Across
110th Street
Legislation
In Northern Ireland To Ban Prostitution by Criminalizing Clients
On
the surface of it, Northern Ireland is attempting to deal with an
emerging social problem about which it knows very little or, to be
more precise, has never honestly confronted.
In
much the same way as paedophilia was hidden in the backstreets so too
prostitution was denied – and prostitutes condemned to a life in
the twilight – with little to no justice just certain exploitation
by either those in authority or by organized crime.
The
politicians will argue that they are 'responding' to 'social
concerns' about a serious problem.
I
studied Greek and Roman philosophy (the bedrock of our inherited
Christian civilization) in Western Europe and I was under the
impression it is the duty of politicians to lead with wisdom, commons
sense, foresight and example and not to 'follow the lynch mob'.
Legislating
for a part of human nature which cannot be denied and confining men
and women to the sanctimonial marriage bed, long after the
relationship has disintegrated, or, as an alternative suggesting that
the individual should find a 'respectable' alternative, is like King
Canute4 trying to arrest the inevitable waters for assault
and battery.
[
Indeed it might even be argued that it was the lack of access to
alternative sexual options, which in part (and in some cases)
contributed to Ireland's historical problems of child sex abuse
involving clergy by being forced to exist in social vacuums where
sexual abstinence was mandatory and enforced thus creating
psycho-sexual and unresolved conflicting paradigms in confined
environments with little to no possibility of normal sexual behavior;
a direct result of a clerical 'lifestyle' promoted in Catholicism
since the Council of Nicea3 ]
I
recall President Nixon in one of the infamous Watergate Tapes
declaring that it was 'homosexuality' or 'homos' which destroyed
Greek civilization.
Little
did he realize at the time he was recording (for personal posterity
and autobiographical purposes) that his own empire, built on
hypocrisy and lies, was about to crumble into dust. Yes he had his
brilliant moments – as did other leaders in their own day – one
of which was the historical rapprochement with China – but so too
does everyone have their individual weaknesses.
In
much the same way as his assertion that the Greek Empire collapsed
because of one aspect of it's social fabric was nonsense so too it
would likewise be nonsense to assert that it was one single incident
alone and in isolation (and it's handling) which destroyed his
Presidency.
Likewise
it is both nonsensical, unreal, immature and unwise to assert that
one of the oldest professions (Prostitution) be consigned to back
alleyways and the underground – rife for exploitation (and
double-exploitation of the clients, victims or sex workers by both
organized crime and those with authority) and a future repeat of
historical abuse revelations in any country going down such a
fallacious, dangerous, primitive and backward path.
If
I was to be kind (or condescending, others might infer) I would say
that the new legislation is misguided, not so kind, that the law
itself is an ass.
©
Patrick Emek, 2014
The
main title of this article is taken from the song 'Across 110th
Street' by Bobby Womack.
The
reason for the choice is because, in my opinion, there is more common
sense in this 3 minute 45 seconds song about how to tackle the
problem of organised crime and racketeering than most of the
legislation (and resources expended) which the U.S. and other
countries have introduced to combat vice over the past 150 years.
typographical error corrected on 29th December, 2014