RE: Prostitution Should Be Legalized and Regulated
In my country, the Netherlands, they have made it legal and even taxed. I believe somewhere around 1995 or so, they made prostitutes into independent contractors and since 2000 even brothels (hiring sex workers) had become legal. Now, there are always two sides of the story. The government (of course) said it would be to regulate, make it possible for sex workers to report any abuse without getting prosecuted and to fight human traficking and forced prostitution. The reality is though, that the government seldom does something for the people, but much rather for self-interest. The sex industry is a 100's of million dollar industry, if not more, and they wanted a piece of that. The reality is that it hasn't changed who's boss. Of course, there are certain places where women (or men) are actually independent contractors and work in a safe environment. But the nasty pimps, the human trafficking, the forced prostitution (is it ever really voluntarily?)...it still exists, it's just that those criminals hide it better. Another downside: because the women are registered, if they have kids: chances are they'll have some CPS visits and possibly have their children taken from them. They're basically 'marked' and it's hard to even try to get a regular job after a career in prostitution.
Yeah, the Netherlands has legalized the business, but I don't think much has changed other than the tax money that's going into the state reserve's wallet.
That is unfortunate. Do you feel that it is the regulations that are holding sex workers back, or is it the lack of action from the government that promised them a higher quality of living?
I'd say it's the lack of action. Now, there are health services available for them, but they are separated from the rest. I can understand how they would feel like they're even more singled out with that. And they never really did much about those abusing the system. There are still pimps who are not registered and having girls working for them who are forced, they are just more under the radar, like they always used to be. What they should do, with all that tax money they're getting now, is put more men on the streets to prevent and catch those illegal activities. Talk, truly talk, to those women and make sure that if they are in danger, forced or whatever, to get them out and protected...But they don't do that...
You're right. We all need to be better in these kind of situations. If we don't the bad guys will keep winning regardless if they are wearing a badge (police) or not (pimps).
Also, the most important thing here is to be able to support abused or scared people. They are still just humans, which very often need a supportive hand