Those Horny Federal Agents

This morning FBI and IRS agents raided several Seattle area strip clubs where a three-year undercover investigation turned up rampant prostitution and evidence of money laundering. Apparently dancers at the club pay the club $130 a night for the opportunity to dance and earn tips. These tips are sometimes paid with tokens that are purchased at ATMs in the clubs. These tokens can then be traded in at a 10-percent exchange rate for cash. The problem is that the clubs have semiprivate and dimly lit VIP areas where dancers and client engage in open sex acts and the floors are littered with used condoms.

Since prostitution is rampant and the floors of these VIP areas are littered with condoms, why did this investigation take 3 years? Was it because they also needed to collect proof that these night clubs cheat the federal government out some $3000 a month of taxes? I don’t think so. The cash only Vietnamese restaurant where I sometimes eat lunch probably cheats the government out of more than that. I think those federal agents were just plain horny.
I don’t advocate prostitution and I think that it is immoral – but I don’t think that it should be illegal. Prostitution happens and no amount of law enforcement will ever make a dent in its practice. So why not minimize the damage? Walking the streets and jumping in cars to perform prostitution is dangerous and a public nuisance. And let’s not forget that the Green River Killer drove around the Seattle area for years and murdered more than 70 women. Even prostitution carried out in the privacy of homes could be dangerous. So why not let it happen in a protected environment?

The news makes it out like these girls are being exploited by the night clubs because the night clubs get a cut of the earnings. So what? None of them are being forced to work. Girls forced into prostitution by street pimps get beat up and don’t get any earnings. These night clubs are actually providing a pretty good service for these girls. They provide advertizing, money collection and protection. I happen to know a dancer that works at one of these clubs and she brings home about $300-$400 a night. I hope she isn’t engaging in prostitution but she is getting a fair share of the money for whatever she is doing.

Isn’t it about time that we legalize a safe way to work in the oldest profession?