There’s No Ending The Oldest Profession
Selling and buying sex has never been illegal in the UK. Yet Harriet Harman seems to think that that’s simply not good enough, and that the precedents set by centuries of history - covering even the most prudest eras - isn’t good enough for her. What she is attacking she says “just because something has always gone on, it doesn’t mean you just wring your hands and say there’s nothing we can do about it” she is ignoring the very foundation of British society, law and democracy - precedent and organic development, taking into account the past. Of course this doesn’t mean that what has gone before is always right, but it certainly means that there needs to eb damn good reason before you even consider changing it.
Let’s look at this from a rights perspective. I own my body, right? We all agree on that point. So I can do whatever the hell I like with it. After all, that is what manual labourers - the people Harman’s party claims to represent - do when they sell their labour. And what we all do when we work - we sell our labour in whatever form. Thus, we can do what we want with out own bodies.
Then we have the fact that the money I earn, after I have paid my taxes to the State, are mine to dispose of as I wish. This money I can spend on anything I wish, as it is my money, that I have earned, and on which no-one else has any claim. Right?
So, why should I not be allowed to buy or sell sex if I so wish - wish my own body or my own money? It is right that some activities associated with prostitution - such as pimping and brothel-keeping - are illegal. But the simple activity of selling and buying sex certainly should not be. It is referred to as the “oldest profession” for a reason, and it will long outlive Harman and her ilk. After all, sex is a one of the basic needs of mankind - and not everyone can or wants to get it without paying.
Sources: BBC, The Telegraph, The Times, The Guardian
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“Then we have the fact that the money I earn, after I have paid my taxes to the State, are mine to dispose of as I wish. This money I can spend on anything I wish, as it is my money…”
I wish to spend the money I’ve earned on funding terrorism. I hope this meets to your approval given your argument?
Radical example, I know, but it illustrates that not everything can be quite so Black & White.
Most prostitutes who are “selling their bodies” are not doing so because it’s a career path they chose following a cognative ability test at school. They don’t want to lower themselves to such a sordid level - but they have to meet the bills somehow.
Many come as a result of people trafficking - they are forced to work. Clearly this is wrong - and something must be done to help stop it.
Besides, there’s long been laws against soliciting prostitution. Surely it’s easier just to have a complete prohibition that the hodge-podge of laws we currently have?
[Note to MI5 - the above quote about funding terrorism was a hypothetical example to make a point. Please don't come and arrest me :)]
Prostitution doesn’t directly harm any other person, though - terrorism does. Sex, whether it be paid for or not, is a private matter.
Most people who do manual labour are also “not doing so because it’s a career path they chose following a cognative ability test at school”. They are doing it because it is the best way to make money. Of course few choose to become a prostitute, but if prostitution or buying sex was illegal, they wouldn’t be able to get money at all.
Making buying sex illegal wouldn’t help those who do it by financial necessity, but make it harder for them to do so!
People trafficking and forced prostitution are already illegal, and this wouldn’t do anything to stop that at all. If this is about stopping people trafficking, there are far better ways to do it.
I agree with TD that people should be allowed to do what they want with their bodies. If adults want to sell/buy sex then they should be allowed to.
If we want to stop people taking up prostitution because they need the money then the best route to go down is better education (thereby increasing individual prospects) rather than more illiberal legislation. Besides, ban the buying of sex and the number of rapes and violence fuelled by sexual frustration would most likely shoot up.