Analysis Of Rachel Moran's Article On The Decriminalization Of Prostitution

Prostitution is a job almost as old as time. There are stories written in the Old Testament of the Bible that refer to women being forced into prostitution for a variety of different reasons. In modern times, prostitution and the sex trade still exists as a very real and serious problem. Rachel Moran, a former sex worker, writes about her thoughts on the decriminalization of the global sex trade in her article titled “Buying Sex Should Not Be Legal,” which was published in The New York Times. She argues that the sex trade should be criminalized to protect the women that are being sold, traded, and pimped out on a daily basis. Moran convinces the reader to agree with her viewpoint by appealing to pathos and using facts and statistics to draw on logos. The basis for Moran’s article is the new policy being endorsed by Amnesty International’s international council that calls for the decriminalization of the global sex trade. The policy claims that by making buying and selling sex legal, “the human rights of sex workers” would be protected (Moran). Moran’s problem with the policy is that it would equally protect the rights of the pimps and johns who already keep the sex trade alive. She understands that some women choose to sell their bodies as consenting individuals, but believes that they do not …show more content…
The worldwide sex trade is very personal to Moran and she utilizes that in proving her argument to her audience. Her use of appropriate sources, statistics, and tone makes for a strong argument. With the Amnesty International council meeting coming up this fall, Moran needs all of the support she can get to help persuade the council to vote against the decriminalization of the sex trade. By doing this Moran believes that she will be able to punish the criminals in the trade and help women and children that are in the position that she was in not too long