I have added emphasis on my favorite parts.

'Prostitution Day' Proves Popular
By Alexandra Hudson in Amsterdam

April 01, 2007 02:22am
Article from: Reuters

AMSTERDAM'S sex workers came to work early yesterday to offer a free look at the city's famed red-light district.

Hundreds of wide-eyed visitors queued in the sunshine to enter the dimly-lit sex clubs and peep shows that draw thousands to the city and to snoop around prostitutes' neon-lit boudoirs.

“I think the open day is a great idea,” said Love, an erotic dancer at Amsterdam's Banana Bar, who was on hand to answer questions and pose for photographs in fluorescent negligee.

“It is especially interesting for women. If they learn what we do here they will realise it is not a big deal if their husbands or boyfriends want to come here.”

Organisers staged the open day to counter bad publicity surrounding the 800-year-old district after harrowing reports of forced prostitution, human trafficking and organised crime.

More than 30 brothels are fighting closure after officials revoked their licences last year over suspected links to money laundering and drug dealing.

But tourism authorities say the district - a warren of narrow alleys and canals lined with sex shops, brothels and neon signs - is as big an attraction as Amsterdam's art museums and coffee shops, where marijuana is freely smoked and sold.

Every night visitors throng the streets, agog at scantily clad women sitting behind huge red-lit windows, and who sell their services for as little as €50 ($82).

“I am here because my wife was interested in coming along,” said 63-year-old Evert Rijnders from Haarlem.

His wife Jos added: “This has been a chance to look behind the scenes, and some things have definitely surprised me.”

Organiser Jacco Wanders displayed a typical prostitute's bedroom, usually concealed behind red velvet curtains and fitted with an emergency alarm bell in case a client turns violent.

He laughed as visitors posed in the tall street-facing window or bounced around on the mattress.

“This day is to help break down taboos around prostitution and to create more understanding and respect,” he said.

The “open day” concludes with the unveiling of a statue to an unknown sex worker, intended to honour those employed in the industry world-wide, including those without the same protection found in the Netherlands, where prostitution is legal.

Amsterdam's window-prostitutes are self-employed tax payers, hiring their own windows at around €110 ($170) per night.

“People who work in the sex industry don't get enough respect,” said Mariska Majoor, a former prostitute who now runs the red-light district's information centre.

“There are millions of them and many are in trouble. Some are abused by clients or pimps and it is important for them to know that they deserve respect.”

thats interesting. I've always found what I read about Amsterdam to be interesting. I am hoping to make it over there sometime in the next few years.

There are far more interesting places to see. The red light district is great but, watch out for the bait and switch. Coffee Shops are more fun.

quote:

Originally posted by Verpackung:
Coffee Shops are more fun.

Indeed, I love their special menus... There was one item from Northern India that I'll always remember as... Well, never mind...

This said -- and although prostituon brings it's lot of prblems -- I believe it is better to do as the Dutch and legalise prostitution. It makes sense for a lot of reasons (medical controls not being the least ; the fact that you cannot eradicate it being another).

As a side note, the French minister (a woman) who made prostitution illegal in France -- in the 50s, I believe -- said on her deathbed that the only regret in her life was to have passed that law.

quote:

I believe it is better to do as the Dutch and legalize prostitution.

Yeah, that's a great idea.

quote:

Originally posted by ArrowJ:

quote:

I believe it is better to do as the Dutch and legalize prostitution.

Yeah, that's a great idea.

Mind you, it is. It is better to control what you cannot curb. BTW, prostitution is legal in Nevada, as it is in Canada (for the latter, what is illegal is public sollicitation).

You would think that they would have a special, maybe give out free samples or something!

quote:

Originally posted by ArrowJ:

quote:

I believe it is better to do as the Dutch and legalize prostitution.

Yeah, that's a great idea.

I don't know Aaron, I'm on the fence, but it works in the countries where it is legal. Granted there are some problems, but many other problems are avoided. I just think it's kind of silly to fill up the jails with prositutes, and minor drug offenders. Not to mention how much many ot costs tax payers. I think it would take time to adjust, but in the end it may work. As long as there are strict rules about who can be a prostitue and how often they need to be tested for STD's, then I think it might work.

I know your thinking is due to religious beliefs, and I respect that. I already know those reasons, but I would be interested to know if you had other secular reasons.

Most likely, this would cause more abortions.I do think abortion is wrong, so that is a huge downfall. Like I said, I can see the positives and the negatives.

quote:

Originally posted by jms2788:
Most likely, this would cause more abortions.

I don't see how. It is not because prostitution is legal that clients do not wear condoms (and/or that hookers would not take the pill -- and there is also the "Day after" pill).

quote:

Originally posted by flashman:

quote:

Originally posted by jms2788:
Most likely, this would cause more abortions.

I don't see how. It is not because prostitution is legal that clients do not wear condoms (and/or that hookers would not take the pill -- and there is also the "Day after" pill).

True, but those methods are not fool proof. I think there would be an increase of the number of people patronizing prostitues. Therefore, more accidents. Of course, there may not be an increase, so I could be wrong. The only way to truly tell would be to legalize it.

I sort of think this would be true with other things too. Don't you think more people would use marijuana if it was legal to do so?

