Wizard, My heart breaks whenever I see the street prostitutes around 26th and Bloomington on my way to work. And when I lived in the Central neighborhood ten years ago a downstairs neighbor of mine ruined her health and her life working the streets (she was only thirty when I met her, but with her history of chemical abuse and malnutrition that made all her teeth fall out, she looked closer to fifty-five). And the serial murders of prostitute in this area several years ago were truly horrifying.
But while I agree with your observations, I think your prescription is only going to perpetuate the awful violence against women that we have both witnessed. By legalizing, regulating, zoning and taxing prostitution, minors (males as well as females) would be safely pushed out of the market. Part of the tax revenues generated can go towards job training for prostitutes who are ready to work in other professions. Regulations would eliminate the safety and health hazards that sex workers have been faced with. And streets like Franklin Avenue would be free of dangerous pimps and annoying johns in their cars. The mainstream Feminist solution of continued criminalization of prostitution is just as pernicious as the Southern Baptist and Catholic solution. Let's start a discussion about making prostitution--both male and female-- safe and legal so we can end this cycle of violence against women in Minneapolis Addendum: As far as most female prostitutes being victims of childhood sexual abuse, that's a fact I certainly don't dispute. I can also say that many of the nurses, therapists, teachers, waitresses and waiters I have worked with and known since I was a teenager were also were victims of childhood sexual abuse. Please, let's not compound the victimization of sex workers with our ridiculous laws that continue to endanger their working conditions and lives.----------Peter Schmitz CARAG TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
