(no subject)
Okay, so for my POL 1150 class I have to comment on politics in an online class forum. Last night I started
(Note: I'm copy/pasting, so this is all verbatim.)
Liz:
What does everyone think of the issue outlined in this article? The women here argue that while prostitution in Canada is legal, everything surrounding it is not, including those activities that would make it safer for women. I personally agree with the women, and think that the more control given to sex workers, the safer they'll make themselves.
Rikki:
WOW I was totally shocked that prositution is legal in Canada. Call me old fashion but I seriously think about hanging my head in shame when I read this article. I do not think that changing the laws to make these activities safer for woman is a good idea. What is a good idea is making the act of prostitutional illegal.
Prostitution has traditional been seen as a lowest of the lower class profession for none other then that woman were kept out of other professions. (I am by no means a strong supporter of femininism theory, but I can see how prostituion gave woman a bad name) We do not have that any more. Woman who are prostitutes are not doing it out of necessicty with social services, womans shelters, and affirmative action, woman have more oppoortunities these days to leave professions that cuase them to be underminded. For that reason alone we have to question why these woman are purposfully introducing themselves to a profession that is unsafe for themselves without necessity.
Prostitution is a "job" that leaves these woman open to more STD's, dangerous situtation, possibility of pregnacy with little to no benefit to others or Canada as a whole. Where other professions have some sort of ends that justify the means (stimulation of economy, public saftey and the like) prosititution has none of these. Woman are purposly putting themsleves in harms way for no benefit as a whole.
Also, although i can see the slippery slop of calling it morally wrong, I beleive it is. It has the possibility of ruining Canadas family life (in any definition of the word), luring more people into the profession because it is easier then other professions, and stigmatizing Canada around the world. I know this argument is possible my weak one, and any suggestions on stregthening it are welcome, but some things are just questionable universally so.
For the sake of keeping this post short, I ahve not provided examples for my points, if anyone can not think of their own please let me know and I will provide further examples. But the bottome line prostitution should be made illegal due to the safety issues of the activity. We should not be promoting it. I mean we have enough sex in our culture as it is (not that i am complaining) but somewhere there has to be a line drawn. The commercial selling of sexual activity seems to be a good place to draw it.
Cheers
PS I am also not a big fan of strip clubs BUT comprimise is sometimes necessary.
Liz:
Some might call me a cynic, but I think I’m pragmatic. There’s a reason prostitution is called ‘the world’s oldest profession’, and that’s because it has always been, and likely will always be. Hoping for anything else never works, it ignores the realities of human nature. In many states in America it’s illegal, and yet people are arrested for soliciting all the time.
Also, prostitution is a constant option for those who have no others. You argue that due to shelters and affirmative action, women now have more opportunities, and you’re right. However, these organizations are often under-funded for what they’re trying to accomplish, and perfect equality is still far off. There are also many women who cannot choose anything else. This article says "[there shows a] trend across the region that incidence of prostitution and trafficking increase after the aftermath of disasters”. This is unfortunate but true, and to have it unsafe for women makes a bad situation worse.
I also remember reading of a thirteen-year-old who ran away from home because she feared her stepfather would rape her, only to become a prostitute. You may argue she should have gone to police, but she was young and so many children fall beneath the cracks anyway. Whether or not her situation was a mistake, you can still see that she inadvertently chose to be a whore rather than stay in her unsafe home. Perhaps with the government involving itself in the prostitution system, we could lower levels of child-rape.
Personally, I argue strongly against prostitution being easy, as we have both agreed it is extremely dangerous, rife with drugs, abuse, theft and rape. And yet the fact that there are so many whores implies they see a necessity of choosing this life, and I respect that. I would instead prefer to make it safer for them.
You finally argue that prostitution should be illegal due to its danger, but that is exactly what my original post and the article I liked to are trying to change; instead of a naïve hope to erase whoring, instead make it safer for the women who rightly or wrongly think they must chose it.
P.S. as political science was born from of political philosophy, I argue that claiming ‘some things are just questionable universally’ is a fallacy and no philosopher would accept this.
Also, From the Huffington Post: U.S. insurance companies are denying victims of sexual assault health insurance, arguing that the physical and psychological ramifications of assault are "pre-existing conditions" that make victims uninsurable.
