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San Francisco weighs decriminalizing prostitution

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Why not arrest the guys paying for sex?

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I predict this will be a bad move. Prostitution should not be illegal, but it most certainly should be regulated. What this will do is tie the authority's hands to do much of anything at all, and prostitution will run rampant and out of control. Prostitutes need to have their rights protected, and not just their right to work. They also need to have regular check ups.

Regulate it, because letting it run wild will be dangerous. --Cirroc

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Why not arrest the guys paying for sex?

Why arrest anyone Scrote? Why can't adults sell and buy sex? XXX movie makers do just that all the time. The only difference is that they film what they paid for and sell the product, no real difference at all. --Cirroc

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Nothing will stop the world's oldest profession. But regulation could make it much more safe for everyone involed. This law proposal doesn't make sense. A structured legalization program would achieve the same things while allowing the authorities to regulate and monitor it.

I don't support prostitution. But I also don't support wasting money on enforcement that doesn't have a prayer of working. So legalize it, tax it and make it pay for itself. Same goes for marijuana.

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as long as those engaging in this are adults, not trafficked in from poor countries, zero child sex, and no physical harm I don't see why they shouldn't legalize it.

As I understand it, in New Orleans and Las Vegas it is because it is decriminalized that people working in the business get mandatory check ups for STDs.

If you are against this idea, then I think scrote has the right idea. Kind of like Japan where if you are in possession of drugs, even in your system, you have committed a crime and that does sort of hamper the market.

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Caveman hit the mark already. Don't just decriminalize it, regulate it.

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I'm glad. It's been debated and debated.

Look at the cat houses in Vegas. It's a business that keeps itself clean by enforsement of health screenings. < :-)

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San Francisco already has a large sex trafficking problem with girls from Korea and China in particular and the mayor -who I don't particularly like otherwise - is making a special effort to crack down on it.

This law would make it more difficult to protect girls who are brought in by traffickers and abused. For example, girls that don't realize what they are getting into when they agree to get smuggled into the USA. If this law were passed, it would be a magnet for scumbag traffickers from Eastern Europe, too. And they are even more violent and cut-throat.

I don't disagree with legalizing prostitution, but where it does get legalized, like Amsterdam or Israel, you have still have trafficking proplems and the abuse of the girls that comes with it. You can't decriminalize without installing draconian anti-trafficking laws.

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"I don't support prostitution. But I also don't support wasting money on enforcement that doesn't have a prayer of working. So legalize it, tax it and make it pay for itself. Same goes for marijuana."

I agree 100%!

As to all the 'don't just decriminalize it, regulate it' comments, one would think this needs to go without saying. Do they state that there would be no regulation? If not, I'm assuming that regulation is part and parcel. If not, well then I am absolutely in agreement there too (meaning, I agree that it NEEDS to be regulated if it's legalized).

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I'm against the legalization of prostitution. I think it should be discouraged by society. I don't think it should become so accessible that it becomes a viable option for every girl graduating high school. If it's legalized, will there be prostitution rings represented on high school career day? Legalized prostitution has ramifications beyond simply "who cares what two consenting adults do in private".

I'd keep it illegal but only put minimal police resources into it. Putting more resources into drug rehab would have more of an effect on decreasing prostitution. Anyway, as far issues go, it's about 47th on my list of things to be concerned about.

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a

viable option for every girl graduating high school

Actually, I think that it is more of an option for girls that do not graduate from high school.

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Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit hookin'.

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This law would make it more difficult to protect girls who are brought in by traffickers and abused." Why do you feel that, I assumed it would be just the oppisite as there would be or should be some type of regulation and administration over it as it does concern health, so they would be inspected by the health department just like an eating establishment, wouldn't it?

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I can't seem to find any polls on how much support there is for the proposition. Anyone know of any links?

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CavemanLawyer,

I agree with you as far as regulation is concerned. It seems as though it is verboten to speculate on the legalization and regulation of vices in general so, confining the subject only to decriminalizing prostitution, I see no problem in legalizing it--subject to regulation.

I think the chief problem with regulation will be that it will still not remove the middleman, or pimp or madam if you will. Panderers of women or rentboys will still control the regulated market. Others will exploit the high and low ends of the market.

The good point of regulation, I think is that the low end of the market gets minimized and those providing the direct services get some protection and some respect. I would hope they would also get health care. However, regulating health care is what will drive the regulated price up and keep the scofflaw low end in business.

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Follow a proven leader and do things Nevada style. They have been in this business for decades and have very few problems.

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I think the chief problem with regulation will be that it will still not remove the middleman, or pimp or madam if you will. Panderers of women or rentboys will still control the regulated market. Others will exploit the high and low ends of the market.

So what's the difference to the company you are working for?

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Bebert, I have to disagree with your analysis that legal prostitution would allow more human trafficing. I would expect that if prostitution were legal then only the activities with other illegal activities would stay undergound. The "legal" prostitutes would have cause to report the illegal activity to protect their own business. There could be health checks and care provided to slow the spread of disease. Pimps could be rounded up. Exploitation would go down.

Your reaction was mine the first time I was in Copenhagen. I asked a local friend "why is this legal?" The response was that if it was legal it could be controlled more easily. And taxed, I suppose.

But you're not alone. A lot of Americans thought that prohibition of alcohol was going to solve problems associated with drunks. Guess that didn't work either.

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Aheeeeeeeeem, American people!! Hello!! A large amount of prostitutes are male who have any more dangers than women. Many rent boys are lured to the world of drugs. san Francisco should help these prostitutes, it is too dangerous a profession. I don't expect most of the punters are awight, they almost alkl shadey fellas.

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Follow a proven leader and do things Nevada style.

If Nevada is your model of what's best for the entire country, then we're in trouble.

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My libertarian side wants to agree that prostitution should be legalized. However, what San Francisco is doing is worse than the problem itself. The proposition mearly wants to avoid enforcement of anti-prostitution laws. It's still illegal but no one is going to hassle you about it. That's just plain stupid. The law makes a statement as to the values of the community. If your values are to be for prostitution, then change the law to say so.

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This proposition, as reported in the article, is a HORRIBLE idea.

Regulation is the way to go. Everyone should be screened and registered by the police. By screened, i mean interviews and background checks of all sex workers to insure that they are not slaves. However, even so, the traffickers are likely to produce false documentation.

As someone who is violently against human trafficking, I pray that this law does not pass.

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gonemad,

I don't understand your question and consequently I don't understand the relevance.

Are you asking how this impacts my company? I don't see the relevance of that at all. Or perhaps you are asking how this impacts providers of prostitution services in general. In that case, it impacts them as I have described--they go underground, they choose to be regulated and abide by the regulations or they choose to regulated and continue to offer off the book services.

Or maybe you are asking how what I have said is any different from the situation in my [regulated] company or any regulated company. Offhand I don't see that it is different.

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Or maybe you are asking how what I have said is any different from the situation in my [regulated] company or any regulated company. Offhand I don't see that it is different.

That's what I wanted to say...

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gonemad,

Then we would be in agreement on that point.

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