[de Blasio] Living in a post-Bloomberg era

[Admiral Yi]

If you believe that people who perform sexual services for money are not unworthy human beings and should be accorded the same dignity as everybody else, and you think those issues of worth and dignity are worth addressing, and you wish to communicate that attitude then you use the term sex worker. The needs and experiences of the sex workers are likely one of the primary concerns of the conversation using that term.

When you use the term prostitute, you are signalling that you are unconcerned with the dignity and worth of the people providing the services and that you are fine with the general low status and bad treatment they receive. In general the conversation is going to be about the needs of the customers, people other than the prostitutes themselves, or society in general; or perhaps you are discussing the personal or social tragedy of prostitution, and see the prostitutes as victims.

First, when I use the word prostitute I'm not signalling anything except the nature of the service provided.

Second, the signalling you describe is a useful differentiation strategy:  we can tell we're enlightened because we use the term sex worker, unlike those people over there.  It is not as useful a strategy to sway  mass opinion, and my in fact be counterproductive.

[Ed Anger]

I think "hooker" is a good term to use, as the only implicit slur is the suggestion that they'd be poor at commanding armies.

Might be good at handling a division or corps however.

[CountDeMoney]

I pick 'cum dumpsters' as the term I use.

Plz analyze that term.

Really?  Other people prefer the term "wife".

[Ed Anger]

HEY NOW

[CountDeMoney]

I'm not the one working on the reserve bench, Noah.

[Savonarola]

Should have moved to Canada when you had the chance, Alec:

Actor Alec Baldwin arrested after riding bike wrong way

New York (CNN) -- Actor Alec Baldwin was arrested Tuesday and issued two summonses -- one for disorderly conduct -- after riding a bicycle the wrong way on a New York street, police said.
The "30 Rock" star allegedly became angry and started yelling at police after they asked him for identification to give him a summons, police said. The other summons was for riding a bike against the flow of traffic. Baldwin is to appear in court July 24.

"Police stated that he got belligerent and started arguing with them and using profanity," Deputy Chief Kim Y. Royster said.

Baldwin was not carrying identification and police took him into custody, police said.

The actor reportedly became angry at the officers, yelling "Give me the summons already," a law enforcement official said.

After his release, Baldwin took to Twitter, posting the badge number of the officer he said arrested him and saying, "photographers outside my home ONCE AGAIN terrified my daughter and nearly hit her with a camera. The police did nothing."

In another tweet, he lamented, "New York City is a mismanaged carnival of stupidity that is desperate for revenue and anxious to criminalize behavior once thought benign."
Once in custody, Baldwin was taken to a nearby precinct, where he reportedly asked the desk supervisor: "How old are these officers, that they don't know who I am?" according to a law enforcement official.

Baldwin was stopped for riding a bicycle the wrong way on Fifth Avenue and 16th Street, police said.

In a statement, a representative for Baldwin said, "He is back home with his family."
This follows an incident last year that sparked media attention.

In November, Baldwin made headlines after chasing a photographer outside his Manhattan apartment and using an anti-gay slur toward the man, according to TMZ.

"Get away from my wife and the baby with the camera," said Baldwin, who could be heard yelling on video taken of the incident.

Baldwin later posted a statement on MSNBC's website saying, "I did not intend to hurt or offend anyone with my choice of words, but clearly I have -- and for that I am deeply sorry. Words are important. I understand that, and will choose mine with great care going forward."

Last August, Baldwin was photographed holding a photographer's arms behind his back and pinning him over the hood of a parked car. Baldwin and the photographer called 911, but no charges were filed.

In 2012, a New York Daily News photographer accused Baldwin of assault. Baldwin said the photographer bumped him with his camera.

I'm the type of cracker that's built to last
Fuck with me I'll put a foot in your ass
I don't give a fuck 'cuz I keep bailing...

[Jacob]

First, when I use the word prostitute I'm not signalling anything except the nature of the service provided.

Yes, I understood your meaning. I don't believe any kind of language is signal free (I mean, what would be the point?), but I get that you were going for a clinical description of a transaction type phrasing there.

