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     Prostitution has been a part of human existence since the ancient times. There are references to prostitution within the Bible as early as the book of Genesis. It currently exists in both civilized and primitive societies. Prostitution even occurs in animals species other than humans. In some ancient societies, prostitution had religious connotations. In ancient Greece, prostitutes were women of high social position. In contrast, the prostitutes of Rome were women of low social position. In the middle ages, legally licensed brothels were a revenue source for municipalities. In the 16th century, an epidemic of sexually transmitted diseases led to Europe’s efforts to control the prostitution trade. Those efforts to control prostitution included the closing of establishments where prostitution occurred, and strict punishment for those caught engaging in the sex trade. Yet, these efforts proved ineffective at stopping prostitution. Europe’s efforts were then redirected toward regulating prostitution to curb the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.  

     At one time, prostitution flourished here in the United States. It was not until the early 1900’s that legal efforts were made to negatively impact the sex trade in America. Now, most States have laws forbidding prostitution. However, there are exceptions. In our present-day society, just as in societies past, there is a demand for red-light districts, strip shows, prostitution, and such. In looking to restructure our social systems, because we can do nothing to eliminate desire for these things, we need to recognize the demand for these outlets for the sexually indulgent. They should be made a legal part of the economy so that people have this choice as an outlet and an indulgence. For one, they provide economic sustenance for those involved in that sort of trade. Secondly, they are an outlet for those who succumb to the temptations of the flesh. Human beings cannot thoroughly resist temptations. Succumbing to temptation is either an individual choice or an individual weakness. Hence, it is up to the individual to gain perspective on their weaknesses and to understand the motivation behind their choices. Persons must reconcile their acts within the context of their lives to the degree that he or she remains on a positive path. As long as that person does not cause harm to another, the rest of us must understand that person’s choices are their own. As such, they alone must consciously deal with the ramifications of their deeds.

     We others cannot judge this person's morality. We can only create a moral environment within which persons can dwell. However, each of us must accept the truth that human frailty is part of human nature. Each of us must recognize and allow for each other’s weakness in places of limited immorality so that we can realistically separate and deal with both morality and immorality in a positive manner. In this way, our society will be exercising compromise and tolerance to achieve harmony and balance. It is not positive to deprive a person of the indulgence of their flesh. As well, it is not positive to allow that person to impose their will upon or otherwise harm another. Therefore, we must make allowance for that a person’s need to experience while seeking to control it. This attitude is necessary for the betterment and evolution of our civilization.  

     Thirdly, the occurrence of these things serve as an example of a weakness of character and moral fiber prevalent within the human species. These happenings are an example to those who understand the negative ramifications of this type of indulgence. Someone once said, "Without darkness, how will we know the light?” For the individual who gives in to his or her physical nature and partakes of the sins of the flesh, it is up to them to gain perspective on their transgression. It is up to the individual to gain an understanding of the magnitude of the ramifications related to their actions. An individual must reconcile their actions with their spiritual or secular belief system, their commitment to right(eous)ness, and the path the journey of their life is to take. The rest of us cannot and should not judge, condemn, or deprive that person of their self-indulgent desire. This is true in so long as that person does not inflict harm or impose their desires upon another who does not concur. While not imposing our individual will upon another, as a collective, we must respect one another’s desire for such indulgence.  

