WTF is going on???

Well, it is as good an explanation as "shit happens".

I hate that this bs is happening but I hope it is not more grave than this. I hope and pray we are not referring to life and death. Pm if you don't want it out in the open.  

Like 5 or six just in the last several weeks. I saw one of my ATF's pop up on a particular agency's site that is prohibitively expensive. (For reasons that escape me).

Gotcha. I thought you meant another bust.

No just that several have closed the shutters as a result. Makes me freakin angry that the morality police have nothing better to do.

Yeah - it's ridiculous.  But they are aiming to create this type of hysteria and cool things down for a while I guess.  People fearing visits at work is pretty sobering and makes one evaluate the risk/reward.  Even if it's never going to happen.

There will always be a Supply  

Me too, CherryBlaster. I wish they would do their homework better and only go after real traffickers that are holding women and girls against their will. The rest of us are happy to do the job and aren't hurting anyone.  

Any difference is based primarily on choice of career. Where same career comparisons are made the pay is virtually the same.  

The statistic is debatable, I'll give you that.

Yep, more pats on the back for re-election.

I asked my lawyer friend if he thought there was any chance sex work would ever be decriminalized in this country and his response was, "Not as long as women have the right to vote."  

Ha! I don't doubt it. SWERFs believe we are victims of the patriarchy and have no choice but to "sell ourselves". While men (not you guys) have a more puritanical view of what women should be (i.e. chaste or we're dirty BUT not too chaste because then we are prudes), that sex work is not legitimate work because we should give it away to our partners only, and that women are not capable of making decisions about our bodies and how we use them.

Posted By: Mr.Cheeks

I asked my lawyer friend if he thought there was any chance sex work would ever be decriminalized in this country and his response was, "Not as long as women have the right to vote."  
   
   
   

Posted By: StinaValentine

The statistic is debatable, I'll give you that.  
     
  And, yes a big portion of society does not want sex work to exist. That is why it is still illegal. Sure, you guys want us around. But, the majority don't.  
     

Posted By: FriendoftheFamily

Any difference is based primarily on choice of career. Where same career comparisons are made the pay is virtually the same.      
       
   And do you really think men are against there being sex workers? Seriously? Now THAT'S a good one.      
       
   

I went back and read about the Dunwoody agency bust from a couple years ago, and it said, "Some 26 women - all adults - were identified as 'victims' of the organization."

Posted By: StinaValentine

Ha! I don't doubt it. SWERFs believe we are victims of the patriarchy and have no choice but to "sell ourselves". While men (not you guys) have a more puritanical view of what women should be (i.e. chaste or we're dirty BUT not too chaste because then we are prudes), that sex work is not legitimate work because we should give it away to our partners only, and that women are not capable of making decisions about our bodies and how we use them.  
   

Posted By: Mr.Cheeks

I asked my lawyer friend if he thought there was any chance sex work would ever be decriminalized in this country and his response was, "Not as long as women have the right to vote."    
     
   
     

Posted By: StinaValentine

The statistic is debatable, I'll give you that.    
       
   And, yes a big portion of society does not want sex work to exist. That is why it is still illegal. Sure, you guys want us around. But, the majority don't.    
       
   

Posted By: FriendoftheFamily

Any difference is based primarily on choice of career. Where same career comparisons are made the pay is virtually the same.      
         
    And do you really think men are against there being sex workers? Seriously? Now THAT'S a good one.      
         
   

RICO? As I understand the definition of racketeering, it essentially involves creating a problem and then selling a solution. Like mafia protection money. In the 1970's RICO was enacted to stipulate that even if the creating of said problem was difficult to prove, the sale of the solution was still indictable. This allows prosecutions to still move forward even when witnesses are too scared to admit they are being bullied or when organizations are so heavily compartmentalized no one can give sound testimony as to the ultimate goal of the group. I see that applicable to things like smuggling, fencing, protection, etc, but someone would really have to walk me through how it has anything to do with prostitution.  

Like so many other things that start with good intent RICO has been twisted and redefined to far exceed original intent. The idea was to provide a tool to broaden the prosecution of criminal enterprises (read organized crime) by making it easier to prosecute the conspiracy aspects of criminal activity. Overzealous prosecution soon followed and certain members of the judiciary cooperated to allow for some gross miscarriages of justice.
I was drawn into a case with a RICO predicate when a client was busted for money laundering and implicated me and others for 'providing advice' as part of their plea bargain.  
I had been hired as a financial consultant and clearly defined the boundaries of what the client could and could not do.
The prosecutor hauled me into court saying that I had conspired with the enterprise by clearly outlining what they shouldn't do - there by providing them with a roadmap of how to operate illegally by doing what I told them not to do. WTF? And the idiot federal judge bought it. I got the ruling tossed on appeal but it was truly an insane ordeal; not to mention the legal expense and the totally unwarranted hit to my reputation with potential clients.

This. 10000%.