Craigslist confirmed in the hearing before Congress that it had removed the Adult Services section permanently from US CL (and assuming Adult Gigs will stay down too). Nothing was said about the international Erotic Services section.
Two articles:
briefly on CNET
There are other articles but none that I’ve found have looked at the hearings in any sincere or deeply-informed manner.
Also odd: I placed a new ad in a new international city and had to give my email address to create an account. This is not SOP for international ads. Worrisome.
Filed under: Announcements, Craigslist, Harassment of Sex Workers, Harm Reduction, Human Rights, Injustice, International, Law Enforcement, Legal, Media, Politicians, Sex Worker Rights, trafficking |
Bound, Not Gagged 
Okay, so Big Brother has finally made it crime: Business is now responsible for what people do with their product. By that kind of reasoning, then this scenario in the future is quite conceivable:
A man advertises a hammer for sale. Another man buys it. The buyer then uses it to murder his lover. According to the logic used in the above article (and all the AGs who signed that letter), the advertising site itself (or paper, etc.) is now responsible for the lover being murdered because it allowed the man to advertise the hammer.
Think I’m reaching?
CL was forced to take unearned responsible for what OTHER PEOPLE advertised on the site. UNEARNED responsibility, folks! CL didn’t place the ads; other people placed the ads. But CL was forced to take the responsibility for them.
Pretty soon, the papers and sites who offer / sell advertising space – JUST the advertising space – will be held accountable for anything and everything that can be used to harm (or pleasure – think on that a bit) someone else.
I don’t know about you, but this just makes me fear for everything I ever believed about my rights.
Somaly Mam Foundation facebook page discussed this. It’s in the comments.
Soon you’ll have to provide identity verification to sell your couch on CL. It’s not an assault on ‘freedom’ of speech in a traditional sense. It’s an assault on “free” speech. Commercial media and politicians who depend on people not speaking common sense to each other hate CL and the ease of sharing information on the web in general.
Parker, not all of us are on Facebook, MySpace or any of the other social media what-nots. In essence, what did the comments cover?
Somaly Mam posted a letter that they sent to craiglist along with other anti-trafficking orgs: http://www.polarisproject.org/images/docs/Experts%20Letter%20to%20Craigslist%20.pdf
From that, the comments from the “supporters” ranged from praise Jesus to “let’s get the devil” (this is not a very bright group). Anyway, one poster said: “A Response to Craiglist’s Decision “My name is Kaylee and I am an intern at Call and Response. In a hearing on Wednesday, Craigslist stated that it had permanently shut down its “adult” section, which brought them in $44 million in profits…” http://www.callandresponse.com/blog/?p=742“
Well, if the “Adult Services” on Craigslist are “gone for good”, then Jim Buckmaster still has wiggle room to bring back the “Erotic Services”.
Which is something he should have kept all along.
Another victory for the sanctimonious neo faux rescue industry.
The Polaris Project scares me. This whole thing scares me.
XX
What scares me is that thinking and caring people can actually be inspired to follow the mob mentality based off of propaganda. Feminists are one thing and I’ve come to expect abuse from them (I’ve read hateful attacks on blogs regarding BDSM from so-called feminists, tearing down women who were in the scene and who blogged about it), but from your supposed caring person next door? Wow. I’ve been attacked a few times on an anti-trafficking web page so I try to be careful of how I say things in comments and usually people dialogue but some just attack.
You ladies need a reality check. Prostitution is ILLEGAL. It shouldn’t be, just like drugs shouldn’t be illegal. Publishers have a legal responsibility to not allow ads for illegal activities to be broadcast or published in their publications. Craigslist should take responsibility for their product and see to it that illegal solicitations are not permitted. You have to draw the line somewhere. I think drawing it at ILLEGAL activity is an appropriate place. You can’t advertise for a hitman, you can’t advertise sell heroin, etc. It’s a total cop-out on their part to make bajillions of dollars and then pretend like since they ask their VIEWERS to be responsible for flagging the illegal stuff they’ve done their part.
Would you really think they had no responsibility if trafficking of people was taking place? I don’t think I could stare someone in the face that had a loved one killed and say, “Well sorry dude, I mean it’s a shame that the public didn’t flag that ad. If we moderated our ads it would realllly cut into our profits.” They have a responsibility to not make illegal activities easier to commit.
Hey Parker you should see how much you get attacked on this blog for having a different viewpoint.
Whybother, my impression of the unfavorable response that you’ve gotten has more to do with your delivery than your perspective. If I wrote on trafficking websites “You are guys are total idiots and here’s why…” I would definitely expect a bad response. If I write about the issue with respect “I understand that you all care a lot and can see it from this issue that you raise, however, I don’t think you understand this other issue…” is more likely to get a dialogue going.
Interesting points you raise about the illegality issue but I’m more interested in the stigma aspects and how people respond to that. BDSM has aspects that are considered illegal too but that doesn’t make it wrong. Same with LGBT. Some states still have on their law books that sodomy is illegal which screws over both groups… Anyways.
Thank you Parker, for posting the links. And for your respectful posts. And for your gentle admonition to whybother for his stridency.
Whybother, I will agree with Parker insofar as your delivery of your viewpoint. I’d like to add, however, that if you think advertisements for those items that you’ve mentioned (plus others that you haven’t) are not being advertised somewhere, then I’ll leave you to your happy place.
As for the legality and illegality of some things that “shouldn’t be,” we KNOW. We’re trying to make it so it ISN’T illegal. Railing at us is only going to make us dig in further. (Hmm… is that what you’re really trying to do?)
Stacey, I’d laugh at the sentiment of the sofa if it weren’t so horribly possible! I agree with you on the rest of it.
Jill, yup. Amanda, me too. Susan, he probably won’t take it because it will be against the “spirit” of the idea behind closing Adult Services.
Ok, so if I’m nicer can I get some head? Maybe a hj?
Whybother:
And this is where I say you are a douche bag and I’m not going to respond to you anymore…(and I hope that everyone else feels the same).
The bullshit surrounding this issue has me so enraged I did a blog post deconstructing the followup story done by that no conscience having famepire Amber Lying and the “scientific study” she used to wage this witch hunt. http://tiny.cc/vhofo
@whybother,
Adult Services & Erotic Services fall under the LEGAL & LICENSED category ‘Escort Services”.
A prostitute sells sex = illegal.
An escort sells her time and has a good time = legal.
The 2 are often confused by law enforcement (purposely) and the general public, but rarely by the courts.
I’ve had swat teams swarm my house twice.
SWAT TEAMS IN BROAD DAYLIGHT
Both times I was arrested for prostitution because cops don’t understand the law or they choose not to understand it but both times the da only charged me with not having an escort license, because what I do IS LEGAL.
That’s it. My entire criminal history.
If you gave people haircuts out of your house and you weren’t licensed, do you think you’d get a lil irritated with swat teams swarming your house every other year ?