Mar
29
Suppose you are going to participate in a class debate on decriminalizing prostitution?
Filed Under Sociology
beauty_l♥ve_romance inquired:
Suppose you are going to participate in a class debate on decriminalizing prostitution. What arguments would you present in favor of decriminalization? What arguments would you present against decriminalization?
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5 Responses to “Suppose you are going to participate in a class debate on decriminalizing prostitution?”
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I have no arguments against decriminalization. The arguments that I have for it are first, medical, they can organize and have testing sites and clean bill of health checks. Maybe there would be less dead women if it were legal, who has the right to tell a person what to do with their body (USA here).
Criminalization argument: Prostitution is demeaning to women and bad for society as a whole (destructive to families, destructive for the image of all women, etc). Decriminalization sends the message that there is nothing wrong with prostitution and that this is respectable work for a woman when actually the practice is immoral and objectifies women, not to mention putting them at greater risk for all kinds of sexual exploitation and abuse.
From what I understand, in one of the European countries where prostitution is legal, there was actually a case of a woman being denied unemployment benefits because she refused to engage in prostitution to support herself. Could this happen in the US if laws were changed?
Basically, I would sugguest you research places where prostitution is legal and see what sorts of problems they have, and use these problems as arguments against legalization.
Decriminalization: Anti-prostitution laws are ineffective at stopping prostitution; they only make prostitution unnecessarily dangerous for those who choose to participate, not to mention making pimps necessary to protect women from johns since they can’t turn to cops to settle any disputes with customers. These laws also make *********** less likely to report things like **** and violent assault to authorities, leaving them more vulnerable to violence. Furthermore, STD transmission could be greatly reduced if *********** were regularly tested/licensed by the state.
I would focus on the idea, not that prostitution is good or beneficial to society, but that it is going to happen anyway and given that, it is better for it to be legal than not because at least when it is legal, the negative phenomenon that tend to go with it can be minimized, for *********** and their customers and society as a whole.
For: regulation, mandatory heath exams, taxes,etc.
Against: Morally and ethically wrong, spread of disease, etc.
If you are on the PRO side— highlight that a lot of countries have legalized prostitution so they can manage the spread of AIDs, other sexual diseases, the low crime rate— since it is no longer a crime. In poor countries, prostitution is their only way of livelihood.
If you are on the other side— your highlight is the moral issues and the inadequacy of the government to really manage the real issue—- the health issue. Making prostitution a legalized profession is allowing children to think that it is ok to be a ********** when they grow up and there’s nothing wrong with it because the gov’t allows it to be ok. Just imagine the atmosphere of a home if the mother is a prostitute— what psychological effects it might do to the child—and what about the husband? Instead of legalizing it, the government should have provided other means to help the *********** to have other options. A job should provide us security, dignity, happiness, and fulfillment as a human being—I don’t think a ********** can feel either of these four. We should live “life” not merely surviving “life”– and it is the government’s job to provide us opportunities to pursue our full potential as a proud, contributing citizen.
And if the government’s concern is the health issues, then they should put up educational and health care centers all over the country. If they have the money to support a war, then they should have the money to protect and support a life.
I dont have a debate for decriminalization. But i do know that the crime in our country gets worse and worse every year and something needs to be done to make it better! Same with the health of American citizens and healthcare.