Who Are We Really Harming?

Who are we really harming?

Canada is often recognized by the rest of the world for its public policy of free speech and human rights. In Canada and the US there are some laws, such as the illegalization of prostitution and its solicitation, that are somewhat based on perspective and opinion, and, in a sense, oppose our current values of freedom and human rights. Most adults have the ability to make mature choices for themselves, and, therefore, should have the right to exercise this ability in all aspects of their lives. Is prostitution really immoral? Whose opinion do we base this evaluation of right and wrong on? Do we really take everybody’s opinion into account while enforcing particular laws?

Most adults have an established sense of personal morals. What one person thinks is immoral could be absolutely acceptable to somebody else. One’s sense of right and wrong, also commonly known as a conscience, is, arguably, a product of your upbringing and social environment. If you are taught something for a sufficient amount of time, or raised in a particular manner, you will most likely pick up the perspective and ways of thinking attached to it. Our opinionated society is obsessed with its own multiple views of morality. Everybody is their own person with their own point of view, so why is an entire nation being forced to conform to just one viewpoint?

This is a tough question to answer. Maybe it’s because of the overwhelming praise of the Bible and the idea that it holds all of the correct answers to acquire a righteous soul. If one does not follow the guidelines of this Holy Book, for example, if one commits fornication, they will perish in Hell forever - or so some believe. But with the many different religions, and their versions of sin, who really has the answer? Many members of our society practice illegal activities without harming others because they have an independent notion of right and wrong; they are not dependent on a Book to tell them what consequences they will face if they commit an act that is not socially accepted. Prostitution is illegal in America and the solicitation of prostitution is illegal in Canada, but if a person wants to be a prostitute then why should they not have the right?

While prostitution should be made legal, those who are being sold on the sex trade are excluded. It is extremely unacceptable for anyone to be forced to do something against their will, or strained to do things they are reluctant to do. The focus is that any adult in their right frame of mind should be allowed to do what they want with their bodies as long as their decisions are made solely by that adult, and they are absolutely consensual to every aspect that the decision involves.

Sex is not illegal. Sex with a stranger is not illegal. It is common for a person to charge another for a service. You are constantly charged a specified amount to get things fixed, to receive advice, or to simply talk to somebody. What makes paying for sex different? How is having sex with a stranger for money immoral if all participants are consensual?

How prostitution puts others in danger is puzzling. Our laws are supposed to be structured around the well-being of others. If prostitution will not harm others then why is it not legal? However, the illegalization of prostitution is, abstrusely, helping to protect others. The number of people who have contracted a sexually transmitted disease has inevitably risen, and will continue to do so. Many people with an STD do not even realize that they have it; therefore, prostitution must be regulated. Every prostitute should be sufficiently protected. Condom use is a must, birth control, when regarding a woman, should be used, (given it is not against their beliefs, but if it was they probably wouldn’t be prostitutes in the first place), and regular checkups should be required. If a condom breaks and the prostitute contracts an STD it is possible that they would not know until much later.