Hey, look! Somebody I know published a fine piece on that famous “hooker ruling”. And it neatly addresses something that’s been bugging me for a while about the debate over whether prostitution should be legal – the way people confuse “legal” with “good”. As in: prostitution should be legal because let’s be honest, what’s the big deal? So what if some women (and men) want to sell their bodies? It’s theirs, right? Well, no. Not right.
Countries with legalized prostitution should consider the number of young girls transported in dirty containers from places like Ukraine, Russia, Nigeria and elsewhere, to service western buyers. Will Canada join their ranks?
Some in the Netherlands are now hoping to undo the damage of legalized prostitution. Amsterdam’s Mayor Job Cohen told the press in 2007 human trafficking was on the rise and crime was running rampant: “Since the legalization in 2000, things have changed. The law was created for voluntary prostitution but these days we see trafficking of women, exploitation and all kinds of criminal activity.”
Prostitution is dangerous whether legal or illegal. Furthermore, it’s not a choice. The vast majority of women come to it through drug and sexual abuse, mental health problems and extreme poverty.
Maintaining strict laws is about protecting women who are abused by the very way in which they survive. This is also about the kind of country we want to live in.
by 
I agree wholeheartedly with the last line in the excerpt: “This is about the kind of country we want to live in.” I think that many of the people who shrug and say “They’ll do it anyway” have not considered what the further decriminalization of prostitution will mean. We will ALL being live off the avails of prostitution, for surely our governments will quickly tax the businesses and employees, plus collect GST/HST. Our nanny state already forces me to pay for abortions because I have access to no other medical insurance (nor sufficient after tax income to pay my doctor directly). Then there is the ever-increasing reliance on gambling (i.e casino) revenue, another activity that preys on the weak and vulnerable among us, never mind what it does to the fabric of community and family. When prostitution becomes legal, that’s the day I cease to be a taxpayer in this country.
You’re in trouble, Lauri. Prostitution is legal in this country. It’s sollicitation that’s not. 🙂
It’s not taxed, Brigitte. I decided not to further nuance the argument by using the term “legitimate” rather than legal, as I am very much aware that the sex act which is performed in exchange for cash is legal in this country. Thanks for reminding me how precise one must always be when seeking to express an unpopular opinion.