Minneapolis, MN — In the Land of the Free, it is against the law to get paid to have sex, unless that sex is filmed, distributed on DVD, and taxed. One of the least talked about systems of oppression in the US is that of persecuting prostitutes.

By: Matt Agorist

This article first appeared at FreeThoughtProject.

When referencing prostitution, we are talking about the mutually beneficial exchange of sexual favors for money by two or more consenting partners; not forced human trafficking.

It’s called the “oldest profession in the world” for a reason. Sex is a basic human need. One need only observe the explosive population growth of humans in the last 10,000 years to see that desire to mate is inherent in each and everyone one of us.

When one takes this into consideration, the notion of outlawing consensual sex is seen for what it is, sheer insanity.

Just like the war on drugs creates crime by pushing the unending demand for illicit substances into the black market, the war on the sex trade creates crime in the same manner.

Because the demand for sex is pushed into dark alleys and late night street corners, a woman working in the sex trade becomes far more vulnerable than if they were legally allowed to operate out of brick and mortar setups. This danger of working on the street drives the need for protection from pimps who are often more abusive than any customer would be.

Despite the tens of thousands of arrests each year, the market has found a way to provide the service of sex using safer solutions. In spite of the laws, sellers of sex have found ways to safely conduct business by setting up “massage” parlors, using phone books, and, of course, the internet.

Besides being an immoral gang of thieves, the state is also relentless. They have deep pockets of extorted tax dollars of which to dig in to enforce their will on the people.

Despite prostitution arrests dropping from 2001 to 2010, the cost of arresting people for sex remains staggeringly high. Individual cities continue to spend up to $23 million a year stopping people from having voluntary sex.

The kicker her is that the act of stopping people from having voluntary sex is so futile that the Minneapolis police department has been forced to bring its own prostitution sting operation to a halt.

When it comes to the natural human tendency to procreate, police officers are not immune. In just the last month, multiple prostitution stings all had the charges dismissed after it was found that the male officers had sexual contact with the suspects during the sting.

According to MRP News,

The department is discontinuing the stings until the review is complete, according to city spokesperson Matt Lindstrom. He said the department is considering alternatives to using undercover cops in prostitution investigations, which could include civil enforcement through the city’s new massage ordinance.

The hypocrisy within the department is not only apparent due to the fact that the officers couldn’t keep their hands off the pros, but none of the officers involved are being investigated for it either.

The idea of police officers legally having sexual contact with prostitutes is not a new one. Last year, Honolulu cops urged lawmakers to keep an exemption in state law that allows undercover officers to have sex with prostitutes during investigations, setting off a heated debate over the provision.

In the end, lawmakers and police settled on a resolution that appeased both parties. Police could still receive handjobs and fellatio in their efforts to combat prostitution. These officers will now have to sacrifice their bodies in a selfless manner and be forced to receive blowjobs so they can then arrest these women for giving them pleasure.

And so continues to turn, the rusty, bloody gears of the state; kidnapping and caging people for having consensual sex while failing to pursue actual criminals.

This article first appeared at FreeThoughtProject.