I’ve gotten a number of responses–one from someone at the Department of Homeland Security writing at 9am on a workday–saying, in effect: “If you don’t think prostitution is wrong, why are you not a prostitute?” This is too silly to merit reply, but…is this part of the fear? That if we legalize orgasm delivery, all women will become professional orgasm deliverers? Weird.
UPDATE: Megan McArdle writes:
I’ve had a few people email me to ask “if prostitution is so great, how come you’re not a prostitute?” Huh?
And follows that up with a very worthwhile and appropriately exasperated post. Will reports that no one has yet emailed him to ask this particular question.
For what it’s worth, as a creepy guy from the Department of Defense at 9pm on a workday, I’d say that tolerating something but not subscribing to it sounds pretty reasonable to me.
The question is even more ridiculous considering the fact that since other people think it is wrong, prostitution is illegal. I’m a college graduate with a job I really like, but I’ve thought more than a few times about working as a call girl–I’d probably make a lot more money that way–but it’s not worth the risk of getting caught. I don’t think selling marijuana to adults is wrong either, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to be a drug dealer when it’s illegal to do so.
If You Like Prostitution So Much, Why Don’t You Marry It?
And since so many marriages are—let’s face it—built on an exchange of money for sex, what’s so bad in comparison about prostitution?
I’m confused. When was it exactly that we as Americans began hinging our self-worth on what we do and what our opinions are? There was a time when someone could have a doctor, a bartender, or a “working girl” – and they could sit equally as contributing members of society. So what happened to project a stigma on our occupations?
And I would like to know how it is that people can hold Kerry up as a punching bag on account of an editorial she wrote defending her beliefs. My father is a republican and my sister watches American Idol – I don’t agree with those decisions personally but neither would be grounds enough to discern whether they are good people or not. So why are they railroading Ms. Howley in such a manner. Based solely on a set of opinions. I don’t think she’s really the flying a standard that encourages prostitution as a way of life. Personally, I don’t know her, but I also assume she would not encourage a young lady, who came to her and was having trouble finding work, to consider hooking as a viable option for making ends meet. However, I believe she is saying that when people do make decisions we may not understand or make oursevles – we shouldn’t necessarily be chomping at the bit to arrest them for it?
And if you really want to get petty about this: I don’t know the last time a girl went to prison for having sexual relations after a guy bought her a few drinks and paid her a couple compliments. Let’s be honest in no uncertain manner – that is an exchange for sex…so if you want get down to the nitty-gritty the government should start surveillance on any bar where women troll for free drinks looking to rope in their next “John.”
The implication of the question is that we are hypocrites for advocating against the prohibition of something and yet not immersing ourselves in it, personally. Following this logic, I should:
- be a prostitute
- be a junkie
- be a porn star
- gamble regularly
- sell sex toys
- make illegal campaign contributions
- buy political ads within a month of an election
- divorce my wife and marry a man
- fill a backpack full of guns and walk through every school and government building I can find
- immigrate somewhere illegally
- get caught peeing in an alley and refuse to register as a sex offender
- stop paying taxes
- use only private currency and barter
- skateboard
Shit. I’ve got lots of catching up to do. I think I’ll start with the skateboarding.
No, no, Andrew Sullivan asked about Will in the comments on Ross Douthat’s post. Reasonably, mind you, I can’t imagine anyone’s going to ask Will until Reihan Salam chimes in on the discussion too and then at least you’ll have a couple competing vendors and the presumable negative pressure on prices.
[...] Kerry Howley » Blog Archive » If You Like Prostitution So Much, Why Don’t You Marry It? “I’ve gotten a number of responses–one from someone at the Department of Homeland Security writing at 9am on a workday–saying, in effect: ‘If you don’t think prostitution is wrong, why are you not a prostitute?’” (tags: Spitzer stupid assholes bullshit prostitution sexwork law) [...]
Rimfax: Actually, these insinuations (which are outrageous, of course) are being made not because Howley merely defended prostitution’s legality, but because she has portrayed it as a profession that has little, if any, moral dimension of any kind. McArdle has not gone quite that far, but she did compare being a prostitute with being an NBA player.
I would assume people have not made similar accusations against Wilkinson (whose rhetoric has been even more disconnected with reality than Howley’s or McArdle’s) because he is known to be straight and straight male prostitutes don’t really exist.
Brent: “There was a time when someone could have a doctor, a bartender, or a “working girl” – and they could sit equally as contributing members of society.”
When you say “there was a time,” you mean in a different timeline pertaining to an alternative universe, correct? Otherwise, I would have to assume that you are/were under the influence of powerful psychotropic substances.
So, a doctor, and bartender and a hooker are standing in line to vote. I couldn’t find a suitable punchline, but it seems like a good start. The whole politicians == hookers angle seemed too obvious.
http://beinganescort.blogspot.com/
My blog about being an escort,anh how much it sucks
Nothing wrong with this, at all, people should get it more.
This is the way things should be, get off what we are on now