     Sexual indulgence has a major role within human existence. Just as the individuals must seek to control all of their other behavior while experiencing life in all its fullness, each of us must apply this same conscious rationale to the area of sexuality. An example of how a social system applied civilized rationale to the legalization of prostitution exists in a British parliamentary act of 1959. This act made solicitation by streetwalking prostitutes illegal. However, it permitted women to engage in prostitution within the privacy of their own homes. There were provisions made for those wishing to get out of the life of prostitution. They were to be given training to develop commercial or technical skills. Other European and Asian countries have policies aimed at dealing with the realities of prostitution, as opposed to the unrealistic efforts to eliminate it. In Amsterdam, Netherlands, there is the red light district. Prostitution is legal there for those over the age of 18. There is a thriving sex industry in Japan. Prostitution was legal there until 1956. Yet, having a law against it has had little affect on the trade itself. It is a multi-billion dollar industry that is very open, caters to every desire, and enjoys very little police interference. In Windsor, Canada, prostitution is legal when the business is conducted within the confines of escort services. The availability of sex-for-hire and/or pornography has not destroyed the social structure of any of these countries, as is always the implication. We must face the hypocrisies engrained within our way of life and apply our faculties such that all the elements of existence aid and enhance our living conditions. 

     Pornography also should be zoned. This is already the case in many municipalities. In an article dated

Nov. 4, 1996, it was reported that the council of one New Jersey town approved an ordinance that designated a part of its industrial section as the official porn district. This was done in an effort to localize all these businesses into single out-of-the-way, identifiable vicinities. The council’s intent was not an open invitation to the sex industry. Rather, it was an attempt to deal with the issues related to an individual’s right to indulge themselves in the offerings of the sex industry without harming the community at large. In 1998, the mayor of New York City began to initiate a plan to zone sex-oriented businesses. By zoning the activities related to prostitution and pornography, we localize and separate it from our everyday existence. If it is necessary to look at this truth as an issue of good vs. evil, the zoning of these vices still makes sense. Right now, good and evil exist together within our social systems. Evil is all around us. Some of us live next door to it. It is in our communities and we cannot identify it. What we must do is separate good behavior from bad behavior. We must localize the unsavory elements of our society in a place that we can more easily choose to stay away from, while we in turn respect another’s desire for such indulgence.  

     In the extreme, there is another possible benefit of legalizing prostitution and it has to do with the control of the destructive nature of the pedophile. There are many pedophiles within our midst. Many more than one might believe. Most pedophiles suppress their deviant desires because they know that those desires are morally and socially wrong. Sometimes the suppression and/or denial of these impulses can go on for years. All the while, they are building in intensity. It is almost inevitable that an individual with this problem will lose control at some point during the course of their life. Most often than not, it will be when that person is confronted with the combination of great opportunity and great temptation. When this occurs, these desires will erupt with a vengeance and cause great harm to some very innocent members of our communities. Examples of this very occurrence are all too present within our society. The legalization of prostitution could aid our society in dealing with this hidden threat. Many individuals that go into this line of work have very adolescent features while actually being legal adults. These persons could dress up and provide an outlet for the pedophile that is largely successful at suppressing his or her desires. Having the option of occasionally releasing the stress created from not being able to indulge in their desire, individuals with this problem may never pose a threat to the public. This also affords that individual the opportunity to keep their perversion private, which goes a long way in allowing them to remain a positive, contributing member of our society. This is because a pedophile can come from many walks of life. They could be a priest, a doctor, a nurse, a teacher, or any number of respected individuals. By having a legal way of indulging their deviant desires and releasing their pinned up impulses, society increases its chances of never being confronted with the aftermath of what happens when that person erupts in the midst of our nation’s most innocent. 

     Legalizing and zoning these elements of our existence is not condoning the activities themselves. Rather, the social system is applying a more realistic approach to dealing with their existence. According to some interpretations of God’s law, divorce and/or abortion are not to be condoned. Yet, they are legal within defined parameters. This was done because certain human realities could not be ignored. One of our systems of existence found it necessary to apply compromise and tolerance to the problems of unwanted marriages and births. This led to solutions that, while perhaps contrary to morality and/or spiritual doctrine, were incorporated into our social structure to satisfy those in need. Our social system must apply this rationale to a great many of our social problems. If we are going to create a more perfect union, we must collectively open our minds and apply all the knowledge at our disposal to the task of building a living condition within which we all can thrive.

THE LEGALIZATION OF THE PROSTITUTION TRADE

copyrighted 2002

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