Yeah, I've read that legalizing prostitution in places like the Netherlands has lead to increased human trafficking in those areas. I'm not sure if that's true or not, but some use that as an excuse to make/keep prostitution illegal everywhere.
But even if assuming it's true (for the sake of argument), are we going to ban/outlaw any/every activity that's 'bad for us'? For example, I think we can prove conclusively that there is a direct link between the rise of fast food restaurants and the rise of obesity in the US. And it is well known that obesity is the number one cause of preventable death in this country. In other words, eating at these places is KILLING people. So then, should we all be out right now picketing our local McDonalds? Hell, we even allow the fast food industry to market this crap to our children, and most of us don't even bat an eyebrow. Some of these children are going to grow up to be diabetic and/or with other health problems because of the bad choices made for them by their parents.
But then when we talk about legalizing prostitution, some people lose their minds because of the possibility that some women and children might be forced to do it against their will. I guess I just don't understand the double standard at work here. Maybe it's because there's not a Bible verse that says 'Thou shalt not eat Big Macs' ?
And just so that my position is clear, I don't think we should ban fast food, nor do I think prostitution should be illegal. I DO think it should be illegal to market anything to children up to a certain age, unless it's healthy for them