My Answer: So Wrong...  

Posted by H in ,

I just came across this article on real life sex-trafficking and prostitution, which apparently is written by a self-defense training organization. And it made me react a little bit.


At first I just amusingly thought of Sarah Summers, because if you've been reading her Inspired to Blog site you know as well as I do that she doesn't take well people demonizing her line of work and calling all girls out there just a bunch of poor little defense-less victims.


Then it actually got to me gradually and I wanted to post a comment. And noted I couldn't. Ah. How we get used to the wonders of the internet. Where's the hell is my comment system? So I thought I could just write back here in reply, but nobody would notice, it's not like there's a lot people reading me, and I guess not that many on that website either. So I thought of using Google Sidewiki and posted an entry (you can write one yourself!). I'll post it back here for backup purposes and easier accessibility for those of you not familiar with Sidewiki:


First of all I want to say that I do not encourage prostitution, and do not want to incite any young girls or boys to start selling sexual services as a mean of paying their college tuition fees when they could have other options, or for any other reason for that matter.

However, what is written here is just plain wrong. If you have such high figures, please come forward and cite them. Give me a study. Give me numbers. Give me sources.

There are not that many girls that would sleep with 15 to 30 men a day, and it would in no way be an average value.

And yes, I do agree that many pimps or even legal escort agencies (in countries where prostitution is legal) do target girls with difficulties, whether it is totally meant to be like that or not. There's of course a socio-economical pattern to it and of course a girl who didn't have the benefits of an education giving her social boundaries and who is struggling in her life (or simply feeling that she's struggling, when all she's going through is merely life, but cannot get a good grasp on it) is an easier target for them, and most of the girls I know do indeed fit that pattern.

Not all of them though. I do know some girls who do this willingly. As in *totally* willingly. They have an education. They didn;t have difficulties. They could have paid for their studies and life another way and they know it. But the job satisfies them. either fully for some of them, and sometimes only partly for others. But aren't there a lot more people in "normal" jobs who are only partly satisfied with their jobs? Here maybe they have an ethical problem with it, but it satisfies they sexual side. Or they enjoy the advantages (time and money, primarily).


While I do appreciate the attempt at addressing an issue (trafficking exists, both in developed and developing countries, and direct and indirect exploitation is a truth, as are some of the practices pointed at here: gang-bangs for introduction, exposition to drugs, demeaning physical and psychological treatments), this perspective won't solve anything. Unilateraly demonizing something won't solve the issue, and the only positive point will be to raise awareness.

But you provide false information, and you take away the focus from the real solutions. For the ones already at work, legalization ensures a better coverage and better conditions, at least in developed countries. And in general, a right to education and social security support would solve most problems for the ones who fall into this because they are in need.


I should have thought all of this more through, but I was kind of in a rush and have to leave now.

But my realization here is that Sidewiki can be a useful thing after all. It's a double-axe thing: it can bite you, but it can in the end be a tool for open-ended discussion. It's hard to control, but so are the minds of our fellow human-beings, aren't they?


Note: you don't have to install the Google Toolbar to browse and use Google Sidewiki. There's an handy SideWiki bookmarklet, which lets you write on any page you want.

0 comments

Post a Comment

share

Share |

live

My Girlfriend is an Escort

[ status ]

    Twitter

    featured