Reply #104: If we paid women as much as men, helped take care of the

[Clark2008]

children left when deadbeat dads (and some moms) don't and made school easier to afford there would be no prostitution unless one is a drug addict (and many become drug addicts because the lifestyle makes them feel demoralized - not all, but most).

I don't want it legalized because of the toll on the woman (and some men). I couldn't give two shits about the Johns. Despite all the "preaching" on this thread, most prostitutes have a pretty lousy sense of self-worth - it's not so cut and dried as being legal or not or being a "straight transaction." That's why it's illegal in most places - not because of some religious aspect, but because of the personal trauma inflicted after years of this lifestyle.

Hell, even athletes and models - others who "sell" their bodies - also can feel dehumanized even without the stigma of sex (which is still prevalant in all societies - and it isn't all religiously-based).

Do any of you know any prostitutes, personally? Know any former ones? I know several because I used to be a crime reporter. None of them would advocate this lifestyle, legal or not. This is not "Pretty Woman" we're talking about here.