Legalizing Prostitution

887 Words2 Pages

For many centuries prostitution has been present in our world. Since ancient times, there have been people selling, buying and controlling the sex industry. Although this is one of the longest living businesses in history, it is still one of the most misunderstood by the public. Anti-prostitution campaigners try and bring in issues of morals and false facts to scare us out of legalizing something most people do on a daily basis. Luckily, there are plenty of facts that prove otherwise and the issue of morals affects no one but the people who are involved. So where is the issue? By legalizing prostitution, we are giving workers the rights they are born with and a safer environment to work in.
One detail that has been brought up when debating anti-prostitution laws is that making it illegal is a violation of human rights. Prostitutes are very heavily discriminated against by not only the people who disagree with the act and believe it to be immoral, but also by police and other law enforcement officials. When an officer attempts an arrest, they belittle the prostitute by being harsh and aggressive. All arrests involve entrapment, invasion of privacy and/or the use of discriminating tactics. For many prostitutes, fighting against an arrest is unheard of. Not only do they fear their officers but they are unaware of their right to fight for their rights. Rarely do they realize that they have rights to be considered and that most arrests are unlawful and therefore unacceptable. According to a quote from the PEN, "No person's human or civil rights should be violated on the basis of their trade, occupation, work, calling or profession.” (The Prostitutes’ Education Network)
In addition, the enforcement of anti-prostitution laws makes t...

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