The "War on Sex (between consenting adults)?" Does it promote human trafficking
Electronman
Too much of a good thing is never enough
First, I have zero tolerance for sex with minors or sex in which one or more partners is truly coerced (as in some types of human trafficking). That said, I sense that recent legislative and law enforcement efforts to expose and eliminate human trafficking are failing to discriminate between non-consensual sex and consensual sex and might be more accurately termed the "War on Sex" (an obvious reference to the government's failed "War on Drugs" program).
What do you think? Is the government overreaching its authority by passing and enforcing prostitution laws that criminalize sex between consenting adults just because money is exchanged? More to the point of this discussion, would it be easier to eliminate human trafficking if prostitution was legalized thus making it easier to regulate and promote safe, non-coercive prostitution options as an alternative to human trafficking examples?
By the way, the media seems to equate human trafficking with the sex business. Why do they overlook coerced labor of a non-sexual nature? Are they just pandering to ratings-- sex is flashy but coerced labor under squalid conditions is not as newsworthy?
What do you think? Is the government overreaching its authority by passing and enforcing prostitution laws that criminalize sex between consenting adults just because money is exchanged? More to the point of this discussion, would it be easier to eliminate human trafficking if prostitution was legalized thus making it easier to regulate and promote safe, non-coercive prostitution options as an alternative to human trafficking examples?
By the way, the media seems to equate human trafficking with the sex business. Why do they overlook coerced labor of a non-sexual nature? Are they just pandering to ratings-- sex is flashy but coerced labor under squalid conditions is not as newsworthy?
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Interestingly, people who have studied this find public education makes little impact on the demand side of things. Partly some customers who don't care, and others kid themselves that they can distinguish coerced from non-coerced (people often see what they want versus what is real to continue doing what they do with minimal cognitive dissonance). Many of the coerced are trained to act non-coerced with cover stories, and periodically tested (traffickers send their own guys in to test the victim's "loyalty").
I do agree, however, that the recent trend in the media and some politicians is to treat all paid for sex as coerced. Washington's state's very own Attorney General has even said point blank that all paid for sex is rape. I'm not sure why they are taking this strategy. It's a pretty over stretch and seems likely to backfire. More likely that prostitution becomes legalized during my lifetime, IMO.
Lawmakers at all levels from city to federal are strongly influenced by a segment of fundamentalist Christian social activists who are affiliated with churches that reflect a Puritan heritage. Some lawmakers may even be members of such churches themselves.
This transcends political affiliation as any Democrat, Republican, or Independent may be a believer.
These activists are part of a national, well-financed group to change what they see as our toxic culture.
"Scripture and Hostility to Exotic Dance
'As the vice regents of God we are to exercise godly dominion and influence over our neighborhoods, our schools, our government, our literature and arts, our sports arenas, our entertainment media, our news media, our scientific endeavors— in short, over every aspect and institution of human society.' DR. D. JAMES KENNEDY, one of the founders of the Alliance Defense Fund
Today’s battle against exotic dance is as much about the belief that modern culture itself is toxic, rife with social decay, as it is about local contests over morality, taste, and decency. Exotic dance is a lightning rod for an effort to return to “traditional values†by imposing sweeping “decency standards†and censoring and criminalizing discussion, artistic depictions, and any kind of nonmarital consensual sexual activity. Attacks on exotic dance are enmeshed in the goal to shape public policy by undermining what a SEGMENT of the politically active Christian Right— that is, CR-Activists— regards as the institutional secular strongholds of modern American liberalism that have led to the degradation of culture by corrupt values.
Many CR-Activist groups aid the anti-exotic dance cause, among them, the American Family Association; Charles Keating’s Citizens for Decency through Law (changed to Children’s Legal Foundation, then Child Welfare Foundation after he was convicted of fraud and racketeering); Focus on the Family; Community Defense Counsel (CDC, formerly National Family Legal Foundation); and Alliance Defense Fund (ADF), which fields attorneys across the nation with a $32 million annual budget. James Dobson, D. James Kennedy, and other powerful fundamentalist broadcasters founded ADF in 1994 because they wanted to make their cases in the courts. Some political actors offer foot soldier workshops, prepare model anti-exotic dance legislation, and provide litigators and other legal services to local and state governments. State affiliates of the powerhouse Focus on the Family offer special training for people aspiring to public office. Mark Montini, a Georgia-based political consultant, said, 'We put too much emphasis on who wins or loses. But what we’re really after is cultural change.'â€
Hanna, Judith Lynne (2012-05-01). Naked Truth. University of Texas Press.
So, it's likely that these activists are behind many efforts to regulate SCs out of business, including S-cat's Pink Pony post above. And these activists are also part of the effort to link human trafficking to all adult oriented businesses.
Prostitution is constitutionally protected under right to privacy. I can't see how the government can say a young lady I take home, have sex with and give money to makes us criminals, when if we just had sex we're not.
We already have laws on the books for rape, statutory rape and kidnapping. The area that is the most fucked up is statutory rape, because an 18 year old who consensually fucks his 17 year old g/f can be branded the same status of sexual predator than a 40 year old man raping a 10 year old girl.
It would be nice if we took politics and politicians out of the picture because whatever laws they make are only for political gain, but of course that's not possible.
One thing should remain constant: anyone has the right to say "no" to any sexual activity at any time, and have that "no" respected absolutely and immediately. That includes any circumstance where a transaction took place, regardless of any other consideration. No truly must mean no in the context of sexual activity.
As it relates to strip clubs: I would never want any woman coerced into working anywhere, including any club. If someone is coercing any worker to participate in any work anywhere against that person's will or willingness, that is clearly wrong. In any context.