Memphis
Christie
ENGL
102-048
Rogerian
Argument Essay
3 March 2013
Prostitution
is a Choice Not a Crime: Make It Legal Everywhere in the U.S
Americans are given the freedom of
choice in making their own decisions. However, in the matter of prostitution
there is no freedom of choice. Within many states in the United States, prostitution
is viewed as wrong without scope for debate. According to state prostitution
laws: “any person who engages, agrees to engage, or offers to engage in sexual
conduct with another person in return for a fee… may be punished by
imprisonment in a jail or house of correction…”(“Should Prostitution Be Legal?”). Prostitution needs
not be banned but supported in a way that can help women and young girls that
are trapped in the lifestyle. Criminalization only helps in developing the fear
that they will be punished for wanting help when their safety is jeopardized. What
makes prostitution such a hideous crime that it requires punishment by law? Why
is an individual not allowed to make decisions when it comes to matters of
their own body? Prostitution should be legalized, not to commend the activity
or justify its nature but because it abolishes the American right to freedom of choice.
Fig. 1. (“My Body”)
Those individuals who argue against
prostitution do not feel as though it should be in the realms of, a right to
choice as individuals usually “choose” prostitution for economic reasons. For
example, Hughes states, “Surely no one can argue that this is free choice any
more than the cattle in the squeeze chute choose to go to their death (“Legalizing
Prostitution”).” Anti-supporters believe that a women’s body should
never become a commodity for sale, and by permitting such behavior, it is
making a statement that it is okay for women to be inferior to men. Instead, they
argue that people in this predicament should be given alternative options. This
argument is true in the sense that women should be given alternative options
but ignores the fact that for some women this is the option they choose. Many
women do not see the harm in making a living out of something that they already
engage in regularly. These women should have the right to make that choice as a
consenting adult without punishment by law.
It
is not hard to understand such an opinion; economic hardship is a factor that
plays a strong role in the lifestyle choice of prostitution and to some degree
this activity may cause women to be viewed as less than men according to Donna
M. Hughes. In common opinion with this understanding, Valor Segura, Francisca
Exposito, and Miguel Moya all state, “Sexism serves to justify and reinforce
gender inequality, and has traditionally degraded women by expounding that it
is convenient to exercise some dominance over them… (“Attitudes toward Prostitution”)” But the truth
in this statement only exists because prostitution is in higher demand by men,
causing these feelings of inferiority in women. There are many occupations that
cater to one sex; the only difference in this situation is the nature of the work
sparks more controversy than that of nursing or construction. Prostitution
should never be a goal any person strives towards, and to a high degree should
be frowned upon because it is belittling to woman and can lead into a slippery
slope of self-destructive behaviors. It is also important to clarify that just
because it may seem like an extreme form of gender discrimination for a female
to offer themselves as a commodity, it does not warrant that the female gender
as an entirety is going to be summoned under man.
However, the fact still remains that women
should have the right to do as they please with their own bodies. They are given
free discretion in regards to an abortion, a right protected by law, therefore,
where do the boundaries cross between legally being able to kill a child, and
the exchange of sex for money? Which crime seems worse, the one defended by law
or the one banned according to laws? An argument of whether or not the choice
is morally and ethically correct is one that can be debated for years without
closure; the real issue for discussion is why it is not a women’s choice to be
able to prostitute her body. Kelly expresses this idea well by saying, “Yes,
prostitution hurts women, but so does abortion. So what’s the difference?” (“Pro-Choice vs. Prostitution”). It is hypocritical that government laws protect
a woman’s rights to her body in regards to taking the life of an innocent child,
but have a no tolerance attitude for that same women’s choice to sell her body.
A
person can attempt to state that it is not a choice if the decision was poverty
induced, but so are many other decisions. Without a need to provide for their
family, some people may choose not to work altogether; if this notion were
allowed to dictate everyone’s life, poverty would have to be abolished in
whole. Yes, there are other jobs out there, but it is the individual’s right to
choose whether she will select such employment. People often forget to take
into account that most cases of prostitution are results of coercion and
trafficking where the women are the victims. A certain mindset is associated
with anyone who becomes a prostitute. Hughes says, “Most existing laws
concerning prostitution were formulated on the assumption that prostitution is
immoral activity, with women being the most immoral participants. Therefore,
laws that ban prostitution usually criminalize the women” (“Making the Harm Visible”). If prostitution were legalized
women who are really at risk and in the need of help would be more prone to
getting this aid without the fear of punishment. Legalization will also help to
ensure that the actual criminals- pimps, traffickers, and brothel owners- are
held responsible for their crime. It is only in these cases that are surrounded
in coercion in which a woman has lost her right to choice where an action needs
to be taken. Kathleen Paratis, in this regard, states, “One need not
romanticize prostitution to distinguish between prostitution as coercion or
slavery and prostitution as an economic choice” (“Is Prostitution a freely”).
Legalizing
prostitution will not encourage individuals to involve themselves in such an
unjust lifestyle, but legalization will provide a sense of security to those
already stuck in this hardship, especially in that they no longer have to fear
the help and support of authorities when placed in vulnerable situations that
may arise in such a profession. As the law stands, these individuals are viewed
as unworthy outcasts in society instead of being given an equal opportunity to
see the other options available to them. “If we, as a society, really care about women, we will not only provide
them with equal rights and opportunity, but we will stop turning some of them
into criminals merely because they have chosen to exchange sex for money.
Women, who, for whatever reason, choose to engage in prostitution, do not need
to be incarcerated for their own good” (“Is Prostitution a freely”). It
is time that society stopped making it hard on the women who have chosen to
engage in prostitution but instead help them Legalizing prostitution in all
parts of the United States will not only give Americans back their right to
such choice but can give women the option and opportunity to speak out against
this lifestyle without ridicule, in ways that can potentially help women in
girls everywhere.
Works Cited
"Google." My Body My Choice. N.p., n.d.
Web. 5 Mar. 2013.
Hughes, Donna M. "Legalizing
Prostitution Will Not Stop the Harm."Making the Harm Visible,
GlobalSexual Exploitation of Women and Girls, Speaking Out and Providing
Services.
Kelly, Ian. "“Pro-Choice” vs.
Prostitution." Bound4LIFE ProChoice vs Prostitution Comments.
Bound4Life Blog, 16 Apr. 2010. Web. 22 Mar. 2013.
Paratis, Kathleen. "Is Prostitution a Freely Chosen
Profession?" ProCon- Prostitution. N.p., 17 July 2000. Web. 22
Mar. 2013.
Post, Diane. Legalizing Prostitution: A Systematic Rebuttal.
N.p.: Off Our Backs, 1999. Academic Search Premier. Web. 5 Mar.
2013.
ProCon.org. "Should prostitution be legal?" Prostitution.ProCon.org. ProCon.org, 5 Feb. 2013. Web. 5 Mar.
2013.
Valor-Segura,
Inmaculada, Francisca Expósito, and Miguel Moya. "Attitudes Toward Prostitution: is it an Ideological Issue?" The
European Journal of Psychology Applied to Legal Context 3.2 (2011): n.
pag. 25 Apr. 2011. Web. 21 Mar. 2013.
