Houston Sting

[Bilbo]

RE: Misguided and Muddled

 

First, I can embrace the beginning of a new thread wholeheartedly.

Second, Reggie, you state that throughout the history of our nation prostitution has been illegal. There are legal brothels in Nevada even as we speak. Certainly, Miss Kitty aside, old West dancehall girls seem to have had no trouble with the marshalls to speak of even while amassing reputations of "easy virtue". And General Hooker, whom I referred to earlier in this thread, allowed prostitution limited to certain parts, "red light districts", of town(s) (I forget how many) he held under martial law. So I think that you are slightly misinformed as to that point.

[Guest Tampa Yankee]

RE: Misguided and Muddled

 

regulation,

 

I was more than prepared to let you have the last word, because I saw, as you, that we weren't going to resolve anything. However, I must take exception to your personal attack in your last message.

 

It seems to me that you are the one talking down to me, contrary to your previous complaint; resorting to personal invective in your discourse. This is not the first time you have accused me of actions that I think you engage in -- if someone lost his cool I advise you to look elsewhere for him.

 

Finally, I did not intend to insult you, and if you were then you need to grow a thicker skin. Had I intended it I certainly would have known it. Whatever I have said to you was either to present my views, elict or rebut your views, and prompt reflection on your position. Had I wanted to get insulting and personal it would have been plainly stated. I still believe that people can disagree without being disagreeable -- maybe this is a minority view.

 

30

[Guest Jake]

RE: Misguided and Muddled

 

When I was a little kid I used to watch my grandfather and his "friends" on the front porch. They would talk for hours while they smoked their pipes. Even at 5 I realized that they weren't really listening to one another. Each was trying to make his point and things would usually get louder and louder until someone would get up and go home. Then the next day it would start all over again. If the shoe fits ....

[Guest regulation]

RE: Misguided and Muddled

 

Bilbo, despite your recollections of episodes from "Gunsmoke," you surely know that prostitution is and has been throughout this nation's history illegal in almost all jurisdictions in almost all eras. This and other examples of laws that "protect people from themselves" certainly show that they do not pose a danger to our historic liberties as Tampa fears.

 

In an earlier post you suggested I try to come up with a law that protects people who might be harmed by prostitution while avoiding restrictions on the behavior of those who would not be. It's you, not I, that is anxious to see a change in the laws on this subject, so why don't you do it? Instead of spending your free time judging the Miss Nude Texas contest, get involved in politics in your community and try to persuade others to make the changes you want made. Posting messages on this board isn't going to change anything for anyone.

[Guest regulation]

RE: Misguided and Muddled

 

Tampa, I guess I misunderstood your use of the word "hypocritical" in your post #48. I thought you meant to tag me with that insult. I should have realized that you were actually talking about someone else with the same handle as me who has also been engaging in the discussion of this issue with you for the past few days. How silly of me!

[Guest Quinte]

Drawing on my fine command of language, I said nothing.

 

Peace be,

Quinte DuSoleil

 

http://www.rentboy.com/quinte

http://communities.msn.com/qdus

nubiandreams@hotmail.com

[Bilbo]

RE: Misguided and Muddled

 

Reggie, I have mentioned General Hooker twice now and you keep ignoring the name. Please respond directly to the question: Doesn't his martial law allowing for prostitution in certain parts of the city count as a law?

And aren't there legal brothels in certain Nevada counties?

Unfortunately, you are correct that I have never been much of a gay politician. I really don't expect myself to start now although certain of the politicos here in town keep inviting me. However, I have gotten my fill of meetings just working on the beneficial side of the community. (And I really doubt if it would help my allies if I were out in front and the enemy pointed out that I am on probation. In fact, at one point, the mayor of Denver asked my first lover and I to be her liaisons to the gay community. We politely refused because we would have been the first ones and certainly didn't want our jobs as escorts to taint the position.)

However, I feel that I have done more than many other members of the community for the community with my fourteen years or so of organizing benefits. Currently, the benefits I have organized have made the most money raised by bar benefits for our new Gulf Coast Archive and Museum of GLBT History.

Perhaps I will start a thread in two or three weeks when I am back from my family reunion. Or you guys can do it without me, I won't be jealous. One of us, anyway, could write such a piece of legislation. We could all help to refine it. And then those of us who are in a position to do so could copy it and forward it to their legislators. Would you help with such a project?

[Bilbo]

RE: Misguided and Muddled

 

Oops! Sorry about that, Reg, I just reread you last posting and saw that you had met me half way and I was a little too tired to notice. Yes, I will agree that in most localities and most times, but in all of neither, prostitution has been illegal here in the USA. Would you like to agree with me that there have been many times when even when such laws existed if there was a real need for the outlet of such services as perceived by the authorities that they have turned a blind eye to the practice and ignored these laws?

[Will]

RE: Misguided and Muddled

 

OK, here goes. It has been weeks, maybe even months, since I had an idea substantial enough to merit posting on this site. In fact, I was beginning to lose interest in M4M altogether because recent threads could not compare in wit and perspicacity with some that appeared back in March, April, and May.

 

But I have to hand it to Tampa Yankee and Regulation. They have actually been exchanging some fascinating views regarding public morality and political philosophy. I thank them and congratulate them. I would also say, with the kindest -- truly -- of intentions, that their ideas are far most interesting, at least to me, than are the gratuitous pot-shots they take at each other.

 

My little contribution to this is to start a new thread, as you'll see, which needn't narrow so quickly and whose title might attract more responders. The subject that springs to mind is "Gay Prostitution, Gay Politics, and Public Morality." Sound high-minded? Well, why not? No matter how elevated the discourse may be at the outset of these discussions, they usually wind up looking like a drunken brawl in the gutter. Which is one good reason why the thought of a Congress composed of a majority of gay men boggles the mind.

 

Why do we have so much trouble being civil to each other, especially when most of the complaints here (regarding escorts as well as other topics) register hurt feelings?