Nice post akenaton.

Well, Bobert, I do see your point and it is a cultural distinction. There have been times when the profession has been honored and even worshipped (eg. the "Kama" Sutras). The Philistines would break a baby's hymen on a stone phallus in the temple as a dedication to their baal and temple prostitution was common. But then again, so was human sacrifice but it wasn't illegal!

What I tried to get across above is that historically, societies where prostitution was condoned or at least more tolerated, were generally more corrupt in other ways. Human dignity was not a high priority nor was human life highly valued. The Judeo-Christian standard is certainly not without its flaws and the double standard and hypocracy are not the least. The standard itself, however, seeks to elevate the worth and worthiness of the human being and in so doing has advanced human civilization. That's my take and I already know the counter arguments by heart. They are well represented on some of the other current threads so we don't really need to get off into that. It is just that the ideal is uplifting and a pox on those who corrupt the ideals to justify war, murder and the like. There! That's said.

I suppose it comes down to how a society says that something is acceptable or not. Do we punish? Brand? Shun? Seek to understand and help? All of the above and others? Anarchy and revolution share the element of chaos to accomplish their ends but it always results in the establishment or restablishment of some form of order which only serves to return us to the original situation. If anarchy prevails we are returned to the rules of animal behavior but those rules must be obeyed so why not aim higher?

Our society (US) has sought to give us an orderly way to accomplish change without a descent into chaos: thorugh open and vigorous debate, election, representation, petition and proposition. Again, not without flaws but the best system yet imagined (IMHO).

Education and non-judgmental assistance (including protection services, relocation and the like for those who want to escape abusive situations) are steps in the right direction. The vast majority of Americans are very caring people and much of what I have just mentioned is carried on in communities across the nation by volunteers. That's a mark of a good society, caring and doing something about it.