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document.write("USER COMMENTS >");
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Prostitution
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document.write("When are people going to realize, there is no such thing as a sex worker, nothing but a pc term, prostitution is prostitution, and who will benefit?, those behind it not those in the front line, as I have no doubt it will be justified.. Think about it");
document.write("The winner
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document.write("Human nature being what it is and given the circumstances during the World Cup, this industry will thrive, whether legalized or not AND the HIV virus will take the trphy home. . jaycee");
document.write("Legalising won't help
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document.write("The theory that legalising prostitution will stop criminals from running it is rubbish. They will do it whether it's legalised or not. Interestingly, Holland which has long had red light districts is now cutting down on these because of the undesirable elements they attract.. fred");
document.write("On the one hand, and the other
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document.write("On the one hand, prostitution is bad and a blot on our society. On the other hand, sex workers are real people with kids to feed and who have no other means of income. As such, it is a reflection of the economic (not moral) state of our society. Should we make morals more important in the current economic climate? I'm undecided.. freddie");
document.write("Prostitution destroys woman
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document.write("I wonder if Lalu and Harper would like their daughters/sisters to be used by perverts ten or more times a day...Prostitution destroys woman!!!!!. fools");
document.write("Prostitution
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document.write("Amsterdam is closing down most of the red light districts because organised crime took dominated them. Trafficking, violence and money laundering are rife. Decriminalisation was all the rage in the late 90's among the chattering classes, and of course pushed by those who stood to gain from it, including SWEAT. Some countries went for it and are now stuck with big problems. Some like Sweden and now Netherlands have admitted it and are now clamping down on prostitution: and these are pretty progressive countries. R");
document.write("No, no, no
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document.write("We live with prostitutes coming into our very decent area and it does bring bad elements into our residential area. The fact that prostitution is still illegal gives us the last bit of hope because they can be removed. Strangely enough it is the rich dudes that trawl our areas.. Sue");
document.write("No to Decriminalisation
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document.write("Enough is enough...we have enough rights here. When are we going to have moral judgement and see beyond issues. Lets think about our great grand children...ask that child in 2019 \"what do you want to be...and answer \"I want to be a sex worker\" Please lets also note that only few people want to work hard to earn their cash---Given the opportunity everyone would like to just get her/his penny easy. Let us protect our \"Brain Power and save the soul, save the image of South Africa NO to prostitution,. Let us not kill our country and be a playground. Who will really benefit here ONLY THE GUY or LAdy who owns a the brothel. Why do prostitutes hide their faces if they feel confident about what they are doing, Lets face it most of the prostitutes come from outside South African Borders. Enough!!!. Nomathemba");
document.write("Stop it
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document.write("I do understand the issue with SWEAT..work is work and you must produce a document or file one. And in their case they have to hold down on to the last drop of prostitutes to be on their side. That will never solve anything instead it will make things worse, crime will be high, drug addiction will be on the increase because the \"ladies\" will need extra-ordinary strength to work right-through. No this needs to be stopped! Away with prostitution. It also paints a bad picture about SA that we are greedy and want to use any opportunity to cash out...Let 2010 be used for decent proper moral businesses. Lavinia");
document.write("Nomathemba
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document.write("You need to check your facts. Not everything you say is true.. freddie");
document.write("Always been there, always will, so stop being a fool
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document.write("Just get it off the streets into a safer environment and make sure they pay there taxes like the rest of us.. Bob");
document.write("Brilliant idea!
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document.write("And while we're at it... let's also legalize drugs and stealing... another 2 areas that are currently being run by criminals... seeing as that seems to be the criterea for trying to legalize something.
Bottom line is that prostitution is WRONG. I agree though that the prostitutes are usually that ones that suffer the most (many getting into the profession out of desperation or to pay for an addiction), so let's rather crack down on the pimps.. Etienneq");
document.write("Hi Freddie
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document.write("I hear what you're saying... but I disagree with you... I believe we should place morals above economics. Otherwise we might as well legalize the selling of drugs.. which is also a moral issue.. Etienne");
document.write("Morals
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document.write("Where the hell is our country's morals? Sure we have crime and prostitution, but it is not legal, lets keep it that way! This encourages more people to work in the sex industry...what future do they then have. Ever seen a prostitute successfully reintegrated into society? They are more exposed to HIV, they take drug's to numb their mind...it can only harm society, so lets continue the fight to stamp this out, even if its an uphill battle. No morals = no society. Luke");
document.write("Responses
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@jaycee:
A prostitute is less likely to give you HIV than some random woman you pick up. If they get sick they are out of business.
@fred:
Amsterdam's decision to revitalise the area around Central Station has resulted in some coffee shops closing down and some girls moving. \"undesirable elements\" is relative.
@freddie:
Good point!
@fools:
How does prostitution destroy women exactly? \"used by perverts\"? Come on! Put simply for you so you will understand:
1. The girl wants money. She is prepared to have sex with a total stranger. Its her body and for the money it is consensual. She might even enjoy it. The customer is probably a repeat customer.
