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October 22, 2008
Old Arguments and an Older Profession
Justin Katz
It's jarring to read familiar arguments put forward in the context of prostitution:
Proponents say the measure will free up $11 million the police spend each year arresting prostitutes and allow them to form collectives."It will allow workers to organize for our rights and for our safety," said Patricia West, 22, who said she has been selling sex for about a year by placing ads on the Internet. She moved to San Francisco in May from Texas to work on Proposition K.
Unions, it seem, want to get into the pimp business. I suppose it's a fit.
Be that as it may, however, I simply don't believe this assertion:
"We feel that repressive policies don't help trafficking victims, and that human rights-based approaches, including decriminalization, are actually more effective," said Carol Leigh, co-founder of the Bay Area Sex Workers Advocacy Network and a longtime advocate for prostitutes' rights.
To the extent that a law creates demand anywhere in the world, it creates a willingness to seek out supply, and although I'll avoid giving the assertion religious significance, there's a reason certain behaviors tend toward corruption.
6:11 PM
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How fitting that San Francisco, that bastion of liberalism - is pushing this issue. I have long maintained that liberals are like prostitutes - they find a way to rationalize every type of abnormal behavior. Like the prostitutes who rationalize spreading their legs, the liberals are no different.
Posted by: Mike Cappelli at October 22, 2008 8:06 PMAnd one more thing. How could I miss this one. So the whores want to unionize. How many tiimes have I referred to the union whores. Now it's not just an expression.
Posted by: Mike Cappelli at October 22, 2008 8:09 PMWhat a sick world.
"We feel that repressive policies don't help trafficking victims"
This is an important point - how best to locate and free victims of human trafficking. Can we get something a bit more definitive than feelings on it?
In Rhode Island, for example, prostitution is legal. Is there less human trafficking here?
Posted by: Monique at October 23, 2008 8:02 AMMove over Rice-a-Roni
San Francisco has a new Treat
Posted by: Ronnie at October 23, 2008 5:33 PMAlmost all the human trafficking(alien smuggling)involves ordinary people coming here for employment.There is huge money in that business and the prices have gone up(what else is new?)compared to years ago when I worked cases on that type of offense.
Posted by: joe bernstein at October 24, 2008 11:21 PMBTW in Amsterdam prostitution by individuals(in "windows" or as escorts)has always been legal.Brothels were technically illegal until a few years ago.Then Amsterdam legalized brothels.Why?To uncover human trafficking violations and enforce labor standards.It seems the brothels were used by traffickers for East European women who were scammed or just kidnapped.Once they were legal and subject to inspection,trafficking was reduced.