Listening to a debate earlier today on Radio Netherlands’ podcast “Amsterdam Forum”, they had a panel discussion about prostitution in Amsterdam. See you may know that international image that the Netherlands is tolerant and prostitution is legal… and most of that statement is true. But times sure are a-changin.
Especially impressive is the amount of times, during the debate, the representative of the center-left party uses the term… morality. Yes, it isn’t just in theocracies or the United States, the art of legislating morality is being practiced right here in the world’s capital of freedom. Whatever freedom means these days anyway, that term has been completely dragged through the mud over the past decade.
But anyway, yes, they are talking about cutting down on the amount of prostitution in the Netherlands, reducing the amount of red lights, and even.. making prostitution illegal! Why? Well you can listen to the program to hear some of the arguements, which relate to human trafficing, organized crime, and abuse – for the most part.
Not that I like any of those three, but the idea that because there are still some problems something must be banned or declared illegal seems like a pretty rash decision. But then again, it is all part of legislating morality… teaching us sinners how to be good boys and girls.