For And Against

"Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything."-George Shaw

   Many people want change for themselves in a positive way, but if you do not go after what you want, you will never have it. If you never ask, the answer will always be NO. If you don't step forward, you will always remain in the same place. And that is why economists from the National Bureau of Economic Research decided to research about who the legalization of prostitution in Rhode Island resulted.

 “The results suggest that decriminalization could have potentially large social benefits for the population at large – not just sex market participants,” wrote economist Scott Cunningham of Baylor University. Rhode Island mistakenly legalized prostitution in 1980, and what the researchers found was unforeseen.  The economists used many other models to track down the effects of decriminalization versus other possible causes. They found evidence across the board that decriminalization caused an estimate 31% drop in rape and a 39% decrease in Gonorrhea. “Decriminalization decreased prostitute arrests, increased indoor prostitution advertising and expanded the size of the indoor prostitution market itself,” they wrote. 

   The economists also came up with the theory that the reason for the declines in Gonorrhea was that prostitutes who worked indoors practiced safer sex and were less likely to contract and transmit STDS. While the decline for rape is  “due to men substituting away from rape toward prostitution.” They wrote. According to all the concluded research by the economists form the the National Bureau of Economic Research, Rhode Island saw a significant change due to the legalization of prostitution. Yet, after seeing these results. many still oppose to the legalization of prostitution. 

   A John/Pimp referred to prostitution as: "Renting an organ for ten minutes." While another man said,"I use them like I might use any other amenity, a restaurant, or a public convenience." According to the online debate by psychologist Melissa Farley, in the MercatorNet website, women who are sex workers described prostitution being "paid rape" and "voluntary slavery". Another woman said, "Prostitution is sexual harassment, sexual exploitation, often worse. His payment does not erase what we know about sexual violence, domestic violence and rape." In a Dutch Study, 60% of women in legal prostitution were physically assaulted, 70% were threatened with physical assault, and 40% experienced sexual violence. In nine other countries, Psychologist Melissa Farley found that 68% of both men and women in prostitution had post traumatic stress disorder. 

   As Amsterdam began to shut down legal Brothels because of the findings mentioned above, Mayor Job Cohen acknowledged that the Dutch had been wrong about legalizing prostitution. It did not make prostitution safer, instead he said legal prostitution increased organized crime. It was like a magnet for johns/pimps. Trafficking also increased after the legalization of prostitution, an 80% of women in Dutch prostitution have been trafficked.Those who oppose prostitution argue that once prostitution is legalized, there is no avoiding sexual harassment, sexual exploitation, and rape. In order to make a wise decision about a new law, we have to remember that we need more kindness, more happiness, and more compassion. We all need to contribute to that for a better world. 

Sources
Ehrenfreund, Max. "When Rhode Island Accidentally Legalized Prostitution, Rape Decreased Sharply." Washington Post. The Washington Post, n.d. Web. 09 Feb. 2015.

 Farely, Melissa. "The Real Harms of Prostitution." The Harm of Prostitution Cannot Be Diminished by Legalising It. MercatorNet, n.d. Web. 09 Feb. 2015.