OK OK all apologies accepted, sorry I jumped a bit there. Thanks for clearing things up for me guys, and thanks for sharing your views with me on this topic.
so you found a girl who thinks really deep thoughts. what’s so amazing about really deep thoughts? Tori Amos
douglips, I said she looks professional & she said she is a professional [an accountant] so try not to make up anything in between. Im just a little laconic sometimes, thats all.
Wait, psycat, attractive, single, and a professional? Hmm.
Not to belabour the point, but when psycat90 was trying to dispel the idea that she was a prostitute, her post, in part, said
Does that mean that those are qualities that a prostitute would not have?
As I had mentioned before, I think that being a prostitute would be damaging to one’s self-esteem. I noticed that psycat90 was very upset when she thought I was implying that she was a hooker. My conclusion would be that in her mind being a prostitute is something embarassing or shameful. And probably a vast majority of people think that way.
Quand les talons claquent, l’esprit se vide.
Maréchal Lyautey
NO, I was not implying that, I was waiting for someone to say that. I just personally would not choose this kind of work, now I am not saying that a woman who does choose this and has children is not a loving mother. But I do believe it would be hard to raise children in the kind of environment I believe children should have. Not saying it’s impossible, just hard. And that may be, in part, to the way this service is handled now, perhaps, if legal, it would be easier.
so you found a girl who thinks really deep thoughts. what’s so amazing about really deep thoughts? Tori Amos
OK, but from reading these comments,
I got the impression that you were offended that people would think you were a prostitute. Did I get the wrong impression? If you were offended, why?
There’s also the matter of what would happen if your child had to do a report on what you do for a living… 
A long long time ago in a galaxy far far away, Arnold W. wrote:
Now, I know you’ve cleared up that you meant a generic “your” in this sentence, and you weren’t talking about any psychic cat in particular …
… but …
It occurred to me, that sentence could just as easily apply to lawyers.
“Love 'em, fear 'em, and leave 'em alone.” – Dr. Spockiavelli
Or collection agents.
So I got to this thread late. I don’t read everything.
Anyway, legalize it, regulate it, tax it. Like most things that aren’t any business of anyone other than those doing it.
Dr. Fidelius, Charlatan
Associate Curator Anomalous Paleontology, Miskatonic University
“You cannot reason a man out of a position he did not reach through reason.”
And mäni interesting furry animals
No, actually Arnold it was not a matter of being offended, I was defending myself, I will give you that, but it was not necessarily me personally I was defending, more or less women in general. Boy, I just keep digging myself deeper here I think.
Basically I just want to express my view on what I believe is (or should be) a career choice, this one not being the only one I personally would not choose.
So, no I was not necessarily offended, I just wanted it to be clear that I, as a woman, unbiased towards (or against) the profession itself, view it as something that should not be deemed illegal. I find it rather obsurd that it is.
And Doc, 16?? wow. triple thanks to you. Flattery will get you everywhere.
so you found a girl who thinks really deep thoughts. what’s so amazing about really deep thoughts? Tori Amos
ok, it seems to me that a point is getting lost in all this muddle about pussycat’s looks:
prostitution will happen, most likely in about the same amount, whether or not it is legalized. is it not the “oldest profession”?
so, it is irrelevant to even discuss whether or not prostitution itself should happen at all. personally, being a non-asexual female myself, i feel ashamed of the fact of prostitution, as i myself cannot help but feel like meat then among sleazy men. it is symbolic of the extreme abuse of a certain form of feminine weakness, which maybe all women identify with to some extent but try to surpass. how easy it would be to use our “meat advantage”, and to a lesser extent it happens quite often (i.e. secretaries dressing kinkily to please their boss and possibly have the favor returned). perhaps, it is my awareness of this identification that makes me all the more personally ashamed of the fact of prostitution. ANYWAY, my point here is that i am personally “against” prostitution as well. HOWEVER, the fact is that it exists and cannot be stopped by any governmental means. it is just, in the end, too private a matter to be able to completely “watch out for”, unless we are willing to sacrifice our own privacy. let’s face it: in this world there will always be the sleazy man and the desperate woman. you have to change that before you talk about outlawing prostitution.
but, the status quo already outlaws prostitution [in the u.s.]. so, am i proposing to even change the status quo, although i am against prostitution? if so, how?
well, i am forced by my own words to propose changing the status quo. so, yes, i have to concede that the status quo should be changed i.e. prostitution legalized.
the benefits of this situation have already been discussed (e.g. taxes, some positive level of regulation), so i just need to account for dealing with the negative aspects. as listed by arnold, the primary two problems are 1) child prostitution and 2) shamefulness.
