Advocating sex & drugs

What's the first thing you think of when you hear about Amsterdam? A legal sex industry or widespread drug use? That's the impression most Americans have of Amsterdam, a city likened to Las Vegas, Nevada where sin prevails and laws are lax.

True, the Netherlands are known for extending many personal freedoms to their citizens beyond a liberal drug policy, but it's unfortunate the reputation is at stands. We Americans like to think about hookers and weed because they're taboo subjects in our society, so the thought of such sinful things is hard for us to digest unless there's total chaos involved. Conservative talking heads like Bill O'Reilly love to portray Amsterdam as a lawless city full of people indulging in drugs and sex as was a topic on 2008 episode of his show, saying that unless citizens stateside intervene the widespread immorality would soon be found here was well.

Though we definitely share many different values with citizens of the Netherlands, you'd be surprised how normal they can make sex and drugs feel to the passer by. That's the key to understanding the benefits of a policy of tolerance opposed to a policy of prohibition. Calling something a problem makes it a problem.

That's why if you ever speak to anyone who has visited Amsterdam the impression they had before arriving changes quite a bit by the end of their visit. The first thing you may notice is most people aren't smoking drugs or visiting prostitutes, and if they are, no one cares and it's not a head-turning situation. It's not an issue because no one's making it into an issue.

The people of Amsterdam have a lot more interesting and exciting things to do than act like Cheech and Chong all day.

There will be exceptions, but fewer people give the so-called sinful acts the time or day. It's my understanding that the Dutch legal philosophy is a very realistic one, something the US could learn from before making unenforceable laws.

There is one exception to what I'm talking about: American tourists in Holland. We're the only demographic of people that can't seem to handle the freedom. There are areas of the city where sex and drugs are exploited, in the city centre, and the most unruly people are the Americans.

But by making cannabis use illegal, it creates its own firestorm of popularity and controversy that wouldn't otherwise exist outside the spark of law. As is the same for prostitution. The amount of time, money and effort spent fighting over something as stupid and boring as smoking pot is ridiculous. But do I think something as drastic as drug legalization would work in

America this very instant? Absolutely not.

Saying so much would be oversimplifying the situation. But viewing the other side of things is something to give consideration to, and I think most Americans are too hardcore to do as much.

If you want to sell your own body, be my guest, it's yours to do what you want with. Oh, and you won't find scummy trash on a Netherlands version of "Cops" either- it's taxed and controlled.