Sex Work

Is America Ready for Legalized Prostitution?

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MSNBC's David Shuster takes time off from hectoring guests to ask Tracy Quan (pro) and Janice Crouse (con) whether the United States is ready for legalized prostitution:

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Nick Gillespie is an editor at large at Reason.

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  1. William Spitzer

    Yes.

  2. Eliot Spitzer

    A large part of it is.

    1. Spartacus

      It’s not large. Don’t flatter yourself.

  3. Jedi Death Panelist

    Is there any victimless crime that we agree should actually be criminal? I’m honestly trying to think of one.

    1. R C Dean

      No. “Victimless crime” is an oxymoron. No activity that all parties freely consent to participate in can be a crime in any meaningful sense of the word.

    2. Fatwa Issuer

      I can easily think of several.

      1. R C Dean

        Name them.

        1. Fatwa Issuer

          Blasphemy, for one. Need I continue?

          1. Death Panelist

            Pat Roberston, is that you?

          2. I, Kahn O'Clast

            Since there is no god there is no blasphemy. (Even if there were, how could such a being be harmed by blasphemy?)

            Next.

  4. Anomalous

    Think about it, there must be hired love.

    1. If not for prostitutes, some guys would never get laid.

    2. If not for prostitutes, some guys would never get laid.

    3. If not for prostitutes, some guys would never get laid.

      1. Shit.

        Didn’t mean to submit this shit three damn times.

        Sorry all.

        1. Poguemahoney

          No problem…It did bear repeating

  5. Commander Keen

    Seriously, where did that bitch get her statistics?

    1. horselips

      One look at her and you know she doesn’t need any. Seriously, if you looked like that would you want any competition?

    2. Anomalous

      She pulled those statistics right out of her fat wrinkled ass.

  6. SugarFree

    Is America Ready for Legalized Prostitution?

    Depends on what they look like.

  7. Captain Holly

    Is America Ready for Legalized Prostitution?

    Uh, hasn’t anyone been to Nevada lately?

    Just as we already have legalized recreational drugs (alcohol, caffeine, nicotine) we already have legalized prostitution in at least one state.

    The question should be “Are Americans ready for legalized prostitution in their communities?” because as far as I know there’s nothing stopping states and municipalities from legalizing it if they wish.

    1. Caffeine & nicotine aren’t legalized, because they were never illegalized.

  8. Hacha Cha

    America already has legalized prostitution in Nevada and Rhode Island. it needs to be legalized nationwide. there is still legal prostitution nationwide, they just use other titles to get around the laws.

    1. Hacha Cha

      shit they may have made prostitution a misdemeanor in Rhode Island in 2009. what the fuck is wrong with this country, when are they going to stay out of peoples business?

  9. Binky

    Tracy Quan for Prostitution Czarina!

  10. BobbyZ

    Was subjected to a lecture of Janice Crouse a few years ago. She just makes absurd statistics up out of thin air and her views on women in society makes the original puritans look like free love hippies in comparison.

  11. The Gobbler

    If it will get the Reason Girl off of the street then I’m all for it.

    1. R C Dean

      Don’t you mean:

      If it will get the Reason Girl off of on the street then I’m all for it.

    2. In Time Of War

      I’ve been dying to ask…why *does* she look like she’s coming off a 3-day drunk?

  12. prolefeed

    Judging from the paucity of places that have actually legalized prostitution, or even had legislation introduced to legalize it, I’d say it’s a “no”.

  13. Rewrite

    I predict all this will be like the lottery…State governments will realize how much of a cash cow legalizing prostitution and drugs is and it will slowly spread across the nation [Count me out of Mega-whore; I might go for Power ball].
    I’m a little surprised California isn’t thinking about it already.

  14. How the heck would you enforce “sexual harasment” laws?

    1. Pip

      I read a few years ago about a survey done in France. Something like two out of three women said they thought that being asked to show their breasts in a job interview was not inappropriate.

      1. Binky

        Sure beats the ol’ “fill this out” trickery.

      2. John C. Randolph

        Well, given that you can’t hire anyone in France without setting aside more than a year’s salary to pay them if you fire them, I guess French employers want to be really sure they’re making the right choice.

        -jcr

    2. Bill C

      “I did not have sex with that women.” Works every time! [‘That women’ is my wife.]

  15. Spartacus

    I’m trying to figure out what something like “90% of prostitutes want out” actually means. Are 90% of them enslaved? Or do they just want a better job? I bet 90% of McDonald’s employees “want out” too. Is that in any way meaningful?