What is morally wrong with prostiution?
I was in Amsterdam in the mid 80's and it was a dangerous place.

quote:

Originally posted by jms2788:
I think there would be an increase of the number of people patronizing prostitues. Therefore, more accidents. Of course, there may not be an increase, so I could be wrong. The only way to truly tell would be to legalize it.

After a bit of checking, it seems those "accidents" are much more frequent in places were prostitution is illegal. Also, I haven't seen the problem of abortion vs. legal prostitutes being raised anywhere. Seems to be a non-issue...

quote:

I sort of think this would be true with other things too. Don't you think more people would use marijuana if it was legal to do so?

Alcohol at the time of the Prohibition is a good example of how criminalising this stuff is futile. So, no, I don't think that it would change much in the long run.

Also, it would take money out of the criminals' pockets and in to the taxpayers and make more money available to police to fight violent crime (if they don't have to spend cash chasing pot dealers -- the same they did bootleggers).

Ya know while Prostitution, Marijuana and Hash are all legal there....bet ya they start cracking down on Cigars --if they haven't already).

quote:

Originally posted by THEMONK:
What is morally wrong with prostiution?
I was in Amsterdam in the mid 80's and it was a dangerous place.

Yeah, it is a heavy duty city. Like many others.

But you seem to be under the impression prostituion is mostly illegal eveywhere when, in fact, it would be easier to ask which countries is it illegal in, that would be a very short list, with mainly the U.S. were consenting adult sexual rights are denied.

Prostitution is LEGAL (with some restrictions that aren't that bad) in Canada, most all of Europe including England, France, Wales, Denmark, etc., most of South America including most of Mexico (often in special zones), Israel (Tel Aviv known as the brothel capital of the world), Australia, and many other countries. It is either legal or very tolerated in most all of Asia and even Iran has "temporary wives" which can be for only a few hours! New Zealand passed in 2003 one of the most comprehensive decriminalization acts which even made street hookers legal which is causing many concerns. I do NOT support public nuisance street hookers being legal unless in special zones. But PRIVATE consenting adult sexwork should be legal as it is in most of the world except the U.S.

quote:

Originally posted by flashman:

quote:

Originally posted by jms2788:
I think there would be an increase of the number of people patronizing prostitues. Therefore, more accidents. Of course, there may not be an increase, so I could be wrong. The only way to truly tell would be to legalize it.

After a bit of checking, it seems those "accidents" are much more frequent in places were prostitution is illegal. Also, I haven't seen the problem of abortion vs. legal prostitutes being raised anywhere. Seems to be a non-issue...

quote:

I sort of think this would be true with other things too. Don't you think more people would use marijuana if it was legal to do so?

Alcohol at the time of the Prohibition is a good example of how criminalising this stuff is futile. So, no, I don't think that it would change much in the long run.

Also, it would take money out of the criminals' pockets and in to the taxpayers and make more money available to police to fight violent crime (if they don't have to spend cash chasing pot dealers -- the same they did bootleggers).

I agree with what you're saying about these things in the long run. I do believe in the long run legalizing these things would work, but I'm wondering if we could get through the first few months or years. In America, we have a tendency to do things in excess. So, if marijuana was legal, for the first few months, people would run around smoke like crazy and then in an intoxicated state, decide to drive a car. Of course, this would be illegal, but people would still do it.

I believe it would be the same situation with prostitution, more people would patronize them just because they can for the first few months. Therefore, with the increased "usage" there may be more accidents.

You have to remember the mind set of many Americans. If some is good, more is better. I see many of my friends going out and getting so drunk they couldn't tell you their name, but then they think it's ok to drive. Me on the other hand, I can do things in moderation. I can smoke, eat, and drink in moderation, but many people can't.

So, in the long term, you're absolutly correct. Do you think people could work through that first short time period where things might seem worse? Or do you think these family groups would panic and make a big stink to get the law repealed?

Basically, what I'm saying is one day on CNN we'll hear that 100 prostitutes have become pregnant and every soccer mom would scream bloody murder about how she knew this was going to happen and how her poor little Billy isn't safe in this creul and dreadful world.

quote:

Originally posted by jms2788:
...but I'm wondering if we could get through the first few months or years. In America, we have a tendency to do things in excess. So, if marijuana was legal, for the first few months, people would run around smoke like crazy and...

Perhaps... Then again, pot is already so easily available everywhere (and grows everywhere) that I think it would basically be only a source change.

quote:

I believe it would be the same situation with prostitution, more people would patronize them just because they can for the first few months. Therefore, with the increased "usage" there may be more accidents.

There is a certain logic there... Still, never met a hooker who didn't make her clients wear condoms, even on a busy day.

quote:

Do you think people could work through that first short time period where things might seem worse? Or do you think these family groups would panic and make a big stink to get the law repealed?

Yes and yes (the latter not necessaraly for the right reasons).

quote:

Originally posted by jms2788:
Basically, what I'm saying is one day on CNN we'll hear that 100 prostitutes have become pregnant and every soccer mom would scream bloody murder about how she knew this was going to happen and how her poor little Billy isn't safe in this creul and dreadful world.

A likely story...

Yeah, we are basically on the same page. I know that even on a busy day hookers would still make their clients use condoms, but since there would be an increased volume of condoms being used, there is more of a chance a defective condom in being used.

Good one!