Reflect for a moment on your perspective on the issue PRIOR to the

beginning of the online discussion and debate. How did the discussion
REINFORCE or UNDERMINE (or both) your prior perspective? Be specific and
answer in 200-300 words.
This debate was very well done, especially by the negative, as they were able to
change my entire perspective on the subject and help me see a completely new side
to the argument. Before the debate, I thought that by legalizing prostitution, it would
allow for regulations that make this occupation a lot safer and less violent for those
who choose to participate in it. I thought only of how it would help to remove the
stigmas that surround prostitution and may even prevent the spread of many STDs.
However, after listening to the negatives primary argument about how the
legalization of prostitution may actual increase the rates of sex trafficking my
mindset shifted. By providing statistics about how there has been an expansion in
human trafficking in countries where prostitution is legalized, the negative gave
good reasoning to prove that legalization was not the answer and may actually make
matters worse. Further they emphasized the point that, although the legalization of
prostitution may provide women the choice of whether they want to use the
participation in sexual activities to make money, it can be difficult for the
government and law enforcers to distinguish and protect those who choose
prostitution and those who are forced into it. I already knew before the debate that
prostitution has often proven to be a deadly occupation, so when the negative
explained that the number of those who are forced into it may increase due to
legalization it really made me weigh the benefits and costs of legalizing prostitution.

Consider the debate only in terms of the arguments the two sides presented.
Which side do you think did a better job making their case? Why?
Keep your answer to 150-300 words. This is not an essay, but please keep
your writing clean and clear.
Both teams shared several splendid arguments, although I do think that
ultimately the negative side provided an argument which the affirmative was
not able to successfully rebut. The affirmative put forth the ideas that
prostitution was going to happen either way, whether it is legal or illegal, but
the negative responded by saying that just because murder and robbery will
happen either way also, does not mean that it should be made legal. The

affirmative was also quick to distinguish between sexual violence and sex
work and made the claim that prostitution is not inherently dangerous, and
would actually be made safer if it was legal and did not have to take place in
dark corners They commented on how the legalization of prostitution would
also lead to a decrease in the shadiness of sex work and could potentially
lower the number of STDs and unplanned pregnancies. The validity of these
arguments did not go unacknowledged by the negative however they argued
that a lot of these regulations would actually benefit and protect the pimps
and clients as opposed to the sex workers. The negative noted that only a
certain number of prostitutes would benefit from this type of legal action
however those who were forced or trafficked into this type of business would
suffer even more. They argued that it is very likely that certain vulnerable
populations may be targeted such as minorities and women who are living in
poverty with a lack of social services. They also talked about the way in which
the rape culture of today must be ended and not encouraged. They
demonstrated the presence of this culture by including information about a
study in which a large percentage of men felt that after they had paid for the
service of a prostitute, they felt as if they could do whatever they pleased and
enjoyed they enjoyed the feeling of power and dominance over the prostitute.

You've participated in the discussion and seen a debate on both sides. Now
write a short essay justifying your position on the issue. You may choose a
more nuanced position than affirmative/negative on the resolution.
Keep your answer under 500 words. This is not as formal as an essay, but I do
expect informed commentary.

My position on this argument is most definitely on the side of the

negative. In my opinion prostitution allows for women (and some male
prostitutes) to become social enterprise. If prostitution is legalized,
those who are out of jobs or money may then be forced to look to
prostitution as a way to support themselves and their families and if
they refuse, they may be criticized of being lazy or not truly applying

themselves in a search for occupation. Further, prostitution is not a

peaceful practice. It is not uncommon for prostitutes to experience
exploitation and sexual harassment during practice and if it were
legalized, no amount of condom usage or regulations would be able to
prevent this from happening. By keeping prostitution illegal it can also
prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. Even if a prostitute
is tested once a week for HIV, it has been noted that in the time it takes
for the result to test positive after the contraction of the disease, the
prostitute may have exposed up to 630 clients. This is not the correct
approach to take when we are in the age of trying to slow the global
spread of HIV/AIDS. If prostitution is made legal, it is very likely that
there would be an increase in the human trafficking. It may become very
difficult to distinguish and protect those who are forced into
prostitution, versus those who chose to make it their occupation. An
additional reason why I feel that prostitution should not be legalized is
because in this current day and age, prostitution is socially degrading
for all of those who are involved. Some may argue that legalizing
prostitution would help to eliminate this negative stigma, however
there are many widespread moral and religious anti-prostitution beliefs
which would prevent this from happening. It is these core arguments
which lead me to believe that the legalization of prostitution is not the
answer. Instead, the goal should be to combat and eradicate the
prostitution which currently exists in our society today.