Pray for the ruling to be overturned :(

morality is a bit subjective though...quoting from wikipedia (yeah yeah i know, but it's got a good write up - and wikipedia gets a beat down it doesn't deserve)

"Morality (from the latin moralities "manner, character, proper behavior") is a sense of behavioral conduct that differentiates intentions, decisions, and actions between those that are good (or right) and bad (or wrong). A moral code is a system of morality (for example, according to a particular philosophy, religion, culture, etc.) and a moral is any one practice or teaching within a moral code."

...which takes us in a circle because it comes back to whose philosophy, religion, or culture. :lol:

i'll give you my way of thinking about it - i do object to the victimization of children (OF COURSE) by way of child/teenage prostitution/exploitation and of women or men who do not *want* to be involved in the sex industry. (i'd like this to be quite clear ok?)

i do not object to consenting adults, male or female, who voluntarily choose to participate in various aspects of the sex industry - whether that's prostitution, adult movies, performing in a strip club, phone sex operators, or whatever you have. if they are adults and they are consenting - they are choosing to do this, aware & accepting of the risks - and the other participants are also consenting adults who are aware & accepting - then hey, have at it.

clear as mud?

(i've never actually tried to put this into words before - my personal take on it, i mean - so if it's garbled, sorry!)

 

I would not vote for legalized prostitution.

The problem lies with the Superior Court - who should not be telling an ENTIRE country the morals they must accept.

This is the major problem with a large centralized federal level government that tries to legislate for everyone. Since this decision can directly affect a neighborhood changing to one that is considered "moral" by its inhabitants to one that is not, the decision to allow prostitution should be left up to those who represent the individual towns and cities.

I would not live in a city that allowed prostitution. They would not get my tax money, their businesses would not get my business, and they would suffer for their decision and rectify the situation without a Superior court saying a word.

In addition - if I am forced to pay health bills for everyone in the country then I have a say in their high-risk behaviors. Simple as that. Having sex with hundreds or thousands of partners is high risk, no matter how you slice it. When you allow your government to babysit you with welfare packages you lose your freedom to decide what to do with your body because everything is for the "collective good" and your personal opinion doesn't matter.

I don't know the specifics of the Superior court ruling - frankly I don't care. But this is yet another warning to those who allow the government to decide what is morally acceptable and what is not.

And hey - it's all great when you AGREE with your government. The problems arise when you begin to disagree. What course of action do you have if your neighbor decides to open her house to male callers every night? Or every afternoon for that matter. Right when the bus drops the kiddos off from school?

We pretty much have legalized pot here in Colorado and as a State employee in the Consumer Protection division I can tell you we are spending FAR more money regulating the potheads and corrupt "doctors" prescribing pot than we will EVER take in in tax revenue.

I suspect Canada will come to the same conclusion with prostitution regulation in due time. But look on the bright side - it is just another opportunity for them to make even MORE laws telling their citizens how to think.

Legalized prostitution. How wonderful. :roll:

 

Just to be clear we don't get to vote on whether prostitution is legal or not. And it was legal already but now they say we should legalize 'bawdy houses' and not charge the clients of prostitutes and the like. So what I am saying is like the previous poster said. Do I need my neighbor or friends neighbor carrying on like this? No. And the people who live in the area where the prostitutes were arrested have children who are being harassed by the 'girls' and it's just generally unsavory behaviour I have a problem with.

 

I get it. I still don't agree. But I get it.

 

Yeah, I get that. I didn't mean it directed as you guys "asked for it" or anything. People need to find a way to get along and a liberal government forcing a conservative populous to accept their liberal ideas will never work. Neither will a conservative government forcing a liberal populous to accept their conservative values work. This is why an overly powerful Federal government making these decision for ALL people will lead to nothing but trouble and discontent.

If you let the individual neighborhoods/towns/cities decide how they want to approach these "moral" issues then things will take care of themselves because people will self-segregate according to how they believe. Those who want legalized drugs in their town will move to one which allows it. Those who do not will move to one that does not.

The people don't need a nanny-state telling them how to think. They can very easily solve all these problems with simple common sense - IF they are left alone to do so.

 

Great thoughts, Colorado Mom.

 

I'm torn on legal prostitution. Mostly because I can't understand why if these women really need money do they not get a real job, and instead risk STDs, violence, etc. That and my beliefs are definitely anti-prostitution. However, safety concerns for these women does make it a bit harder to be against it. It's going to happen. It's a victimless crime for the most part as long as it goes as planned. And if there are regulations and these women can report violence and all that it will be much safer. It's a double edged sword. I don't think I could vote for or against it, honestly.

