Backman1

SawyerBackman
Ms.Gardner
English10Period0
3May2015
Prostitution:
ShoulditbeLegalized?

From2001,theyearthelawlegalizingsexworkinGermanywaspassed,to2011,cases
ofsexbasedhumantraffickingshrankby10percent(Reisenwitz).Prostitutionisthepracticeof
sexformoney.Prostitutionhasbeenapartofsocietiessincehumancivilization.Becauseinour
societysexisbehindcloseddoorswiththeonesweareinlovewith,prostitutionisoften
controversial.Prostitutionmakespeoplethinkaboutthetheideaofjustlikingsex.Inmany
cultures,likeours,prostitutionisoutlawed.Outlawingprostitutiondemonizessexworkers,
makingprostitutionunsafe.Lawspreventsexworkersfromgoingtothepoliceiftheyareraped,
becauseiftheygotothepolicetheywillgetarrestedforbeingaprostitute.Italsocreatesasocial
stigmaaroundprostitution.AccordingtoProCon.orgthepunishmentforprostitiutionisupto
oneyearand/or$1000fineanditisamisdemenor.Thisseemsveryexcessiveforachoicethat
someonemakesabouttheirownbody.Thoughprostitutioniscontroversial,isshouldbe
legalizedbecauseitwillmakeitsaferforallparties.
Becausemanyconfuseprostitutionwithhumantrafficking,thereisoftenamisconception
whentalkingaboutlegalizingit.Youcanlegalizeprostitutionwithoutlegalizinghuman
trafficking.CathyReisenwitz,theauthorof
WalkingtheRedLightDistrict,
disclosesIn

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Germany,thesexworkersareworkers,notslaves.Workerstherearerepresentedbyaunion
andareaffordedfullpoliceprotectionwhensomethinggoeswrong..Thisisjustoneexampleof
howacountrycanhandleprostitution(achoice),withoutlegalizinghumantrafficking(nota
choice).Humantraffickingactuallygoesdownwhenprostitutionislegalized,afterGermany
legalizedprostitutionin2001theysawhumantraffickingratesgodownby10percentby2011
lawsagainstprostitutionhelphumantraffickers(Reisenwitz).Morecountriesshouldbeawareof
thesefactsandhelpthevictimsofhumantraffickingbylegalizingprostitution.Alltheevidence
pointstothesingularfactthatlegalizationnotonlyhelpssexworkers,butalsosavespeoplefrom
thedeathlygripsofhumantrafficking.Insummation,legalizingprostitutionwillmakeitsafer
forthesexworkersandultimatelyhumantraffickingvictims.
Underalabormodel,U.S.sexworkerscouldreporthealthrisksatbrothelstothe
OccupationalSafetyandHealthAdministration.Theycouldunionizeandlobby
forstrongerprotectionsagainstpoliceharassment.Inthelongrun,theywouldbe
viewedascitizenslikeanyother,andtheirindustryasasafeandacceptableone.
(Ahmed)
IftheUnitedStatesofAmericachangeditslawstohelpsexworkersitwouldgreatly
revolutionizehowsocietyseessexworkersitwouldalsomakethemmuchsafer.Ifpeoplecould
putlegalizingprostitutionintoperspectivethentheycouldseethatsexworkisworkand
deservestobetreatedassuch.Obviously,sexworkishereandisgoingtostay,sowhynotmake
itsaferforallparties?Prostitutionisachoiceonemakesaboutone'sbodytherefore,itshould
notbeagainstthelaw.

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Prostitutionisacareerandshouldberecognizedassuch.Intheessay,APersonal
ChoiceProstitution
,
theauthordeclares,Appsandsitesarespringingupthatwillletthem
[prostitutes]confirmeachother'sidentitiesandswapverifiedresultsfromsexualhealthtests.In
addition,thesameessaycontinues,Reviewsitesbringtrustworthycustomerfeedbacktothe
commercialsextradeforthefirsttime.Theshiftmakesitlookmoreandmorelikeanormal
serviceindustry.Thisobviousshiftinmodernprostitutionshowsthatitistrulyacareer.Sex
workerunionsarestartingtoformandiftheydososuccessfullythenworkconditions,fair
wages,injurycompensation,andotherbasicemploymentissues[wouldbecome]...mattersof
law,thesexindustryandthosewithinitwouldbelessexposedtoviolenceandotherharms,
(Ahmed).Asexworkerunionwouldprovetothelargercommunitythatsexworkisareal
career.Itwouldalsoprotectthesexworkerfromrisksoftheirjob.Sinceprostitutionisacareer,
itshouldbeprotectedwithunions.
Admittedly,Idonotthinkthatprostitutionwouldbeachoicejobforme.Nevertheless,
peoplewhochooseprostitutionasacareershouldbeallowedtoliveasafeandhappylifethey
shouldnotliveinfearofbeingprosecuted.Theauthorof
APersonalChoiceProstitution,
adds,Violenceagainstprostitutesgoesunpunishedbecausevictimswholiveonsociety's
marginsareunlikelytoseekjustice,ortogetit.ReisenwitzreportsthatinIreland,where
prostitutionisillegal,thatonly30percentofabuseofsexworkersisreportedbecauseofthefear
ofbeingprosecuted.Ifprostitutionisillegalitleavessexworkersoutintheopenand
unprotected.Ifsexworkislegalizedthenthousandswillnotonlybecomepartofsociety,but
theywillbesafe.Legalizingprostitutionwillopenupopportunitiesforthewomenandmen

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workingassexworkersallowingthemtobepartthecommunity.Itwillmakethemsaferand
haveapositiveeffectonthecommunity.Therefore,prostitutionmustbelegalized.
MostcountriesopposeprostitutionbecausemanythinkitisimmoralSpeakingofthe
ideathatprostitutioncouldbeacareerchoice,BarbaraKayargues,...frontlineworkersand
thosewomenwhohavemanagedtoescapethesoulscarringdegradationthatmarksthefarmore
populatedlowertrackofprostituteshavenothingbutcontemptforthisfairytale.Also,some
criticsoflegalizationconfuseprostitutionwithhumantrafficking.AlisonKnezevich,areporter
BaltimoreSun,notes,herarrestthatdaybroughtamixoffearandrelief.Theyoungwoman,
originallyfromTexas,hadworkedinprostitutiononandoffsinceshewas13whenshewas
traffickedbyherfirstpimp.Thiswomenwasmanipulatedtosellsex.Prostitutionandhuman
traffickingareoftengroupedtogether,makingithardtodistinguishwhatacountryislegalizing.
Tosummarize,governmentsoftenconfuseprostitutionwithhumantraffickingwhichmakesit
hardtojustdealwithprostitution.Theyoftenmakejudgementsbasedonoutdatedmoralviews,
andthisisnotajustifiedreasontocreatealaw.Intodaysworldwehaveshouldhavetheright
controlourownbodies,aswellashaveourgovernmentnotmakingdecisionsbasedonoutdated
views.
Inconclusion,prostitutionshouldbelegalizedfortheenhancedsafetyofthecommunity,
fortherightpeoplehavetotheirownbodies,andforthereducedratesofhumantrafficking.
Thoughthisisacontroversialsubject,theevidenceclearlyshowsthatlegalizationwillhelpa
country.Legalizingprostitutionwillimprovethelivesofthousandsofpeopleandtheir
communities.It

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willalsoreducestigmaforthisgroupofpeople.Prostitutionisacareerthatpeoplechoosefor
themselvesthereforeweshouldtreatitassuch.Thismaynotbethemoralchoicethatyou
wouldmakebutforthehumanbeingswhohavechosenthispath,letussupportthem,not
opposethem.

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Ahmed,Aziza."ThinkAgain:Prostitution."
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Kay,Barbara."ProstitutionLawsStruckTheCaseAgainst."
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Knezevich,Alison."ForHumanTraffickingVictims,'aNewBeginning'."
BaltimoreSun
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SIRSIssuesResearcher.
Web.28Apr.2015.
Reisenwitz,Cathy."WalkingtheRedLightDistrict."
Freeman
.Sep.2014:12.
SIRSIssues
Researcher.
Web.28Apr.2015.
"USFederalandStateProstitutionLawsandRelatedPunishmentsLegalProstitution
ProCon.org."
ProConorgHeadlines
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