2. The man is horny, lonely, or both. He might even be wise enough to realise that it is cheaper (and safer) to sleep with a prostitute than to wine and dine a woman and hope to get her into bed, and he can go home and play with his Playstation afterwards. These girls have sex professionally so you can bet that there are some that are \"incredibly talented\".
3. They reach an agreement, and proceed with whatever they agreed on.
Any questions?
@R:
The vital missing information here is that Islam has become a major force in politics in Sweden and the Netherlands. There are criminal elements, but the industry is not overrun by these people. Islam is not tolerant of (a lot of things, including) prostitution.
@Nomathemba:
Brothels are only a part of the industry. It is a pity that some women are smuggled into SA and forced into prostitution without any rights. But there are also some SA women who make enough money being prostitutes part time to achieve whatever it is they want financially.
@Bob:
Excellent idea!
@Etienneq:
Sorry I tried to think of something clever to say, but nothing :(
@Luke:
\"Where the hell is our country's morals?\" It is called the Constitution. You should read it.. Pro");
document.write("Where is the Moral Fabric of our Society?
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document.write("Thank you Etiene, Luke, Nomathemba, Sue.....We need to build a healthy society, we need top find the root cause of prostitution and assist those involved in it to overcome it. Most of them they don't go it because its a career they chose to do its conditions, we cannot standby and encourage them to gow down. Many of the prostitutes breakdown because they cannot take what they go through everyday and they don't do their work under normal senses they have to drug themselves...Do we have to encourage that? Can you allow your own child to be? Can you allow your sister to do the work? If you were to choose were you going to do it yourself? d you speak for it because you think it does not affect you?. Grace");
document.write("Responses
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document.write("I dont agree with you. Sweden introduced the law criminalising the purchase of sex acts in 1999 - even before they brought in legislation against trafficking. It has nothing to do with Islam. It was driven through by the strong women's movement there and had been the subject of debate and examination for years and years prior to this. What ultimately brought it about was that the number of women MPs reached nearly 50% and they pushed it through, though the measures now have about 80% approval rating. Norway has copied Sweden from 1 Jan this year after years of watching and Iceland is next.
Korea has a similar approach and also targets the buyers rather than the prostitute.
Amsterdam has closed down a third of the brothel windows and has plans to close down most of the rest.The Mayor has made it clear that the policy failed and that things had not improved for prostitutes. Even banks wont deal with the sex businesses because of trafficking and money laundering.
Aside from the obvious, there is plenty of very good research documenting the immense physical and psychological damage suffered by persons engaged in prostitution.Melissa Farley has done research in South Africa in her 5 country report. There is loads of stuff, just look it up, or talk to Staat Werkers, City Mission etc who actually work with the women to assist them.. R");
document.write("Legalise it
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document.write("Whether it is legal or not it happens and always will. Get the ladies registered, lessen the criminal content associated with it, increase protection and even make some tax. I cannot help but feel that people who are totally against it think that if they disapprove it will simply not happen. You're kidding yourself and placing women in far greater danger than if they were recognised for what they do anyway. Hey, give them their own union as far as I am concerned.. AJ");
document.write("Oh and morals
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document.write("are defined and maintained according to each invidual with differing weight on various issues according to the person. It is not the responsibility of the consitution or government. Remember the constition affords us all 'safety' - not really actually, it is the morals of the criminal that render the constitution INVALID on that account. Finally it is quite interesting to note that most anti prostitution supporters think that just being anti is enough to protect the integrity of woman. Actually you are just ignoring it - are you really so different from the pimp or the client. AT least they put some money in their pocket. Your holier-than-though preachings with no solution do not. AJ");
document.write("Morals
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document.write("Would you believe that the slide on morals throughout the world, started with evolution? Probably not.. Think about it");
document.write("re AJ
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document.write("Why are you in such denial about how prostitution works. I get the impression you want prostitution for other reasons. It is as easy or as difficult as any other crime to stop. Arresting the men really works. There is no safe prostitution. It is inherently harmful. I think you just dont want to recognise that because of your fundamental attitude to women. Comparing persons who understand the dangers of prostitution for women and society to pimps is ridiculous. Maybe we really dont want pimps hanging around our daughters playgrounds trying to recruit them. R");
document.write("@ R
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document.write("Clearly you missed my point entuirely and dont presyme to know my attitudes. The reason you wull have pimps hanging around your daughters play ground is because of people like you who 'if i hate the practise it will suddenly go away'. You exacerbate the problem by closing your eyes and holding tight onto your mral high ground that millions of others less fortunate than yourself cannot afford to hold on to. Your position on the matter, quite ironically, comes across as so uneducated. However it is not the first time that edcuated people base their 'solutions' or 'lack of them in your case' on their OWN upper class environment. You could not live a day like many in this country do year in and year out and the BEST YOU have to OFFER them is your moral guidelines. I think I made my point. Looking forward to your 'snappy comeback' on my attitude to my daughters and women. What a laugh.. AJ");
