Listen to The Last Word........

[carlos marvado]

Fair play to Mick Wallace as an elected public representative for putting his head above the parapit and suggesting that there are alternatives to criminalising clients, suggesting that prostitution should be fully legalised and calling for a multi sided public debate on the issue. However, I don't believe that Mick Wallace is the ideal person to have trying to counter balance the arguements of the TOTRL campaign. He was totally unprepaired for that interview, no facts or statistics......all he was able to put forward were his own personal opinions and the anecdotal evidence of his mates in Germany.....(the impression I got here, was of a couple of brickies who had lost their jobs in Ireland, are now working in Germany without female companionship and like to visit the ladies for a bit of R&R)....and his language certainly would'nt have impressed anybody, male or female, let alone sex workers.....his reference was constantly to "the girls". Did Mick never hear the words "women" or "sex workers", or is he unaware that men and trans-sexuals are also involved in sex work.

The only service that Mick Wallace did, was to get across that it is ok to debate this issue rationally and in a mature fashion from the different perspectives. I believed that an articultate mature escort who had done her research, been coached in being interviewed and who would have had a wealth of life and personal experiences at her disposal, would have been able to debate the issues far better. For example, when the spokesperson for Ruhama stated that most women were drawn into escorting for the financial rewards (obviously trafficked escorts were not the isue here) and/or a lack of alternatives, an escort would have been able to counter with: 1. What alternatives can you provide for somebody in my situation and with my qualifications or employment experience? 2. What jobs.....where are they? 3. This job feeds, clothes and educates my children and pays the bills........do you want to take my livelihood away from me and to put me on the dole queue and my children in poverty? 4. What right have you to decide what work another person can or can't freely decide to engage in?

The spokesperson for Ruhama swept the floor with Mick Wallace.......the whole tone of the discussion was as if a school teacher was talking down to a naive pupil.......you could hear the smile in her voice at times. This woman is a professional in her field and Wallace a former builder who has been a public representative for a wet day at most. If Mick Wallace is the best that those whose oppose the TOTRL campaign can offer in future, then save yourselves the time and energy and just accept the proposed new law as a fait accompli.

No man, whoever he is, or however good his intentions are, is a suitable person to argue against the proposed new law. It would be turned around and hard line feminists would have a field day. Only women can win this one........so without wishing to be too crude, on this issue, if you don't have a vagina which is open for business, then don't open your mouth either. By all means contribute with suggestions or advice if you have experience in the media, P.R., marketing, politics, campaigning, research work etc., but on this issue, I believe that most people including women, will only listen to what other women have to say.