Legalizing prostitution a disgusting idea!

I find it very strange that someone for whom I have so much respect would make a statement of that nature and magnitude.”
That was former independent senator Everistus JnMarie reacting to one of the day’s hottest issues: a call by former CMO and recently appointed independent senator Dr King for the decriminalization of prostitution.
“Decriminalization amounts to making prostitution legal in Saint Lucia,” JnMarie told this reporter yesterday. “We have more than our fair share of social problems in the country. What’s the point in adding to the list? The evidence is very clear: in every country where prostitution has been decriminalized or legalized, for whatever reasons, there has been an increase in this sordid activity, as well as a proliferation of brothels and other related establishments.”
Dr King made his appeal via HTS, soon after he took his oath as a senator. “We have to embrace people,” he said. “If you want people to protect themselves, if you want people to be educated, if you want them to have access to the health services, you cannot have them outside the law. You must have them within the law so we can work with them effectively. And that is why I think the decriminalization of sex workers is an important thing.”
Dr King anticipated the public response from this largely Christian community: “A lot of people will think that this is the condoning of sex work but that’s not what it is. It is an understanding that this is something which is happening and we have to manage it properly. If you decriminalize it and you can work with the prostitutes, who knows what heights you can lift those very people to?”
HTS news reporter Sarah Peter interviewed several people who supported Dr King’s thinking, including HIV/AIDS program director Nahum JnBaptiste and the director of the Caribbean Drug and Alcohol Institute, Dr Marcus Day.
“Whether you agree or not, doesn’t shut out the public health issues,” said Day. “The laws don’t do anything to stop certain behaviours, so we need to teach people about how they can engage in them in a way that is less risky.”
Not surprisingly, religious leaders have come out in condemnation of Dr King’s appeal, on the basis  that we are a “a nation under God.”
Added JnMarie: “It is an affront to human dignity. It reduces a woman to a mere object of sick pleasure for men. I don’t think the society should do anything to encourage prostitution, when of females or males. The way to protect vulnerable groups is lift them from their demeaning activities, not by making what they do more acceptable.”
The former senator was concerned that the laws of the country regarding prostitution were not being enforced.
“I don’t know of any case in Saint Lucia where someone was charged  with operating a brothel. All indications are that legalizing prostitution only encourages more vulnerable young men and women to engage in it without any feeling of shame. At a time when the economy couldn’t be worse, Dr King’s call may well be heard by our most vulnerable as an invitation to engage in a sick industry.”
Prostitutionresearch.com seems to support JnMarie:   “Decriminalization of prostitution in Australia and New Zealand has resulted in an increase in illegal, hidden, and street prostitution and suggests that decriminalization promotes sex trafficking.”
The website cited information acquired from the Netherlands that “decriminalization increases child prostitution.”
The jury is still out on whether decriminalizing prostitution has any good impact on sexually transmitted diseases.
“It is a one-dimensional solution to a problem,” said JnMarie. “And if we don’t look at it in a more holistic way, we will get nowhere. I really hope that this idea of legalizing prostitution does not gain any traction. Especially not until we deal with our several other social issues. I know decent and right-thinking people will come out and protest against Dr King’s idea. I promise I’ll be among the first to protest any moves in that direction.”
Asked about prostitution going on Saint Lucia despite the laws Mr Jn Marie said: “It is not something that is in your face. I am not aware of the extent to which prostitution is going on in the country and it is difficult to comment on problem without hard evidence as to the degree it actually exists. What I will call for is the enforcement of our anti-prostitution laws.”
He went on: “Yes, women face many challenges. They are often left to fend for themselves and their deserted children. And desperation can lead to many ills. This is what our society must address. This is what the government must be concerned about, not with encouraging the desperate to sell their bodies. Legalizing prostitution is not the solution, it is merely an additional problem in the making.”
JnMarie was not prepared to accept that the spread of STD’s would decrease if sex workers were registered and regularly tested.
“What about the men who are infecting the woman?” he asked. “What’s the guarantee that brothel keepers will obey the laws that govern them? Very often their regulations are breached when private arrangements are made involving unsafe sex.
“The point is it is wrong on all counts to sell our body and even worse to legalize the trade. Prostitution is an affront to human dignity and we should do everything we can to stop it. And if such a law should pass, then what next? Same-sex marriages? Brothels specializing in unspeakable perversions. The idea is horrifying! ”