Well, it isn't an easy fix. In an ideal world, youngsters would be
properly housed, clothed, fed and loved. They would be exposed to a
challenging educational experience and encouraged to reach their
fullest potential. But instead, we send out a few social workers to
try to salvage broken Spirits from the cruel ghettos. If we truly
valued our young, as our politicians keep assuring us through their
lying teeth, we would not be talking about legalizing prostitution.
Young people would have more respect for their own bodies, as well as
the bodies of others.
Somehow we must change directions and priorities if we are going to
hope for any future at all. At our best, we are on the edge of
greatness. At our worst, we are going under and taking the world with
us.
Carl Jarvis
On 8/18/15, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Well, I'm not sure that prostitution is just like any other employment.
Think about those workers contracted to work in Dubai who are lawful
workers
with contracts which actually make them slaves. That's why people are
demonstrating against the NYU and art museum being built there. I think
it's
there. Set up a so called sex industry, and you'll have black and brown
teens being legally placed in regulated slavery. It's one thing to
decriminalize. It's another thing to set up an industry with high paid
bosses, tax revenues for the state, and low paid workers. That's what
Hedges and all those do gooders are afraid of. There has to be a way to
decriminalize this work without sanctioning it.
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Carl Jarvis
Sent: Tuesday, August 18, 2015 12:41 PM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: Beyond Amnesty: The Battle Over Sex Work
Decriminalization
It's interesting that once we put a label on an industry, we see it
differently than other industries. Maybe instead of Prostitutes, we should
substitute, Hotel Workers. The hotel industry is regulated...sort of...and
employees have certain expectations for regular fair pay, working hours,
safe working conditions and whatever fringe benefits are negotiated. Then
there are those of us who are private contractors. We sign an agreement,
called a contract, saying what work we will perform and what our
contracting
agency will provide.
If prostitution were legalized in the manner of any other industry,
regulations could be drawn up and hopefully, enforced. Brothels would be
inspected regularly and fined for non compliance. Those prostitutes who
desired to run their own business would sign a contract with their state,
and would be regulated in the same manner.
Pimps, if any, would become the employee of the prostitutes rather than
their Masters. Maybe instead of calling them Pimps, they would become PR
Representatives.
It doesn't matter if you agree with prostitution or not. Many industries
exist that we don't especially like, but tolerate because there is a
legitimate demand. Would I want any of my children selling sexual
services?
Hell no! But neither do I want them risking their lives in many existing
industries that fudge the laws in order to profit the owners. The answer
is
not to make such work illegal, but rather, to make it even handed with
regulations and strong enforcement.
And finally, what is it with these, "Do Good er" folks who don't want
government telling them what to do, but think nothing of telling other
people what they can and cannot do with their bodies?
Here's a News Flash for those folks who think that if we return to the
"Good
Old Days", everything will be fine:
There Are No Good Old Days!!! Never were. Each time period was just as
messed up and full of stress as the next one or the previous one.
Only in our minds were there ever any good old days. And guess what, fifty
years from now, folks will long for these good old days. So let's stop
trying to force old beliefs and standards on today's people. Let's
legalize
prostitution and set up rules and enforcements. If it doesn't work, we cn
always return to....you know.
Carl Jarvis
On 8/18/15, Bob Hachey <bhachey@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
OK, so to clarify, you are against taking legal action against-+ the
clients of prostitutes?
Bob
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Miriam
Vieni
Sent: Monday, August 17, 2015 9:35 AM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: Beyond Amnesty: The Battle Over Sex
Work Decriminalization
Bob,
Actually, I agree with you. I was remembering our past discussions
which were based on an article that Chris hedges wrote. I agree that
sex work should be decriminalized. There is a distinction between
decriminalizing an activity and legalizing it and acdtually, that
distinction is made in this article. When sex workers talk about, I
think they call it, the Nordic solution, and say that they are opposed
to that, it is that kind of legalization that they are opposed to. It
puts the power in the hands of brothel operators. But I do agree
absolutely withDoogan.
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Bob Hachey
Sent: Monday, August 17, 2015 6:44 AM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: Beyond Amnesty: The Battle Over Sex
Work Decriminalization
Hi Miriam,
Thanks for sharing this one. Based on past discussions, you and I are
on opposite sides of this issue. I do believe that doogan and Cirkin
have it right here and that the best approach is to decriminalize this
activity on both sides of the street.
Perhaps what we do need are laws that put more limits on managers of
brothels such that the majority of the money earned by the prostitute
is kept by the prostitute. And, I'd continue to outlaw street pimps.
I think we can agree that we want to put an end to violence and
children in the sex trade. I was going to say we agree on the
elimination of exploitation, but I'm thinking that you believe that
any kind of sex for hire relationship is exploitation. . Would you
argue that women like Doogan have been exploited for so long that they
do not see the error of their opinions?
One of the great things about this list is that we can have
intelligent discussions about extremely emotional hot-button type
issues and still remain friends.
Bob Hachey
