I have just taken a quick 20 minute run through the thread so if I have missed any essential things do forgive me.

In essence if a woman or man decides to sell something they have, be it manual or mental, as a resource that is required and wanted, then that 'talent' has an intrinsic value and should be paid for fairly. Most of us who are fortunate to have a job or are employed do that all the time.

If that 'talent' involves something sexual there is no reason why it should be made illegal or be debased as long as the person who is doing the work is not being exploited or forced to do it. For me the illegality comes from women or men being forced to have to do something they would not by others who then live off them.

Even this has a certain moral quality to it. Bosses and shareholders inevitably earn their livings and bonuses from the profits they get by others working for them. People loving off other people. Thankfully in most good economies there are now laws to protect those workers and see to it they are not being exploited and used in an unfair way. This does not stop sweatshops nor does it stop women potentially being paid less than her male colleague for the same job. But it is mostly legalised and done with lots more safety and fairness in mind than it used to be. The biggest user of people who work is some industries are the consumers themselves. We all want things cheaper and labour costs are a big part of the price of anything. Workers get exploited very often by our own need to get things cheaper. Yet we still seem to accept that on a far different scale than when sex is put into the equation as a commodity to be paid for or sold.

In short. Prostitution is likely to be more about money than anything else BUT what makes it such a hot topic for debate is that many see it as very different from any other item for sale. What needs to be done is for prostitutes to be given the same protection and rights as all other workers. They should be respected for the services they provide. They should get good health plans and be allowed to pay their taxes. They should not be judged and looked down upon like some second class citizen. Those that would exploit and force them to do what they do are the ones in the wrong.

As for the ones who do it for drugs and drink then the same laws can apply to them as apply to all other jobs. You cannot turn in if you are on drugs or drunk. The law is already there for all.

The whole way that most of society looks at prostitutes and sex workers is, for me, wrong. They are not a subspecies and never should be looked at or treated as that. They should be embraced as all other workers in society. It is very obvious their services are required and needed. It is not prostitutes or prostitution that is wrong per se. It the way that society allows them to be treated and exploited that seems to be wrong.

As in most things, the minute sex enters the fray then moral judgements loom large and people look to the prostitute/sex worker as being the cause of some decline in our society. It's not their fault. They are providing a service that is obviously much needed. I will not judge them for that no more than I would anyone else who goes out and does an honest job

Just some thoughts on my 'take' on the subject.

mp