Washington, DC (TLS). Deborah Palfrey, the infamous 'DC Madam' who ran an escort service inside the Beltway, has turned over to the Court hundreds of pages of telephone records that could implicate major power-players in Washington.
Ms. Palfrey's trial has already led to one casualty at the State Department.
Word has been received this afternoon that ABC News has some of the telephone records provided to the Court by Ms. Palfrey. This news has people all over Washington shaking in their boots, particularly some high-profile leaders in government.
The fact that one government insider has already lost his job over the scandal is sending shock waves throughout the Beltway, as it is anticipated that when ABC News releases some of the names gleaned from Palfrey's records, many more will go to the chopping block.
And this brings us to the issue of the day. Should prostitution be illegal? Is this a legitimate role of government in a free society?
Obviously there are certain moral/ethical issues that must be provided the prohibition of legislation, such as murder and theft. Thus, the old adage, 'You can't legislate morality,' simply does not wash. We have always legislated certain moral precepts. No civilized society can survive without it.
Yet when it comes to prostitution we are faced with a dilemma similar to that which we face with illegal drugs. Should government be spending precious resources, taxpayers' money, to fight personal behavior that probably will not change, no matter what laws are passed?
The time, money, and resources spent on the 'war on drugs' and the fight against prostitution could be much better spent on far more important matters. The war on drugs has been lost, despite the billions spent on it for over 25 years, and prostitution has not gone away for centuries, not even in the face of stiff penalties.
I would like to hear from you, our readers. You can post your opinion anonymously, of course. But what do you think about the publicity surrounding the DC Madam? Should we be spending taxpayers' money on things of this nature? Should we legalize activities such as prostitution and the use of illegal drugs, with important legal safeguards to protect human life?
Monday, April 30, 2007
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4 comments:
Nothing really new about politicians - President Clinton being a prime example.
What is bothersome - ABC gets to filter the information, so is the list going to be scrubbed of ABC Executives? How will we ever know? Will the list be scrubbed of liberal democrats?
The news is not new - the way it is reported is more bothersome....
I agree this is bothersome. Further, how was it determined that ABC News would be the one to get the information and not others?
Martyn
The problem with legalizing prostitution is that little Billy goes to church every Sunday and is told prostitutes are sinners. How would Billy deal with his next door neighbor, Trixie who now has the law on her side?
First it was freeing the slaves, then interracial marriage, then gay marriages. The first three had victims that were willing to stand up and fight but even then the battle is not completely won. Who is going to stand up and fight for prostitution?
When the bell rings, everyone runs for cover and little Billy emerges as our true hero protecting our values yet again.
Not only does little Billy vilify prostitutes but drug addicts as well. The thing is, if civil government passed a law that made illegal everything that is considered a sin, I don't think too many citizens would escape the heavy, long arm of the law.
Martyn
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