University of Virginia Library

Charles Weir

In The Pursuit Of Happiness

There are many problems in our
society today that are not given
their just consideration. One of
those is prostitution. In our pay as
you go system, sex for money is a
good solution for those in society
who are not suave and debonair
enough to induce some fine female
specimen to share the joys of his
lust. Prostitution is the oldest
profession and it will continue for
some time, If it is to continue, then
we must understand its benefits and
pitfalls.

In Washington D.C. last year,
there were 700 arrests made for
soliciting prostitution. This figure is
very incorrect if one is looking for
some estimation of the number of
prostitutes or their solicitations.
The only way for a girl to be
arrested for solicitation is to
solicit one of the fourteen men
on the Vice Squad or one of the
men on a precinct squad. Therefore
all records on prostitution are vague
and incorrect.

One example of how absurd our
feelings are on this subject is the 43
arrests for disorderly prostitution.
In all seriousness, isn't all
prostitution disorderly? It sounds
like a contradiction in terms. There
were 18 people arrested for
operating a disorderly house. How
many orderly houses have you ever
seen?

Wake Up America!

It is time for America to wake
up to this social problem and meet
it head to head. We must do away
with our archaic laws and
puritanical mores. In this time of
women's liberation, we must
liberate all women and allow them
to earn a decent living. Presently, if
two women were to meet at a
U.Va. Alumni reception and discuss
their life since college days, and one
of them were to mention that she
was working as a prostitute, the
other would be appalled. The day
when that attitude will change is
near. We must speed it up.

There are several benefits that
will be accrued if we are to legalize
prostitution. First, there is the
stopping of related diseases. Since
people are reluctant to divulge
exactly where they contracted one
of the sex related diseases, it is
impossible to calculate the number
of cases related to prostitution. In
the European countries that I have
travelled, in which prostitution was
legalized, the girls are inspected
once a week and the men are
inspected before leaving. This is not
the case in all instances, but if the
spirit of the law is obeyed, those
services are provided. The same is
true in Mexico.

Tax Revenues

The second benefit is possible
revenues in taxes. Since
prostitution is presently illegal, all
revenues involved are non-taxable.
If it became legalized, prostitutes
would have to pay income tax and
possibly charge a sales tax on their
product. While we are screaming for
more social services and less taxes,
why shouldn't everyone who
benefits from the services pay for
them. A luxury tax could be
imposed on all tricks that the girls
turn and that money could then be
used to pay for day-care centers for
mothers.

Patriotic Endeavor

Thirdly, prostitution must be
looked upon as a very patriotic
endeavor. The Constitution decrees
that the country must provide for a
citizen's pursuit of happiness. If one
finds happiness in a prostitute's
services, who are we to pass
judgement.

This topic of legalized
prostitution is not necessarily a new
one, but one that needs much more
research before any rational
decisions can be made. How can we
do this? The age old axiom of
writing one's Congressman will not
do. Who hasn't heard of the
government call girls? He has too
much to lose. The police won't help
either. In New York City, the
Knapp Commission has heard
testimony that the police in that
city have received payoffs for
protecting gambling and
prostitution rackets. It seems
logical to me that all large city
police forces are making money
from protecting prostitution.

The only way to get the
research done is to do it yourself. I
suggest that you go to D.C. one
evening in the near future and
hangout on 13th or 14th Streets.
14th Street is best because you can
find the street walkers from New
York Avenue to Clifton Street.
Street walkers are the best bet for
those researchers who do not have a
load of money in their pocket.
They can be found as cheaply as
twenty dollars (that compares with
$7.50 in Amsterdam and Stuttgart.

For those among you with
more taste and money, I suggest

that you check into one of the
dance halls on 14th Street. There is
a certain art to being picked up. If
you don't know it, just observe it
until you feel that you are at ease
enough to do it. It must be
remembered that it is against the
law only if the girl propositions you
or solicites you for a drink. There
are girls in the dance halls who are
hired to dance and drink the drinks
that you buy for them. Odds are
that you will start the hike to one
of the back rooms.

Strippers

If you have from $75 to $150
to blow, I suggest that you try one
of the burlesque houses. Depending
upon the girl's billing on the
marquee, you can spend about as
much as you want to on one of the
strippers.

The argument involved here is
not who starts what, but if the
what takes place, who wins and
who loses. If we legalize
prostitution, we can guard the
health safety of those involved, gain
tax revenue and provide for the
pursuit of happiness.