Very feminist today. Pure chance!
(Note: I'm copy/pasting, so this is all verbatim.)
Liz:
What does everyone think of the issue outlined in this article? The women here argue that while prostitution in Canada is legal, everything surrounding it is not, including those activities that would make it safer for women. I personally agree with the women, and think that the more control given to sex workers, the safer they'll make themselves.
Rikki:
WOW I was totally shocked that prositution is legal in Canada. Call me old fashion but I seriously think about hanging my head in shame when I read this article. I do not think that changing the laws to make these activities safer for woman is a good idea. What is a good idea is making the act of prostitutional illegal.
Prostitution has traditional been seen as a lowest of the lower class profession for none other then that woman were kept out of other professions. (I am by no means a strong supporter of femininism theory, but I can see how prostituion gave woman a bad name) We do not have that any more. Woman who are prostitutes are not doing it out of necessicty with social services, womans shelters, and affirmative action, woman have more oppoortunities these days to leave professions that cuase them to be underminded. For that reason alone we have to question why these woman are purposfully introducing themselves to a profession that is unsafe for themselves without necessity.
Prostitution is a "job" that leaves these woman open to more STD's, dangerous situtation, possibility of pregnacy with little to no benefit to others or Canada as a whole. Where other professions have some sort of ends that justify the means (stimulation of economy, public saftey and the like) prosititution has none of these. Woman are purposly putting themsleves in harms way for no benefit as a whole.
Also, although i can see the slippery slop of calling it morally wrong, I beleive it is. It has the possibility of ruining Canadas family life (in any definition of the word), luring more people into the profession because it is easier then other professions, and stigmatizing Canada around the world. I know this argument is possible my weak one, and any suggestions on stregthening it are welcome, but some things are just questionable universally so.
For the sake of keeping this post short, I ahve not provided examples for my points, if anyone can not think of their own please let me know and I will provide further examples. But the bottome line prostitution should be made illegal due to the safety issues of the activity. We should not be promoting it. I mean we have enough sex in our culture as it is (not that i am complaining) but somewhere there has to be a line drawn. The commercial selling of sexual activity seems to be a good place to draw it.
Cheers
PS I am also not a big fan of strip clubs BUT comprimise is sometimes necessary.
Liz:
Some might call me a cynic, but I think I’m pragmatic. There’s a reason prostitution is called ‘the world’s oldest profession’, and that’s because it has always been, and likely will always be. Hoping for anything else never works, it ignores the realities of human nature. In many states in America it’s illegal, and yet people are arrested for soliciting all the time.
Also, prostitution is a constant option for those who have no others. You argue that due to shelters and affirmative action, women now have more opportunities, and you’re right. However, these organizations are often under-funded for what they’re trying to accomplish, and perfect equality is still far off. There are also many women who cannot choose anything else. This article says "[there shows a] trend across the region that incidence of prostitution and trafficking increase after the aftermath of disasters”. This is unfortunate but true, and to have it unsafe for women makes a bad situation worse.
I also remember reading of a thirteen-year-old who ran away from home because she feared her stepfather would rape her, only to become a prostitute. You may argue she should have gone to police, but she was young and so many children fall beneath the cracks anyway. Whether or not her situation was a mistake, you can still see that she inadvertently chose to be a whore rather than stay in her unsafe home. Perhaps with the government involving itself in the prostitution system, we could lower levels of child-rape.
Personally, I argue strongly against prostitution being easy, as we have both agreed it is extremely dangerous, rife with drugs, abuse, theft and rape. And yet the fact that there are so many whores implies they see a necessity of choosing this life, and I respect that. I would instead prefer to make it safer for them.
You finally argue that prostitution should be illegal due to its danger, but that is exactly what my original post and the article I liked to are trying to change; instead of a naïve hope to erase whoring, instead make it safer for the women who rightly or wrongly think they must chose it.
P.S. as political science was born from of political philosophy, I argue that claiming ‘some things are just questionable universally’ is a fallacy and no philosopher would accept this.
Also, From the Huffington Post: U.S. insurance companies are denying victims of sexual assault health insurance, arguing that the physical and psychological ramifications of assault are "pre-existing conditions" that make victims uninsurable.
Very feminist today. Pure chance!