Of all the sad and pathetic aspects of the fall of Gov. Eliot Spitzer, when his almost decade-long use of prostitutes was uncovered, the most pathetic was Prof. Alan Dershowitz’s assertion that prostitution was a “victimless crime.” A vicious and destructive “myth” is the foundation of such a wrong-headed assertion—the myth of the “happy hooker.”
The vast majority of women in prostitution have been sexually abused as children or adolescents. The overwhelming number of them would vastly prefer to not to be in the “business”—a business that systematically and ruthlessly exploits them and then, when they are “damaged goods,” shoves them ever further down the ladder to seamier and seamier levels of the business.
The “Emperor’s Club,” the escort service of choice for former Gov. Spitzer, is still just a bunch of glorified pimps who take a 50 percent cut off the top from the fee paid by johns for sexually exploiting a young woman.
The women are subjected to devastating psychological and physical harm. Almost all the women in prostitution, at whatever level, if they are not prostituting themselves in order to support a drug habit, become drug addicts to anesthetize themselves emotionally in order to keep on selling their bodies.
This is a gruesome business, and the young woman is the first, but not the only, victim in a sad and tragic parade of victims. Who can look at the shattered faith of a brokenhearted spouse whose trust has been so horribly betrayed and not see her as a victim? Additionally, if press reports are to be believed, Gov. Spitzer was willing to pay “extra” for unprotected sex, thus, potentially exposing his wife to one or more of the more than twenty sexually transmitted diseases (STD’s) at epidemic stage in our society. Only yesterday, a study was released that reported that one in four young women in this country currently have at least one STD. How many of them were given their disease by a partner who got it from a prostitute?
Lastly, what about the children of fathers who are known to have frequented prostitutes? Are we not to see former Gov. Spitzer’s three teenage daughters and their shattered trust in their father as victims?
A “victimless crime”—I don’t think so.
Beliefnet
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posted March 15, 2008 at 5:31 pm
Of course an article by Richard Land would appear on a blog called “Casting Stones”. He’s pretty good at it.
Too bad Christ told us that the one among you who is without sin should cast the first one.
I wonder who put Mr. Land in charge of the stones? To what address should we mail our stones, Mr. Land?
posted March 16, 2008 at 12:55 pm
I, too, though Dershowitz completely ignored what drives women into protitution. As a man, does he imagine that these women love their work??!! It’s a desparate move when nothing else seems to pay the bills. And all such women are victimized by their Johns’ demands, no matter how kind and congenial they seem.
posted March 16, 2008 at 5:35 pm
{A “victimless crime”—I don’t think so.}
Unfortunately, too many people do not realize just how many people are victims, and how many lives are ruined as a result of prostitution.
And when governors – or other leaders – participate in the evil of prostitution it sends the wrong signals to the youth in our society.
Sadly enough, our Country is calling evil good, and good evil. Woe to us.
Prayer:
Lord God Almighty,
Forgive our horendous sins and bring this country a Spiritual Awakening before it is too late.
In the Name of Jesus, we pray.
Amen.
posted March 17, 2008 at 12:05 pm
I’m sorry, I didn’t see any “stones” being cast by Dr. Land, only factual, albeit tragic information about an activity that is at the same time sinful, criminal, and life-threatening. If people could only get past their blind hatred of Christians, and indeed, Christianity itself, perhaps they could see the truth in Dr. Land’s words.
It’s interesting that the folks who are so virulently anti-Christian first speak of our being “judgmental” and “hateful,” but where are they when these lives hit bottom? Nowhere to be found, that’s where! But we are there with arms out to pick them up, love them, restore them, and let them know that no matter what they’ve done, they have a Savior who died for THEM TOO! Oh yes, and He even died for the ones who hate us…and Him!