The condemnation of prostitution was not just puritan bigotry; it was a recognition of a profound truth, which is that you and your body are not two things but one, and by abusing the body you harden the soul.Right after reading in No Minister that NZ is fast becoming an economic desert, where only the sex trade is any good. Then I read on Lindsay Mitchell's blog that the good people of Dannevirke are trying to run a brothel out of town.
Dannevirke resident Mike Long said it only took the people of Carterton 18 months to drive a brothel out of business in their town.Good on the Dannevirkians, I say. This is an example of people taking responsibility for cleaning up their own neck of the woods. Something we need more of. But that's not the opinion of Lindsay Mitchell.
"It comes down to one thing - money. I think we should name and shame the people that are using the business, then let their partners know."
Gill Allardice, a Dannevirke resident for 30 years, said she would be happy to wait outside the front door and take a personal note of all patrons.
"I will sit outside and do my knitting if I have to." She had already organised a petition and written letters to the New Zealand Rugby Union, demanding its response to the brothel's planned All Blacks- themed bedroom.
After the meeting, she said the idea of a bordello was sleazy and vulgar.
"I've always been a feminist, and it's demeaning to women. We have benefits in New Zealand, you don't have to sell yourself to make money.
Classic Kiwi conservative, socialist, bludger.Aside from the fact that nowhere in the article is Mrs Allardice idenfied as a "socialist" or a "bludger", what really struck me with Lindsay's comment is this idea that anything is ok in NZ as long as it is legal and can be sold for money. Never mind that prostitution is not a profession that any sane parent would choose for their own daughter.
She doesn't care if people "make money" off the taxpayer-funded benefit system, but she would deny a voluntary exchange of service for a fee because it offends her. Stick to your knitting Mrs Allardice, preferably at home.
Related links on why prostitution is harmful:
Old Profession, New Toleration ~ Catholic Education Resource Centre
The Spitzer Backlash ~ Counterpunch
Aside from the fact that nowhere in the article is Mrs Allardice identified as a "socialist" or a "bludger"
ReplyDeleteI believe that Lindsay is referring to the sentence "We have benefits in New Zealand, you don't have to sell yourself to make money" as in why work hard (no matter what work) when you can just sign up to a state benefit and not have to work at all, just bludge off the tax payers.
Lindsay would interpreted somebody as saying that as a Bludger and a socialist.
Note that I do not agree with her but from reading her writings I suspect that is what she means.
economic desert, where only the sex trade is any good.
actually no where in that article does it say that the sex trade is making money. Adult stuff (sex, videos, stripping etc) tends to be funded from discretionary income so that in times of down turn it gets hit very heavily. I suspect from what I know that some people are finding less in the till these days than they were used to.
good people of Dannevirke the good people of that town have demonstrated that if you run your town by sticking your head in the ground that you should not be surprised when something comes along and runs you over!
Other communities have passed bylays to manage adult business, this bunch seem to have though that nothing like this would ever come to the little piece of paradise so they did not need to sort out the laws. Buy the time they extracted their heads from the sand it was to late! lesson there for other towns I would say.
Mike Long said it only took the people of Carterton 18 months to drive a brothel out of business in their town.
Yeah Right - talk about taking the credit for something you did not do!
Sb
Yes Gill Allardice has decided basically it is better for women(and men - funny how they aren't mentioned) to force others to pay for them to live than to have others pay voluntarily. Better to live off the state.
ReplyDeleteNot half as bad as "Mr Taylor" saying "Most paedophiles are homosexuals, and you know we don't want to bring that here." What a vile ignorant little bastard "Mr Taylor" is.
YES, selling sex is different, BUT to categorise those working there as slaves is nonsense. Have you asked them?
I don't have a problem with people protesting, people expressing their point of view. People harassing those who engage in this trade is another thing. Has Gill Allardice offered the workers a job or income? No - she doesn't care less about those engaged.
The utterly vile level of judgment of people that nobody knows, nobody wants to know and the people in the article want to condemn is from the dark ages. Some prostitutes don't consider themselves slaves and some of those who buy their services are people you meet every day and don't commit any crimes. Just like teachers, scout masters, priests, businesspeople, police officers, bus drivers and the like. Just like some of all those categories are violent and sexual criminals.
Sb,
ReplyDeleteit certainly seems a stretch to attribute bludger and a socialist to people that think that a person should go on a benefit rather than resorting to selling their bodies. I'm certainly glad that you don't agree as it seems a very extreme point of view.
I would have thought the very reason welfare exists is to prevent this very sort of thing happening to desperate people.
Also, if you read No Minister, you'll see their post is very tongue in cheek. Maybe it doesn't quite come across in my post, but everyone can read the link to see for themselves.
You also must have missed the recent Wellington brothel in Mt Victoria causing angst for neighbours. That angst is not based on nothing - people know prostitution is harmful and they don't want it near them.
My first link in the related links has it correct - those in power most supportive of the sex trade are affected the least by it.
Ah, I get it. You both buy sex.
ReplyDeleteI would have thought the very reason welfare exists is to prevent this very sort of thing happening to desperate people.
ReplyDeleteI agree 110%, i would be horrified if somebody in NZ today though they had to sell sex to survive or feed their families
The reason that sex workers sell sex are as varied as their are sex workers! i.e;. ask 100 sex workers why they sell sex and you will get 100 reasons.
Ah, I get it. You both buy sex.
We are male so yes we pay for sex, either with cash or some other way but in the end we all pay for sex....
Sb
Fair enough, Sb.
ReplyDeleteI see also LibertyScott earlier this month stated on our blog that he had "never used a prostitute". Very apt use of language, there.