Pubdate: Wed, 11 Feb 2004 Source: Surrey Now (CN BC) Copyright: 2004 Lower Mainland Publishing Group Inc., A Canwest Company Contact: http://www.thenownewspaper.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1462 Author: B. Claire LEGALIZING PROSTITUTION WON'T SOLVE ANY PROBLEMS The Editor, Re: "Prostitution isn't the problem, prohibition is," the Now letters, Feb. 7. I have no idea what kind of "consenting" behaviour Kirk Tousaw engages in but I fail to see how a young drug-addicted girl selling sexual services to a man, likely married with children at home, can be constituted as consensual. In effect, it is really the continued victimization of someone who is already at a disadvantage and puts family at risk for contagious disease (without being given a choice). Legalization of prostitution has not proven to be effective. Where is has been implemented there has been an increase in street level prostitution. Why? A legal business must abide by health guidelines and where do you think the infected streetworker goes when she is fired for testing positive? Back to the street and the only life she knows. The social problem here is not the prohibition of consensual activity between adults but rather the condoning of the degradation of women, not only the one standing on the street corner but the one waiting at home for her partner. I wonder how consensual Mr. Tousaw thinks the recent hammer attack of a Vancouver prostitute was? Civil Liberties is defined in Webster's as "rights of thinking, speaking and acting as one likes without interference or restraint except in the interests of the public welfare." "Welfare ... is a condition of health, happiness and comfort." I do not think that drug addiction, assaults, herpes, AIDS, etc., go hand in hand with happiness and comfort - they do go hand in hand with prostitution and that will not change with legalization. Perhaps Mr. Tousaw should have an operation called "Get Real." B. Claire Surrey - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman