Thanks for the thoughtful post Violet. How many absurdities could we add to the ones you point at. If I may, respectfully, i will try to nuance one passage:
Decriminalization has 2 distinct meanings:
1 from the law perspective, it is the act of extracting from a criminal code offenses related to prostitution unless otherwise criminal;
2 from the political point of view, it is a public policy stating that the way to deal with prostitution is to have it totally unregulated.
Pure decriminalization, as a public policy, does not exist nowhere, not even in New Zealand (larger brothels are, for good reasons, regulated). Even Alan Young, the canadian demolition lawyer in the Bedford case, admits that decriminalization is only a first step to at least some level of regulation. As a citizen, I believe sex workers should be as free as possible to exercise their trade or profession, but i also think that the cities should have the powers necessary to regulate in circumstances where the activity becomes a true nuisance.
Decriminilzation lets you and I have greater control on how the sex trade should be run. I mean we've been doing that forever, and we do it pretty well. It basically just means the government and police butt out, and if sex workers or clients need help they can come to them safely. The government obviously will still try and butt in, but at least the people who actually know how this industry works have more of a say of how to operate it.
Decriminalization has 2 distinct meanings:
1 from the law perspective, it is the act of extracting from a criminal code offenses related to prostitution unless otherwise criminal;
2 from the political point of view, it is a public policy stating that the way to deal with prostitution is to have it totally unregulated.
Pure decriminalization, as a public policy, does not exist nowhere, not even in New Zealand (larger brothels are, for good reasons, regulated). Even Alan Young, the canadian demolition lawyer in the Bedford case, admits that decriminalization is only a first step to at least some level of regulation. As a citizen, I believe sex workers should be as free as possible to exercise their trade or profession, but i also think that the cities should have the powers necessary to regulate in circumstances where the activity becomes a true nuisance.