Does legalizing amount to endorsement?

submitted by sawboss from (self.AskSaidIt)

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[–]kazenmusic 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (6 children)

<Do you think de-criminalizing an activity amounts to endorsing that activity?>

Not sure that's the right question. Endorsing it or not involves your opinion (to which you are entitled), but just like prohibition, it has little or nothing to do with 'demand'.

Sexual markets will always be with us. They always have been, and by comparison with the past, we are relatively repressed. It makes sense to me that with legalization could come the opportunity to increase everyone's safety and health.

The problem with this, as with other things we are seeing, is that it opens the door to degeneracy. IMO children are exposed to a level of sexuality these days that is harmful because they don't get to develop on their own, their consent and timing of knowledge is removed by a permissive society. Especially now with the internet and porn, an eight-year-old with no filters can learn things I still have not figured out for myself at 72. So how to deal with that...

[–]sawboss[S] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (4 children)

The problem with this, as with other things we are seeing, is that it opens the door to degeneracy.

I don't believe that. I believe prohibition and social repression of <insert thing> makes that thing more interesting for curious youngsters. Because prostitution is hidden in black markets few see the negative outcomes of irresponsible behavior or abuse. Because sex workers are shunned few feel compelled to offer help when needed. Because selling (or buying) sex is illegal, sex workers don't get the legal protections offered to workers in other service industries.

[–]kazenmusic 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

Personally, I always thought the Vestal Virgins were a great idea!

[–]sawboss[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

Vestal Virgins

So what activities should women be barred from if they refuse to be abstain from sex?

[–]kazenmusic 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

No one should be barred from anything that makes them happy, IMO. I don't exactly understand what you're saying here, but I agree with your initial premise that legalizing sex work would solve a lot of problems.

[–]sawboss[S] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Vestal Virgins were acolytes of the Vesta cult who were allowed to own property on the condition that they abstained from sex.

[–]slabgreen 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Prostitution aside, do you think it's harmful to children to know about sex and sexuality? Why?