Katie Halper
March 13, 2008 |
12:37 am EST
Spitzer’s prostitution scandal and the outing of “call girl” ashley alexandra dupre, have provoked quite a reaction and much debate. Yet, the debate about legalizing prostitution has yet to surface. Is it time for the United States to decriminalize the world’s oldest? If we acknowledge that prostitution will never go away, wouldn’t we, as a society, be better off if prostitution were legal? Prostitutes would be less stigmatized and victimized. Prostitutes would have protection from the violence which haunts them, and more access to safe sex education, resources, and testing. The debate over whether prostitution is “moral” or “immoral,” liberating of exploitative strikes me as academic. What we do know is that the “problem isn’t going away.” So the question is, do we live in a state of denial and hypocrisy? Or do we think rationally and act compassionately?
For an interesting perspective on the criminalization of prostitution, check out Taking The Pledge, a 13-minute documentary about sex workers from countries including Bangladesh, Brazil, Cambodia, Mali, and Thailand. 
by educating yourself at the Urban Justice Center’s Sex Workers’ Project
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Education • Ethics
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Tagged as:ashley alexandra dupré • ashley alexandra dupre myspace • ashley dupre • ashley youmans • Bangladesh • Brazil • Cambodia • decriminalizing prostitution • emperors club • legalize prostitution • legalizing prostitution • Mali • prostitution • Sex Workers' Project • Spitzer • spitzer hooker picture • spitzer kristen • spitzer unsafe sex • Taking The Pledge • Thailand • Urban Justice Center • Urban Justice Center's Sex Workers' Project
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19 posts in the last 24 hours
Good Katie for getting to the heart of the matter!
In addition,I do wonder how pure the motivation was in prosecuting Spitzer to begin with and how many others — politicians, corporate executives and other positions of royalty have availed themselves of these services. Who else could afford it?
Beverly SternerSome men do like their women and if they can pay for extra, wow, heaven on earth!
lora bruncke[...] Spitzer’s prostitution scandal and the outing of “call girl†ashley alexandra dupre, have provoked quite a reaction and much debate. Yet, the debate about legalizing prostitution has yet to surface. Is it time for the United States to decriminalize the world’s oldest? If we acknowledge that prostitution will never go away, wouldn’t we, as a society, be better off if prostitution were legal? Prostitutes would be less stigmatized and victimized. Prostitutes would have protection from the violence which haunts them, and more access to safe sex education, resources, and testing. The debate over whether prostitution is “moral†or “immoral,†liberating of exploitative strikes me as academic. What we do know is that the “problem isn’t going away.†So the question is, do we live in a state of denial and hypocrisy? Or do we think rationally and act compassionately? (more…) [...]
pussycat - Beautiful - Amazing - Wonderful » Ashley Alexandra Dupre, Spitzer & The Prostitution Debate March 16, 2008 | 7:51 am EST[...] six months from retirement, but she has been put on leave and could lose her job and pension. Again, I’m wondering why someone like Dickinson should be punished for providing a service (yes, it’s sex) which will [...]
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