Friday, October 1, 2010

Legalizing Prostitution — Opening The Door To Modern Slavery

Michael Coren calls it for what it is - the whoring of common sense:
One judge. Not an elected assembly but one socially privileged and detached woman who rejects evidence and objections because she has a more “progressive” view of society. And thus the laws on prostitution could change in this country forever. It’s interesting that the police supported the status quo but their opinions were rejected. When, however, they supported the long-gun registry we were told over and over again that their views had to be respected. How odd.
Fortunately, this government (unlike Liberal predecessors,) doesn't need to consult Svend Robinson on whether or not they should appeal this decision. They just do what's right and they are going to appeal this ridiculous ruling. Hopefully, the ruling ends up being quashed - either by higher court or by the government using of the non-withstanding clause.

As for those who claim that legalizing prostitution will somehow improve the personal security of the women involved in it, those who want Canada to follow the European example, should look closer at the situation in those European countries and see if they've actually had any success:
In 2005, the mayor of Amsterdam admitted that the Dutch experiment to curb abuse by legalizing prostitution in 2000 had failed miserably.

"Almost five years after the lifting of the brothel ban, we have to acknowledge that the aims of the law have not been reached", said Mayor Job Cohen in an NCR report. "Lately we've received more and more signals that abuse still continues."

Police in Amsterdam's infamous red light district were quoted by Dutch media as saying, "We are in the midst of modern slavery." Police said they were hampered in confronting the horrors that are characteristic of the sex trade because prostitution was legal.

In 2005 it was reported that Germany was reconsidering its position on legalized prostitution, made legal there in 2003, after reports that legalization had not really had any benefit for prostitutes, nor had it improved the situation for Germany at large.
...
“Opponents say Europeans need only look to Sweden to see the future of legalization,” wrote Isabelle de Pommereau in a 2005 Christian Science Monitor article. “The country - which legalized prostitution 30 years ago - recriminalized it in 1998, after complaints that legalization had solved few of the problems it set out to address.”

Sweden's ban on prostitution has focused on legislation that criminalized the buying of sex rather than the selling of sex and has resulted in prostitution being nearly eradicated.
That's how it works in Europe. Countries that gave in to the prostitution industry lobby, have only made things worse. But fighting prostitution (and using the right strategy, such as targeting the demand, rather than the supply,) - that actually works. Sweden is a great example.

And another thing:
They’re not sex-trade workers any more than a drug-dealer is a recreation-trade worker. Language is important; let’s not abuse it.
Right on!

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