Why not legalize prostitution?

I think it's a good thing that prostitution is legal here (in Germany), within limitations (e.g. no pimps, the necessity of being registered, etc.). While it is not a profession I would choose, I see no reason why others should not be allowed to choose it, as it is not hurting anyone. Why should we not be able to decide over our own bodies?

On the contrary, a legal, registered form of prostitution reduces the risks that go with it, and limits the demand for an importation and abuse of illegal immigrants (although it is still happening here, sadly).

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Germany doesn't have an official separation of church and state. Nevertheless, laws about sexual and sexuality issues appear to be more liberal than they are in the U.S.. It's not just religion itself, in the sense of scripture, that comes into it, but the way it is practiced and perceived. These two factors are linked to social circumstances.

For example, the whole frontier situation influenced the strongly individualistic point of view many Americans have ("you can do anything if you just try hard enough", "if people are poor, it's their fault"). It also influenced the emphasis placed on religion as a means of social coherence, which was necessary in a group of "pioneers", and the particular prevalence of certain aspects of protestantism ("if you are gay, you are choosing to be gay, so you can choose not to be, or not to excercise it" - see the similarities?).

So a lot of that historical baggage has remained and was influential in the way American religion, specifically, developed. What has all this got to do with the thread? Well, if we're disregarding religion, we are making it a bit too easy for ourselves. I'm the first person to agree that it SHOULDN'T come into the equation, but unfortunately, it does. People are religious. This influences their opinion.

So, from a point of view that considers social morality, the legalisation of prostitution may not be right for the USA, simply because most people might disagree with it (a social survey on this could be interesting).

Then again, of course practical and economic consequences should be considered as well, and I'll pass on that, simply because I don't know enough about it.

There's nowhere I can't reach.