I didn't even know prostitution really happened here until I met dbf. It's apparently VERY common though(he was offered 'business' many times

 

When we (or in this case, Canadians) have to foot the bill for other people's stupidity then it DOES matter beyond morality. And prostitution is stupidity no matter how you look at it.

 

Uh... actually it's not my opinion at all. The fact that prostitution is disgusting is Biblical. And since, like it or not, agree or not, the Bible is fact, that's all the support needed.

Not to mention that there are entire organizations in Las Vegas (where it's legal in the US) devoted to helping women who've been sucked into this lifestyle against their will, it is a major issue. Moreso where it's legal, actually, since most of these women have no legal recourse against those who put them in this position. Not to mention the health concerns sky-rocket as it becomes more common. And it is more common there. Sure, it happens everywhere, but law-abiding citizens who wouldn't otherwise engage in sex-for-pay behavior hire prostitutes while in Vegas because there's "nothing wrong" with it there.

 

And isn't that a sad statement of the world we live in.
My morality and my beliefs aren't left at city limits. They are woven into the very fabric of who I am as a individual. It's sad to see such degradation of morality in my own country and the rest of the world. Prostitution isn't a victimless crime. The women who choose this lifestyle can't honestly walk away feeling unchanged in a spiritual way from it. Just because scars aren't visible doesn't mean they aren't there.

 

Amie brought up a good point about Las Vegas. Where it's legal there...it's not any more clean, and in fact it's rather DISGUSTING...moreso than any other non-legalized part! Hookers lining the streets, young women being forced into the lifestyle against their will or because they don't know any better, etc. I don't buy the arguement that making it legal will make it better, AT ALL. It only allows people to think that the behavior is 'ok' which then skyrockets the amount of behavior...case in point, Las Vegas.

 

Las Vagas is great point to bring up.

 

Prostitution is NOT legal in Las Vegas.
I live there so I do know, our county (Clark) it is not legal but the county over (Nye) it is.
Because its not legal here in Las Vegas that is why its so digusting and in your face. Strip clubs are legal but prostitution is NOT.
If it were legal there would be a lot less streetwalkers (you will always have streetwalkers because they want the quick cash, mostly for drugs), but since stripping is legal and you can hand out cards/magazines with naked women on them people always thinks prostitution is legal here. The magazines, cards and signs for strip clubs is what makes Las Vegas very smutty.

Pahrump and Beatty (in Nye county where its legal) is about 45 mins from us and are very clean and you wouldn't even know there are brothels there! The only reason you know there are brothels there is because everyone tells you.

 

OK...so, potato 'pot-a-to'...it may not be 'legal' in Las Vegas, but the areas in Nevada where it IS legal, are still filthy (I do not mean to the naked eye, filthy!)...which are just within miles of Las Vegas! I know a few people who live there, and they are just as bad as Las Vegas (where I know other people who live there). And even though it's not LEGAL in Las Vegas...it's still tolerated more than other cities.

And I'm sorry...but Las Vegas is not filthy because it's not legal, it's filthy because it's tolerated too much and the city pushes it's boundaries. There is a reason why it's called "sin city". If it became legal, I doubt the city would look any different.

 

Oh please it isn't tolerated here!!
I have several friends who are cops and prison guards and they do stings all the time. The system lets the people go too soon and ALL of the cops that I know say if its legal they can concentrate on bigger problems (child abuse, drugs, theft, murders).

 

Come to Conservative Town, WI and you will see the difference in how it's tolerated more there than other cities.

 

you called it "disgusting" ~ how is that not an opinion? it's like me saying that X is "awesome" or Y is "annoying".... when you find them "terrible" and "exciting".

the bible being fact ~ we have different takes on this. (which is fine of course!)

 

As long as there is a moral divide, there will always be differing opinions. My morality is based on the Bible so I don't agree with prostitution, legal or illegal.

 

following this, should we not also have laws against smoking, drinking, overeating, not getting enough exercise, etc? after all, those things contribute to ill health that may require doctor care.

(what about people who get hurt pursuing recreational activities?)

(and so on)

 

Exactly.

You see those of us who proclaim the gospel could not condone this. Those of you who do not...have a logical argument either way and can debate it and bend or not bend and have a grand ole discussion. This not to say that those who are not Christian are not moral. NO WAY! It's to say that a Christian morality is based on something that you may not agree with to begin with. So our point of departure was a long time ago. lol. We should just agree to disagree...especially since this one isn't in our hands anyway. Some one will always feel their rights are trampled on when the issue is of this sort.