“Prostitutes’ Disappearances Were Noticed Only When the First Bodies Were Found” (New York Times, April 7) reveals the danger of devaluing human life. Little attention was paid to missing people until their corpses were found.
The Times report quotes Gary Ridgway, who admitted murdering 48 women, as explaining, “I picked prostitutes because I thought I could kill as many of them as I wanted without getting caught.”
The prospect of being murdered without repercussion is the ultimate point of disempowerment. Sure, serial killers do get caught and ultimately punished, but only after numerous people are victimized.
How do prostitutes become such easy prey for the predators? It is ultimately due to a lack of respect and visibility. As people who exist outside of “respectable” society, prostitutes enjoy few protections from that society.
One cannot overlook the responsibility of “moral” crusaders for this pattern of marginalization. As something that’s “dirty,” prostitution is already off-limits in many forums of discussion, removing the prostitute from consideration. More serious is the extreme condescension shown toward those who trade sex for money. It’s one thing to be a little uppity about the choices you make, but it is quite another to regard someone as below the threshold of consideration because she’s “just a whore.”
Criminalization is a key factor in pushing prostitutes, among others, to the dangerous margins of society. Who can you turn to when the organization that largely monopolizes crime fighting is against you, and the other offers of “protection” are likely to lead to exploitation? The power that cops have over sex workers often manifests itself in the corruption and oppression one could expect from such an unequal relationship.
Criminalization makes further victimization easier in other ways too. A feeling of disempowerment leaves one with a sense of helplessness. Even if the law-breaker has access to weapons, getting caught armed would make just make them more serious “violators.” In the margins it’s difficult to trust, communicate, or bring to bear resources for redress. Fortunately outreach projects bring some measure of understanding and communication to those who work in the sex industry.
One should also consider the economic situation that prostitutes face. Whatever the motivations of the numerous individuals involved, it is clear that there are prostitutes who would rather be doing something else. It is also clear that victims of lower income tend be of less concern to authorities. The squeezing of the workforce by politicians and plutocrats, as well as the obstacles to advancement that regulations and artificially high costs of living create, leave many pursuing more dangerous and less-rewarding jobs than they would in a freer society.
However the story of disappearance and bodies in a swamp turns out, hopefully the victims will at least be afforded the dignity of presentation as people, not mere props. Raising the dignity of the individual, making room for them in a caring society, goes a long way in expanding their freedom to live. When society’s prejudice and state regulations make a person into an unperson, there is a shorter distance to go for a murderer to make her a dead person.
The same principle applies to “illegal aliens.” The majority of victims of the slave trade in the U.S. are undocumented workers who are largely invisible, have no legal recourse, and are at the mercy of those who bring them here or host them. Like prostitutes, they are easy picking for human predators seeking a target who can’t fight back.
Another excellent post by you, Darian. Bravo.
Just one small thing (And as a longtime reader I apologize that my first comment to you is a quibble with language!):
"More serious is the extreme condescension shown toward those who trade sex for money. It’s one thing to be a little uppity about the choices you make, but it is quite another to regard someone as below the threshold of consideration because she’s “just a whore.”
This is very true, and it is also a main reason why "prostitute" itself is not often used by those involved in advocating for the rights of those engaged in sex work.
"Sex worker" is the preferred term among activists. Please consider using it instead of "prostitute" in solidarity with the actual people involved and their wishes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_worker
http://www.sexworkersproject.org/
Thanks. And bravo again.
[...] who claims libertarian cred when convenient. I’m one of those uppity bitches who thinks that sex workers are people, too. In a similar vein, do I really need to tell you that that using “hooker,” [...]
Thank you. I tend to use "sex worker" more often, but in this case was deferring to the more common language of the source article. I'll be more mindful of this distinction in the future.
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Right on. Perhaps I should have made this more explicit about this but I hope that the parallels will at least be considered by a lot of readers.
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I'd be careful with saying "Those who bring them here." Migrants want to be going somewhere, and are not simply kidnapped and taken to foreign countries against their will. This point is a mainstay of socialist anti-free movement propaganda in Europe.
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Remember, it is perfectly ok to trade sex for money as long as the money gets laundered through a bar. . . you can’t actually hand her the money, but you can hand it to a bartender who will give her an adult beverage. . .
Am I the only one who see the complete disconnect here?
I wrote about this from a slightly different perspective at Strike-the-Root.com a whiile back Are You a Submitizen?
You may find it worth a look.
- NonE
Marcel: By "those who bring them here," I meant exploitative smugglers like the so-called "coyotes" who actually transport illegal immigrants across the border. Being in a country illegally means you are often at the mercy of some unscrupulous people.
[...] Read the rest: People Disposed Of. [...]
The wording 'bringing people somewhere' may imply that it was against their will, or the people were lied to, or they don't know what they're doing, etc. The truth is, all 'illegal aliens' want to be in this or that country, it is an active choice. To say that they are brought, transported, to use this passive tense, to me, is a dangerous thing, precisely because the key issue is they want to be in a particular country, and they have a right to, as opposed to the government being empowered to keep them out.
Naturally I know that people in this situation are at the mercy of unscrupulous people. I had already written about it in issue 3 of Without Borders, "Norrent-Fontes under state assault." The fact they are at those people's mercy is quite easily hijacked to justify the institution of borders, or to suggest to migrants that they either stay home, or stick with the procedures. So the link between the two needs to be pointed out. It isn't enough to have people sigh over your situation.
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