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Aswad -> RE: Police Abuse of Sex Workers: A Global Reality, Widely Ignored (12/20/2011 9:40:54 AM)
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Okay, it's time to take on a loser case.
TheHeretic is expressing a feeling the women in question should be able to relate to: helplessness.
Changing such ingrained laws and perceptions as are required to make a difference to the prostitutes is a daunting proposition. The mass of our democracy frequently makes it seem as if we are small and powerless in the larger currents of the political scene. In truth, however, if our lifestyles afford us the time to do worthwhile things, and to get involved, the bottom line is that corporate bribes and interest group voices are fundamentally about votes, and so we can still reach out to some of those that can take these views to where they can make a difference. Even media are still at least partially accessible to the common (wo)man. Keep at it over time, and we build momentum that eventually culminates in actual change.
While I tend to agree with tweakabelle on what is needed, I also think we need to be realistic. Right now, all efforts should be directed at legalization. It's a necessary step to get anywhere, as illustrated by the point that so many people conflate law and moral to the point where one wonders if they even hold the two as distinct at all. While it is not a sufficient step, it does make a difference in itself, and is a stepping stone to other steps. Also, no other, "lesser" step will make enough of a difference to justify diverting any attention away from the legalization effort.
Just make sure the sympathy doesn't extend so far as to legitimize the efforts of those otherwise well-meaning souls that would seek to further disempower the prostitutes as "poor wretches" of so low standing as not to need a voice in how they are "helped". Such was the outcome up here in Norway, with the result that the only groups that didn't get what they wanted, were the prostitutes themselves, and their support- and interest-organizations.The situation has been substantially worsened for them as a consequence, and now the efforts to help them are "on hold" because the enactors of these efforts believe it's only a matter of time before the problem is resolved now. Of course, as always, "the problem" is the existence prostitution, not the plight of the prostitutes, and it's not going anywhere. What a surprise.
Starting from a position of respect for regular folks getting by as best they can seems the decent and reasonable thing to do.
So, who else here has done an opinion piece in their local media to raise the issue?
Who will write their local representative today?
Health,
al-Aswad.
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