Letters to the Editor
Published Letters: 682 Editor's Choice: 9
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Hi!
[Read the article: Misadventures in logical reasoning -- and lessons learned from the Spitzer scandal]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]It's two "L"s, smarty-pants!
What is the purpose of sex? When was the last time you had sex to reproduce? And if you have, good for you.
I tend to take the Bill Hicks/David Cross view on sex: its neither magical or miraculous. I don't intend to have children yet, perhaps ever. My peers are doing plenty of that. But I do like sex, and while I have never directly paid cash for the privilege, it is not for you to tell me that I can't, at some point, under all due informed consent of all parties (let's not be coy: if I'm buying a hooker, why not buy two?) just skip the bullshit and pay for it?
And before you accuse me of being some kind of sexist pig, I can tell you that I know plenty of women who feel exactly the same. I can her the cluck-clucking of the soy latte soccer crowd now, and I would point out that while you or people who hold your "progressive" beliefs about womens rights might call such women "loose", "of low moral character" or a "slut", they themselves prefer to be called "feminists" pretty much universally.
I would add on a pragmatic note that there are several factors that have prevented me and my friends from a direct cash quid-pro-quo for sex (let's stop calling it prostitution for now, since that term more accurately describes my current job): it is illegal, and I don't like jail; it is illegal, so there is a higher ratio of scumbag to upstanding professional possible in the industry than in, say, record executives (wait, I take it back, there are probably way more scumbags in the record industry); it is unregulated, and while I have good medical insurance, I would hate to explain to the doctor where that rash comes from.
All the things that are bad about prostitution are true and true because it is criminalized. And I am looking for you to provide me with evidence of prostitution being the same or worse in a country (or county -- remember, we have Nevada) with a functioning legal system and government. Down the line, in every case, I would bet that it is better. We don't have very good statistics because its hard to quantify something that is UNDERGROUND!
There will always be pedophiles and sociopaths and pimps, and there are laws against sex with any minor, slavery, rape, assault, battery, fraud, extortion and theft that effectively deal with any laws that those scumbags might break.
But that you can go to any small to mid-sized city in America, open the phone book and get a call girl within hours; that you can get a hand job or blow job in almost any truck stop on Eisenhower's great Interstate Freeway, and a happy ending at a "massage parlor" in any major US city really says something to me: prohibition does not work.
Say it with me. "Prohibition.. does.. not.. work."
Better to protect sex workers than to punish them. And for they they need to be able to come out of the dark.
Sex-positive sex-work is a human rights issue, and you are on the wrong side of it.
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@tina
[Read the article: Misadventures in logical reasoning -- and lessons learned from the Spitzer scandal]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I encourage you to, then, watch HBO's "Cathouse" series, as well as the "Bullshit!" episode on prostitution.
I will try to stomach the NYT article, which has already been widely criticized.
The fact is, I *know* sex workers who *are* quite content with what they do. So, I speak from a position of authority.
I also know (or know of) some pretty miserable sex workers. I walk past them every day. They stand out on 18th and Harrison, 17th and Capp, 25th and South Van Ness in open air sex and narcotics markets. They hop the fence near my house to cop heroin by the 101, and service Johns under the freeway along 17th near Vermont and San Bruno streets.
And I also know professional doms who work in clean and safe environs, catering to professionals. I had a friend who worked in a maffia operated brothel, got out, and worked independently for a while. I know several dancers who have "seen" clients outside of the club. I knew one who offered "sex or a home cooked meal" in exchange for shoveling her driveway and chiseling out her car after one particularly harsh winter storm. This was posted as a MySpace bulletin (call the cops! MySpace is a de-facto pimp). I know several gay call-boys -- one who has HIV and will only service other positive men (and always with a condom).
I can say with some degree of certainty, having seen all sides of the issue, that you don't know what the hell you are talking about. I am sure your heart may be in the right place, that you don't intend to be a supporter of oppressive "Daddy" government, that you have in mind the abused girls. Go after the pimps. Go after the bad johns. Encourage "Harm Reduction" programs. Don't penalize the victim.