Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
strain of marijuana stare at their rolling papers as if those crinkly critters are alive. Others
are mesmerized by the bubbles in their bongs.
And down by the canal, a fairytale of cobbled lanes and charming houses gather
around a quiet little church, creating a scene right out of a Vermeer painting. But this
neighborhood is different. Lonely men, hands in pockets, stroll as they survey prostitutes
who giggle and flirt from their red-lit windows.
In Amsterdam's Red Light District, sex workers are unionized.
While the USA is inclined to legislate morality on issues such as prostitution, gay
rights, and drugs, much of Europe takes a different approach. While countries differ, the
general European sentiment is not to make a law forcing someone to be what the majority
considers “moral.” Instead, European law tolerates “immoral” acts as long as they don't
hurt someone else.
For example, few on either side of the Atlantic would argue that prostitution is a good
thing. But in most of Europe, where many people recognize that you can't just wish it
away with laws, prostitution is generally legal and regulated.
