Pubdate: Tue, 07 Apr 2009
Source: GSU Signal, The (GA Edu)
Copyright: 2009 The GSU Signal
Contact: http://www.gsusignal.com/letters/
Website: http://www.gsusignal.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1622
Author: Gaurav Bhatia
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization)

TO LEGALIZE OR NOT TO LEGALIZE, THAT IS THE QUESTION

There have been many heated debates regarding the legalization of
prostitution and drugs like cocaine and marijuana. Some people believe
that prostitutes and drug dealers should be put behind bars, while
other people argue that their activities should be regulated, but not
against the law. These industries are unregulated markets that bring
in a lot of revenue, but have resulted in people being put in prison,
as they are considered illegal businesses. So what are the
ramifications of legalizing drugs and prostitution?

Let's take a stroll down memory lane. Back in 1919 the sale,
manufacture, and transportation of alcoholic beverages was
criminalized as a result of the 18th Amendment to the United States
Constitution. This period, known as Prohibition or the Noble
Experiment, lasted until 1933, and there were numerous problems that
took place. Despite the fact that the selling and consumption of
alcohol was illegal, people actually increased their use of these
products. Alcoholic beverages were smuggled through stores called
speakeasies, and this period also gave rise to organized crime.
Violent crime had increased, particularly among mafia groups, and
corruption among law enforcement agencies also increased. Because of
this mess, alcohol was eventually legalized again, and afterward the
problems associated with Prohibition decreased.

So what does this all have to do with drugs such as opium and crystal
methane? Well, many of the problems that took place during Prohibition
are currently taking place throughout the war on drugs. Many gangs
have been at war with each other, and a large number of them have
ended up dead. Also, cops have been killed while attempting to
apprehend drug dealers. If drugs were legal, then the law could
regulate the activities associated with the selling of such products.
By no means am I supporting the use of drugs; in fact, my rationale
for supporting legalization of these products is because I want to see
the problems associated with illegal drugs to decrease. As somebody
who neither smokes, drinks, nor takes drugs, I would much rather
legalize drugs and see less people taking them than to criminalize
these acts and see more people take them while killing or getting
killed in the process. I think there should be other methods to
prevent people from taking drugs, and the best ways are to improve the
economy so that adults are less likely to take drugs and to provide
youth groups so that kids don't take drugs.

Prostitution is something else that I think should be regulated, not
criminalized. A lot of prostitutes are victims of violence from their
pimps, and unfortunately, they are the ones that are jailed up instead
of the pimps. I believe that the pimps should be arrested, as they are
the perpetrators of harmful behavior. In addition, I think the law
should be harsher on human trafficking, which is a form of sexual
slavery. Unfortunately, many law enforcers would much rather punish
the victims than the perpetrators. Also, many young children are
victims of human trafficking, and this is a result of the
criminalization of prostitution. If this industry was regulated, law
enforcers could enforce a minimum age requirement to keep young ones
from being in the industry, as well as require prostitutes to take STD
tests to ensure that they don't transmit diseases while working. It
may sound like I support prostitution, but I am actually against it. I
just think that there are better ways to fight it than criminalizing
it. In fact, I'd say by criminalizing this industry, it is actually in
more demand, and crimes such as rape and human trafficking have
increased as a result. Just like with drugs, I would rather legalize
these activities and see them reduced than to criminalize them and see
them increased. Just some food for thought.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin