Comment by Imnotemeril

April 24, 2007 @ 1:14 pm

Might want to rethink that one rose….

“Just keep your hands off the 2nd amendment”

It would probably free up an awful lot of busy hands. Who knows what mischief they could get into then.

Comment by Badrose

April 24, 2007 @ 1:35 pm

I’m surprised, Em - I figured you’d be leading the charge on this idea!

Comment by Citizen Tom

April 24, 2007 @ 9:59 pm

Even if we assume that prostitutes quell the violence in most males (doubtful), this medicinal aid is far worse than the disease it purports to cure. To start with, brothels are STD transmission centers. By definition, prostitutes have many sex partners. Thus their clients are at risk. Worse, the often unwitting spouses and significant others of a prostitute’s clients are also at risk.

Then there is what prostitution does to the prostitute. What thoughts went through Chastity Frye mind when she discovered that nature of her client? What kind of woman chooses to expose herself so intimately to strangers? Would this be a woman who either hates herself or is very desperate?

Is prostitution a career choice you would encourage anyone to make? What would you think of a mother or a father who encouraged their child to make prostitution their career choice?

Well, if we make prostitution legal, we will have parents encouraging their young daughters to take up this oldest of professions, and that thought alone should give us pause. If we cannot stomach this choice for our own children, how can we in good conscious stomach it for the children of others?

Comment by rives

April 25, 2007 @ 9:05 am

darn…I guess chastity will have to be xxed off the name list…maybe zelda?

Comment by Badrose

April 25, 2007 @ 10:59 am

Citizen Tom:
As an avid reader of “Men’s Health” I can cite numerous articles linking testosterone to aggression and violence. In fact, according to “Men’s Health,” testosterone is either a cause or a cure for most everything your sex does.
While I couldn’t find an article specifically stating that young men who get laid are less likely to commit mass murders, I couldn’t find one that refuted this theory, either. I think most reasonable people would agree that young men getting laid regularly are less likely to be violent but I thought most reasonable people could see that this post was written tongue in cheek (hmmmm), the point being that to legalize prostitution would be a more effective knee-jerk reaction than to “tweak” the 2nd amendment further.
Personally, I have no qualms with the current application of prostitution: calling it an “escort service.”

Comment by Badrose

April 25, 2007 @ 11:03 am

Rives:
I love the name Zelda! (and Link!)
I think since kids tend to do the opposite of what we want and expect, I may adopt a daughter and name her “Sleezebag,” just to see how she turns out.

Citizen Tom:
My response to Rives was, again, tongue in cheek. (kinda)

Comment by Citizen Tom

April 25, 2007 @ 7:44 pm

Tongue in cheek? I guess I am not sufficiently versed with your sense of humor. I also found it quite easy to take you seriously. Unfortunately, there are plenty of folks who think the idea of legalizing the oldest “profession” would be harmless.

As to how testosterone affect behavior — well, I do not doubt there are some effects. Nonetheless, I doubt having sex has much affect on a man’s self-control. Rather, I think it is the other way around. I suspect it is those men with the greatest self-control who find it easiest to persuade a woman into bed.

Comment by Badrose

April 25, 2007 @ 9:04 pm

You’re in good company - only my dog is truly versed in my sense of humor . .

The chance of prostitution (not just escorts) EVER being legal in Virginia is so minute that I thought it was a funny proposition (pun!)

I agree with you if we’re talking about “real men” (those over 25). Here’s an article about 90% of violent offenders (in England & Wales) being between the ages of 17 & 24:
http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/menshealth/feature/men_and_violence.htm

Comment by ka-ja

April 26, 2007 @ 10:42 am

Citizen Tom,

Your facts are wrong. According to US government statistics, you’re far more likely to pickup an std from casual sex than you are from a “professional sex worker”. Only 3-5% of all std transmissions are the result of sex between a prostitute and her customer - probably most of these are “street girls”, not professional “escorts” or “models”.

As to “what prostitution does to the prostitute”, again research shows that professional sex workers have just as high self-esteem as women in other careers, including house wives or home makers. In fact, many sex workers report that their self-esteem is higher than before they began sex work.

To the main point of this thread, sexual frustration is a common symptom of violence; however, I don’t know of any research that has studied the therapeutic effect of prostitution.

Comment by Citizen Tom

April 26, 2007 @ 1:26 pm

KA-JA, before you quote statistics, please take the time to understand how statistics can be used to mislead. With respect to behavioral studies, I think it safe to say that statistics are often more confusing than useful. Consider this reference, http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A1091350.

“Sex worker?” I believe that is what we call a euphemism. I suppose it is possible that some prostitutes have a higher self-esteem after they take up prostitution. Assuming that is true, one can only imagine what these prostitutes were doing before they took up “sex work.”

Let’s set the statistics aside and consider what should be obvious. Given she has a viable alternative, it is extremely difficult persuade a woman to become a prostitute.

Comment by ka-ja

April 26, 2007 @ 4:46 pm

I always find it amusing how many people can quote Mark Twain when the results of studies don’t support their biased opinion. A phrase from your second paragraph probably sums up the problem with your reasoning – “one can only imagine…” Your entire argument is based on imagination and stereotypes, not substantiated facts from the real world.

Comment by Scott

April 26, 2007 @ 11:08 pm

I just want sex.

Comment by Jim Hoeft

April 26, 2007 @ 11:20 pm

Anne,
Is this your most commented on post? If so, I think that says alot.

Comment by rives

April 27, 2007 @ 5:23 pm

aha Gary Hart has entered the house….