Second, the signalling you describe is a useful differentiation strategy:  we can tell we're enlightened because we use the term sex worker, unlike those people over there.  It is not as useful a strategy to sway  mass opinion, and my in fact be counterproductive.

Yes that's what I said, more or less. We are pretty much in agreement

[Jacob]

To me, using the word "sex worker" adds a layer of voluntariness to it, that's not always present. Imho it obfuscates some of the oppression present in the pimp-prostitute relationship presenting it like a normal business.

Again, I have nothing against prostitution per se if all partners are equally willing. If all prostitutes were truly "sex workers" it would be less of a problem.

That's a really good point.

[CountDeMoney]

What term do I use if I think those engaged in prostitution are victims, both of their own personal circumstances that lead them to their present situation, and of the various pimps and johns who force themselves on them?

Maybe they'd be considered less of a victim if you stopped tossing them in jail, counselor.

[Sheilbh]

To me, using the word "sex worker" adds a layer of voluntariness to it, that's not always present. Imho it obfuscates some of the oppression present in the pimp-prostitute relationship presenting it like a normal business.

Yep. Same with 'client'. It's giving it an assumption of any other business meeting with a client.

[garbon]

I have had some pretty terrible clients.

[garbon]

http://news.yahoo.com/dozens-charged-child-porn-case-nyc-area-122955761.html

Dozens charged in child porn case in NYC area

A police officer, a paramedic, a rabbi, a nurse and a Boy Scout leader were among at least 70 people arrested in the New York City area in recent weeks as part of a sweeping investigation into the anonymous trading of child porn over the Internet.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which led a five-week investigation ending last week, planned to announce Wednesday that it resulted in charges against at least 70 men and one woman. Officials call it one of the largest local roundups ever of individual consumers of child porn, and a stark reminder that they come from all segments of society.

Consuming child porn "is not something that is just done by unemployed drifters who live in their parent's basement," said James Hayes, ICE's New York office. "If this operation does anything, it puts the lie to the belief that the people who do this are not productive members of society."

Advances in technology and computer capacity have allowed child-porn collectors to more easily amass vast troves of images and to exchange files with each other directly, authorities say. The cyber dragnet resulted in the seizure of nearly 600 desktop and laptop computers, tablets, smartphones and other devices containing a total of 175 terabytes of storage.

Agents are still examining the devices to locate and catalog evidence — an arduous task that could result in more arrests. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children also will use its analysts to review the images to see if it can identify children using databases of known victims.

"We refer to each of these images as a crime scene photo because that's exactly what they are," said John Ryan, the organization's chief executive officer.

Authorities decided to launch the operation after the arrest in January of a former police chief in suburban Mount Pleasant, Brian Fanelli, who pleaded not guilty this week to federal charges of knowingly receiving and distributing child pornography. Court papers allege that Fanelli told investigators he began looking at child porn as research before it grew into a "personal interest."

Authorities say some of the defendants had access to young children, though there were no reports of abuse. The Boy Scout leader also coached a youth baseball team. The rabbi home-schooled his children and others. Another person had hidden cameras used to secretly film his children's friends.

One defendant was already on bail following his arrest last year on charges he used the Internet to direct women to record sex acts with young children. Court papers allege he "indicated the last video he had downloaded and viewed depicted a mother sexually abusing her 3- or 4-year-old child."

[DGuller]

As disgusting is at is to view child porn, I have real problems with putting people in prison merely for viewing it.  It seems dangerously close to a thought crime, and another one of those punishments thought up by people who think of the children.  If someone is wired to be perverted in such a way, I'd much rather have them look at images of naked children than actual naked children they have authority over.

[Capetan Mihali]

A police officer, a paramedic, a rabbi, a nurse, and a Boy Scout leader walk into the Protective Custody Unit on Riker's Island...

[garbon]

As disgusting is at is to view child porn, I have real problems with putting people in prison merely for viewing it.  It seems dangerously close to a thought crime, and another one of those punishments thought up by people who think of the children.  If someone is wired to be perverted in such a way, I'd much rather have them look at images of naked children than actual naked children they have authority over.

Without getting too far into, that last defendant was certainly guilty of more than a thought crime.