document.write("@AJ
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document.write("I deal with crime and organised crime for a living.I am fully aware of how the prostitution/trafficking game works. The only way the situation can be controlled is through good law enforcement and reducing the market. Pimping becomes a legal occupation if prostitution is decriminalised as suggested by SWEAT, and there would be no legal way to stop them. Procurement and advertising are parts of any commercial enterprise and this would apply to prostitution. I reckon you dont know much too much about about how law works.. R");
document.write("@R - The Law
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document.write("I think we can all see the effect of the law on prostitution. If anything the law is the biggest client base and probably the larget groups of non-payers for services rendered. Prostitution is not controlled by the law in ANY country worldwide. You will NEVER be given the resources to implement what you want, if you did then perhaps we could have a different conversation. Therefore if you cannot police at least legislate to control it better - when it hangs about in the middle of no man's land then it causes more harm than good. Fact.. AJ");
document.write("@R Arguments to / for
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document.write("The arguments for legalization are generally about rights, access to services etc to aid the women. The arguments against are based on 'morality', 'religion' and 'yours and my daughters' type arguments. The former helps these women, the latter does not. Alchohol is bad, people drink, smoking is bad, people smoke. People make choices that other would never normally make, that does not mean we cannot legislate to support them better than leave them in a wilderness where we assume they will suddenly stop doing it because it is illegal. Sorry R but a much more grown up mature debate is required by the stakeholders, and then you and the rest of the force can direct your much needed resources else where than the corner of Oxford street etc.. AJ");
document.write("Human trafficking
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document.write("I suppose that nobody can see the link between the two.. Think about it");
document.write("prostitution harms women
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document.write("Andrea Dworkin wrote about prostitution in 1983:
“Her mind is hurt by rape and other physical assault on her body, it fades and shrinks and seeks silence as refuge; it becomes the prison cell inside her...Every invasion of the body is marked in the brain: contusions, abrasions, cuts, swellings, bleeding, mutilation, breaking, burning. Each capacity of the brain: memory, imagination, intellect, creation, consciousness itself is distressed and deformed, distorted by the sexualized physical injuries that girls and women sustain.”
. TH");
document.write("Where do we start?
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document.write("Alcohol is legal, cigarettes are too. Might as well do the rest. Yet these 2 vices also have very bad and long-lasting after-effects. I don't see anybody campaigning to ban alcohol and cigarettes. ebzah");
document.write("@Think About It
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document.write("I assume your comment is then note a vote of confidence in the current system of 'handling' prostitution, because those are teh circumstances under which trafficking is happening. When women have to gide from police and live in the shadows, that is when they are most vulnerable. Legalising prostitution does not mean you actually HAVE to become one.. AJ");
document.write("@AJ
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document.write("Trafficking is highest in those countries where prostitution is either tolerated or legalised. A substantial number of the women in the brothel windows in Amsterdam are trafficked. The police cant do anything unless the woman herself complains and testifies against the traffickers, as prostitution and pimping are legal. But as they are under the control of the pimps/traffickers the women cannot do this. The pimps stand around outside and on the bridges where you can see them. Thye are also filmed and identified on CCTV cameras but the cops cant do anything about it. . R");
document.write("About time
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document.write("Its about time some sense is prevailing. It is pointless to say it must be illegal because it is immoral. Whether it is immoral or not is just some peoples opinions. Is it not immoral to take away someones free choice? The fact is it occurs and always will occur. It is after all the oldest profession. Keeping it illegal doesn't benefit anyone, except maybe you somehow feel better about it? Who cares how you feel. Similar to keeping drugs illegal - it only makes the millions of cannabis smokers criminals - which is idiotic really - how can 15% of the population be criminals (including leaders of all parts of society). It doesn't stop people taking drugs, it just encourages a criminal life of selling drugs. On top of that, our police force cannot even cope with real crime. So its a no-brainer really. Job Cohen (mayor of Amsterdam), along with a lot of extremely conservative politicians have been trying to reverse the liberal cannabis smoking and prostitution laws for ages. They have no real motive for doing so, other than the fact they are very conservative, and are in power, support by an ageing population here. In fact if you live here you will see how responsible the Dutch are in general (far less take drugs than in SA), and thus it is ONLY Amsterdam where this is happening. It goes against all common sense. Job Cohen has been blaming every drunken foreigner incident on drugs (even when proven wrong) and has already outlawed the selling of mushrooms - to no effect of course. In other parts of Holland laws are becoming more liberal. They are looking at legalising the growing of cannabis now. Already two provinces grow their own cannabis to supply the coffee shops - how clever is that! The criminals lose their business, the taxpayer gains. We are all better off. . Amsterdammer");
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