Urbina continued his story on runaways in today's frontpage headline, "For Runaways on the Street, Sex Buys Survival." He connected his findings in runaway teenagers and children to sex, bartering, and prostitution. Nicole Clark, 17, for example, became a runaway at the age of 14. She was taken in by a young man. The young man eventually became a "boyfriend" who eventually threatened to kick her out if she refused to have sex with himself and his friends. Another great article by Ian Urbina.
One thing that irked me in the article was the sort of double-standard for prostitutes and their johns, something that makes runaways that survive by prostitution a muddled issue. "If a 45-year-old man had sex with a 14-year-old girl and no money changed hands, she was likely to get counseling and he was likely to get time for statutory rape... If the same man left $80 on the table after having sex with her, she would probably be locked up for prostitution and he would probably go home with a fine as a john."
I don't see these situations as so black and white as the law makes them seem. These runaways are really more victims than anything else. Prostitution is not a voluntary act as much as a survival tactic. I hope the law can reassess its persecution of these homeless teens and there are programs out there that can help reach out to them.
The Northwest Airlines pilots that were behind the controls of the dramatic off-shoot last week say they were distracted by laptops. Use of laptops are prohibited by the airline, but the pilots were capable of using them nonetheless. Its reminiscent of the ongoing texting debate with truckers and train conductors. What seems like a harmless glance down at a cellphone can lead to a disaster. How is it that people controlling these planes, semis, and trains capable of such catastrophes, still have these devices? How can officials expect these conductors to possess devices and not use them? Should legislation take some action? What is the argument for both sides?
One thing that irked me in the article was the sort of double-standard for prostitutes and their johns, something that makes runaways that survive by prostitution a muddled issue. "If a 45-year-old man had sex with a 14-year-old girl and no money changed hands, she was likely to get counseling and he was likely to get time for statutory rape... If the same man left $80 on the table after having sex with her, she would probably be locked up for prostitution and he would probably go home with a fine as a john."
I don't see these situations as so black and white as the law makes them seem. These runaways are really more victims than anything else. Prostitution is not a voluntary act as much as a survival tactic. I hope the law can reassess its persecution of these homeless teens and there are programs out there that can help reach out to them.
The Northwest Airlines pilots that were behind the controls of the dramatic off-shoot last week say they were distracted by laptops. Use of laptops are prohibited by the airline, but the pilots were capable of using them nonetheless. Its reminiscent of the ongoing texting debate with truckers and train conductors. What seems like a harmless glance down at a cellphone can lead to a disaster. How is it that people controlling these planes, semis, and trains capable of such catastrophes, still have these devices? How can officials expect these conductors to possess devices and not use them? Should legislation take some action? What is the argument for both sides?
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