    1. If that’s an actual number, and I seriously doubt it is, but it more than likely represents those who would like to get off the streets but can’t because of pimps and arrest records that make it virtually impossible for them to get a fresh start.

      You know, as opposed to Nevada where a girl who “wants out” simply quits and gets another job.

  16. Scott

    Is there any other activity in this country in which it’s perfectly legal to do for free, but illegal to do for money?

    1. R C Dean

      Organ donation.

      1. davek

        Surgery, dentistry, taxi driving, providing bacon dogs…

        1. skr from the future

          adding salt to food

          1. prolefeed

            Cooking meals at home.

            1. Pahrump

              Playing cards (in many jurisdictions).

      2. Organ donations counts. The other examples don’t because you can get a license to do them for money, except grilled bacon dogs.

        In many states, mixed martial arts.

        1. Tom

          Organ donation cannot be fairly compared to sex. Removing an organ permanently alters your body for the worse, and is not something anyone would choose to do if there were an alternative. Sex is a natural, healthy, pleasurable activity, that million of people engage in every day. The two are not comparable.

    2. CrackertyAssCracker

      Sub-minimum wage labor. Unless you work for ACORN or some labor union. Then it’s OK.

  17. bmp1701

    Congress has been around since 1789. I’d say we’re long due to legalize the more honest forms of whores.

  18. John C. Randolph

    Why does Janice Crous remind me of what George Carlin said about the women who are against abortion?

    -jcr

  19. DWCarkuff

    what good is morality if we can’t inflict ours on others? That’s the whole point of morality isn’t it? To dictate to others how they should behave?

  20. CrackertyAssCracker

    I always like to ask lefties, “so you think the government should stay out of our bed rooms, right? Well what if I want to pay somebody 2 dollars an hour for sex, would that be OK? Well what if I want to pay them 2 dollars an hour to paint the walls? What if they are naked while they paint the walls, and I like it?”

  21. Hi everybody! Youtube is temporarily a mess… so you can go here instead to view the video. And I recommend it!
    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21…..6#35897136

  22. I have discussed this issue with many people who are involved in different activities. Criminal all over the world will be really happy if any governments legalize prostitution. It’s going to increase abstraction of crime.

    Please find its detailed case study in Australia which has experienced over two decades of legalized prostitution and is promoted as a model for other Australian states and territories to pursue, as well as countries worldwide.
    http://action.web.ca/home/catw…..oof_01.pdf

  23. Maybe non god fearing is ready to legalize prostitution…but not god fear good people.I think prostitution is degrading to women and against the bible. It is sad the women have to get to this point and sell their bodies. btw. I want to share a site that lets you state your opinions and you can win free gift cards. http://opinion.ezwingame.com/t…..n-be-legal

  24. thatguy

    what a dumb bitch, where does she get this “90% are controlled by pimps” bullshit? It has nothing to do with any genuine care for the condition of the women in the industry for her; she’s just one of these many bizarre puritan/feminist abominations that can’t stand to let other women make their own social choices, and thinks that all men are rape-obsessed monsters. Screw feminists hard.

    1. Poguemahoney

      It is the bully factor in our culture, we have a whole host of people who achieve a sick personal satisfaction in being able to bully others into thinking their way. a couple of generations ago these same people would be arguing for anti-miscegnation laws and for Jim Crow, it is all about the rush they get out of being able to hurt and control other people.

  25. Hill

    I’m a big proponent of legalized prostitution. That religious nut doesn’t know what she’s talking about. If you legalize it, the government can control and tax it, and free up tons of tax dollars, prison space and law enforcement because now you don’t have to enforce a law that’s ridiculous in the first place. The only ones that wanna keep prostitution illegal are Christians and pimps (pimps want to keep it illegal because the illegality is what keeps them in business). And where did that nut-bag fruit bastard winch get her stats??? Why/how the hell would illegal prostitution be on the rise in a country where prostitution is legal?

    One point they didn’t bring up was the human trafficking thing. Which, blaming prostitution for human trafficking is like blaming construction for illegal immigration. In fact, if you legalize prostitution, you can control who works as a prostitute, thus you can employ the same labor laws as you would in any other industry.

  26. blocka

    Legalized prostitution will give a very good help to reduce crimes that happened because of the sex deprivation. Two adult consent for payed sex should be allowed as we pay for all other services. I can imagine people will be happy as some people will make money and other will enjoy their dream partners. ALL WIN WIN GOVT. can make tax….

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