I love Glenn's post, he sums up nicely what I couldn't articulate in the last thread.

I also see your point, but the whole commodity thing, selling herself for marriage thing is what rankles even me, who agrees with you. This is not directed at you specifically, there have been a number of posters that have joked about the ring for sex thing, etc.

I chose to marry my husband because I love him and he's my partner. I choose to have sex with him for the same reason, not as a "trade" for security, $$$, etc. I hope he wants to have sex with me for the same reason, not because he owes me, or whatever.

At the price these guys were paying I have to imagine that clients 1 thru 8 would be "interesting" people, too.

It would be amusing (in a bad way), to see some hard core supporter of warrantless wiretapping be brought down by people interested in what Spitzer was doing.

Kerik or Guiliani would be priceless.

I have to say, to AKA and Tina who I sometimes/frequently agree with, you both seem to be personalizing the issue.

Like me, you cannot conceive of wanting to do something that you see as debasing of your values, of your self worth. It would never enter our minds to do it.

I think you're missing the picture, not all women or men (that also can sell their bodies) find it repugnant, immoral, debasing, soul killing, whatever, etc. Many people of both sexes see sex as a physical act, no big deal. Not you, not me, but we aren't everybody. Hell, I couldn't box or ultimate fight either, can't imagine putting my body through that kind of abuse, punches to the face, so...I'm not going to do that, either. Half the things the guys do on "Jackass" I think are unimagineable, but I see them as exploiting themselves. Oh well.

Spitzer made his bed, I won't cry for him, he knew the rules.

The callgirl? I have no idea why she does what she does. Maybe because it's big money, she feels she might as well rake it in while she can. I don't think throwing her in jail, let alone giving her a criminal record, will solve any of the world's problems.

However, the drive for some sort of personal power and self-esteem endures in almost all living humans, however distorted it may be.

I agree, but I also see that outlawing prostitution does NOTHING to prevent child abuse and does not to help young sexually abused women and men. Absolutely nothing.

It just places the prostitutes even more in danger and forces them to work in the shadows if they do make the "choice".

BTW, I have known someone who was a prostitute and a few women and men that were dangerously promiscuous. Some of them I think (guess) might have been abused, seem to have the red flags, the others, not so much. The prostitute I knew was a shyster, a scammer, I have no idea what her "backstory" was, only found out what she was after the fact. She waited tables with me while I was in college and was very attractive.

If we are going to keep prostitution illegal, then we need to at least stop being hypocrites about its involvement in the sexual misuse of minors.

AKA, nobody suggests that minors should be able to be prostitutes, or strippers, or porn stars, or drink in bars, or gamble. In fact, GG explicitly points out that forced prostitution and child prostitution should be illegal.

Because prostitution IS illegal, there aren't any regulations. There is no one they can complain to if you are abused, because they are criminals there is little sympathy afforded them.

There are hypocrites on this thread, just not the usual conservative kind.

Oh please. What penalties should be meted out on these criminals? Keeping prostitution illegal makes these women criminals. If they get caught, they are in serious trouble. How does this help them?

It's about choice.

Comparison's to abortion are apt. I don't want one. I don't want people I love to have one. I hope no one I know thinks they need one. Forced abortion is unbelievably wrong, evil.

I still want it to be legal, I still do not want to criminalize anyone that does make that choice.

You haven't answered the question I have, how does keeping it illegal help any of these women and men on the street, let alone the higher end variety like Spitzer hired?

The same thing applies to drugs and alcohol abuse. I don't want it to effect anyone I love...if it does, I hope to God that they wouldn't be imprisoned for it.

If it's truly work like any other then let it be treated the same, you hypocrites.

Nobody said it was the same....you are the one that thinks it criminal and needs to remain that way.

What punishment should be done to these women? What about the stripper that will give a hand job to a client for a $20 tip?

What jail sentence will save these women from the evilness they are being subjected to? To punish them for using their sexuality for money?

Dawkins, not so much, and I find his writing on the dangers of religion to be refreshing and important.

I agree, Dawkins is in a whole different category then Harris and Hitchens. I find him very fascinating and not provacative for it's own sake.

As an atheist myself, I see the problem that believers have with me and others like me. If I had faith, even different from their own, they would see it as part of my upbringing, or a mistake in my reading of scripture, etc. Something they can understand, even if they don't agree.

Lack of belief they see as repudiation of their belief and it offends them. It's seen as rejection. It's seen as a threat.