(2) is inevitable no matter what as previously pointed out.
(1) is the major concern, as well as other issues relating children to prostitutes (e.g. the parent as a prostitute). i think that this actually is the one area in which legalization would be definitely a benefit. i think that even prostitutes would almost unanimously agree that children should not be exposed to such rote sex. it is the pimps who are mostly the problem. but, the pimp position would not be so omnipotent with prostitutes now being able to communicate with the government and society in general (unless the bill gates of “da sex industry” arises or something. hehehehe… too ludicrous to be taken seriously so please don’t consider this point!). therefore, this would reduce the probability of child prostitution. furthermore, prostitute mothers may now be able to obtain aid for their own children as well possibly (most likely they are desperate mothers in the first place).
now, just to address a common point of (1) and (2) about children being ashamed about their parent, i would like to just add that the term “mother fucker” is most commonly used by 7th grade boys in the ghetto already.
legalize prostitution.
well, now i really gotta study for my final today! argh!
“I play the fool, Pyotr Alexandrovitch, to make myself agreeable.”
–Fyodor Pavlovitch, Brothers Karamazov
psycat, I’m sure you don’t view prostitutes as contemptibe.
All I’m trying to say is that if in a post I had suggested that I thought you were an actress, for example, or a school teacher, your reply would have been much different than it was when it seemed to you I was implying that you were a prostitute. And that is due to the fact that most people consider prostitutes to be morally lacking.
Quand les talons claquent, l’esprit se vide.
Maréchal Lyautey
Absolutely legalize it for all of the reasons stated in the OP. Would you believe that we have gridlock in some parts of DC at 1:00 in the morning because of street walkers? In the neighborhood of 14th & K, they’ve actually posted “no right turn after 9:00 p.m.” signs on almost every corner, in an attempt to frustrate johns who would constantly circle around block after block. Because of this, they have to turn left now, which forces the ladies out into the middle of the street so they can solicit on the driver’s side.
Maybe Domino’s should think about expanding their delivery services… 30 minutes or less would be a great stress reliever!
DrFidelius wrote:
Aw, yer just sayin’ that so you can get in her pants. 
Something I don’t understand about the whole issue-a central tenet of the “Womans Movement” is that a woman should have control over her own body. This seems to be a key demand of the feminists-in abortion rights, for example. If this is so, then why should prostitution be illegal? Seems to me to be a case of a woman exerting control over her own body (i.e. selling it).
And to quote Fanny Hillman the Jewish madame:
“Such a business this is! You got it, you sell it, you still got it…”
Exactly, egkelly. And in this male-dominated world, with a supply and demand economy, do you REALLY think women would be allowed such a simple personal freedom as what to do with their own body? Women had to fight for the right to vote, this country has a history of trying to supress women (I love America, I know other countries are far far worse, I’m not really complaining, just stating a fact).
Prostitution as it stands now allows for pimps, men, mostly, to control and profit from a woman’s labors. It creates unpleasant environments and unpleasant situations. More or less, the supression of women. To legalize would allow women the greatest upper hand of all, economically speaking. We hold the supply, men have the need. You want, you pay. A service agreement like any other. Now of course this does not apply to every man nor would this profession appeal to every woman, but just like any career choice, it’s a personal preferance and profile.
Sex is not a crime, mutual sex, enjoyable, between consenting adults, is NOT a crime. Our economy is based on services/goods/etc. in exchange for money, certainly not a crime. Put the 2 together, though, all of a sudden its a crime. There can be no logical explanation for this other than to keep women from profiting from what is (for the most part) something men have no control over.
And we all know how much men LOVE control.
so you found a girl who thinks really deep thoughts. what’s so amazing about really deep thoughts? Tori Amos
My favorite line concerning this subject comes from the greatest satirist of our times, George Carlin:
(Somewhat paraphrased)
“I don’t understand why prostitution is illegal. After all, selling is legal. Fucking is legal. So why is selling fucking illegal?”
“I never lie, but I don’t always say what I’m thinking.”
ENC Heel
I agree with the statement that prostitution should be legalized.
psycat also said:
Why do you think they go to see prostitutes? I imagine that’s one of the big reasons. I can tell this woman what to do and order her around.
The manner in which sex is approached in the USA is what makes me say that, even though I say prostitution should be legalized, I wouldn’t say it is a “good thing,” unless it’s accompanied by major changes in the way this society views sex.
e.g.
why is nudity disallowed in public places?
why is depiction of nudity/sex limited to adults?
why are pictures of nude people called “dirty” pictures?