those points all agreed to, there is also abuse of employees in manufacturing plants all over Asia, but that's not a strong argument for shutting down Boeing or the local Peterbuilt Plant. And why are these plants different than the foreign sweatshops? It's because the Boeing and Peterbuilt plants operate above board and are regulated by the government.
Just like legalizing and regulating illegal drugs, I personally believe we would be better off legalizing and regulating prostitution in this country. Right now prostitutes have no rights as their profession isn't legally recognized. Which puts them at a legal disadvantage and opens the door for organized crime and abuse.
Legalizing the profession, and introducing licensing and regulation would create a system of health checks, age checks, etc. that would drive a lot of the abuse out of the system. I think we'd all find that the vast majority of the people engaged in this activity would be much better off working in a legal industry that operating in the shadows.
I know from past discussion threads that most SP readers *don't* share my views on legalized drugs or prostitution, and unlike most lefty blogs I am glad that this board tolerates dissent rather than deleting opinions that most don't agree with.
And I guess just to say it, I know a bit about this subject not because I'm a pervert, but because my parents were missionaries that worked in both south america and southeast asia. My parents met and ministered to many a prostitute in their time, and I've sat in the pews and at dinner tables with more than a few of them in my past. (Both male and female by the way. Americans tend to think of this as a female issue. It's really not.) In general, most were nice - if uneducated - people and just working to put food on the table just like most other people you meet at the supermarket.
Posted by: johnny on March 4, 2010 10:03 AMIt's a mistake to think that my morals include an acceptance of prostitution or drug use, but I also have a problem with "legislating morals" because I have seen both sides of that issue and it definitely is a two edged sword.
Where might the "legislate morals" thinking can take us in the near future? A few things to consider...
There is large and rising population in this world that thinks religion is the root of all evil and are outlawing it and persecuting those that practice religions. A couple of billion chinese live by these laws as do a growing number of south americans. You'll find great sympathy for this idea on just about any college campus.
Another group has decided out there that comprehensive health insurance and university degrees are "human rights" and are busy rioting in Berkeley right now about how "evil" we are because we won't give away our own hard earned money to pay their way.
Yet another group has decided that guns are the root of all the evil in the world and want the government to force you to hand over yours and mine. (Only criminals - and the government - will have guns then. I'm sure neither group would ever think to abuse that privilege.)
Go over to dailykoz and you'll see a big, big community of people that thinks the GOP and conservatives in general should be destroyed as evil. (Given half a chance I think these people would not only cheer on a political uprising that would do that, I think many of them would love a chance to help us all hang.)
These are all growing populations with a common mindset -- and they are looking to impose their morals on YOU.
We've tried for a century now to legislate peoples morality on what they smoke and who they screw. All it's done is wasted tax dollars, destroyed millions of lives of those incarcerated, and made criminal organizations in South America and Eastern Europe more powerful, more brutal and more wealthy than some of the biggest corporations in the world.
Yet last time I checked, there was still a huge market for drugs and prostitutes. Because legislating morals doesn't work.
We should stop trying to fight wars we can't win and stop creating cures that are worse than the diseases they are meant to cure. Instead, lets let these markets operate openly so that we can regulate them and make them safe as possible for everyone that is and is not involved.
But that shouldn't be the end of the issue. Instead of spending time and efforts on fights we can't win, lets use money that used to be going to mobsters to treat addiction, track and quarantine STD carriers and otherwise fix the damage that these things create. And as christians (or jews, moslems, mormons, etc.) lets lead a more spiritual battle that includes the message "Yes, you can buy drugs, and sex, but isn't your soul worth more than that?"
I'll end with this point: I've actually seen with my own eye more than one prostitute turn to a better life through engagement by social workers (in this case a priest in my parents mission.) The priest knew who these prostitutes were because they operated openly - he would never have found them if they were underground.
Now, how many prositutes or drug users have ever had their lives enhanced in anyway by a trip to jail or prison?
Posted by: johnny on March 4, 2010 03:40 PMYou should not control what people do with their bodies. I would rather have men and women selling their "service" under a good book of regulations. The website you posted also lists no sources for its claims. Therefore I find it hard to believe.
Same with Cannabis. If people want to smoke it, eat it, whatever, it is their right to do so. You trying to control them, infact anyone trying to control them, is against peoples rights. Most research done on Cannabis shows that it is Beneficial when used in the right way. Sometimes even beneficial when used in the wrong way, also. Perhaps the Gov't should AT LEAST make it so people can do research on it, rather than depending on ancient information. A person using Cannabis IS a victimless crime. There is no reason to send someone to prison for having Cannabis.
One thing I must say on this topic is that Child Prostitution IS WRONG. If Prostitution is legalized, than more Preventative measures should be taken on child prostitution. Anyone under the age of 18 that needs to sell themselves is being taken advantage of. Instead of the Gov't putting people behind bars on victimless crimes, that the people even have a right to do, they should be using those assets to ensure that children would never have to be taken advantage of in such a way.
I'm sure the there will be enough assets collected by taxing the sale of Cannabis, no longer arresting people that use cannabis, taxing Legal Prostitution, and no longer arresting prostitutes etc. would be more than enough to cover the costs needed to help make sure Children in America will never have to prostitute themselves. Shit, what am I saying? It would be enough to set all of them up in a good home and cover living costs. That is only scratching the surface.
Rights are not to be broken. The only people that do not deserve rights are those that try to take them away.
I'm not telling you to do anything that God has not told us is best for us. You are free to do whatever you want...to your own personal ruination.
Posted by: Saltherring on March 5, 2010 11:18 AM