Overheard Starbuck

"What do you have against America's Christians? ... What do you think's their biggest sin? Their support of Bush's wars...his economic policies?"
---"No the churches've been sending their own kids over there, and appear to be concerned that their poorest members are falling further into poverty. I figure they're just brainwashed and stupid or greedy."
"So what is it about them?"
---"They refuse to decriminalize prostitution. Their Christian fervor makes it political suicide for law-makers to talk about requiring state or federal health and labor oversight over sex workers and the porn industry."
"Well duh."
---"So by default local police and not-always-so-local organized crime cartels share 'regulatory' duties over the workers and customers and are free to exploit or persecute otherwise lawful citizens as they choose. ...And the kicker is they've been doing so for generations."
"But that has nothing to do with Bush and the neo-cons: that's how it's been in America since the beginning I imagine".
---"Exactly. Those blue laws enforce slavery...and no one in politics dare do a thing about it."
"Whoa, Randy. Don't the libertarians advocating for the decriminalization of marijuana also describe their pot smokers as 'persecuted and law abiding'?".
---"Yeah but don't police officers, enforcers of the most basic laws of society, experience more one-on-one relationships with prostitutes then with pot dealers and their products?"
"Your suggesting prostitution is more problematic for law enforcement, for American democracy, then the war on drugs?"
---"More problematic and more often. ...You've heard the joke, 'what's the difference between a hooker and a cop-groupie or a cop's mistress'?"
"What is?"
---"A hooker can be arrested."
"My father says the non-taxable wealth of America's churches is another form of taxation for us tax-payers. He calls it a 'sin tax', but you're saying something different."
---"Does anyone have any idea how many sex acts a day in America are under the control or 'supervision' of organized crime and law enforcement? How dependent our sex lives have become on their people and their 'security'? It's a secret no? ... I picture cops, gangsters and holy men as tag-team dungeon masters: champions in World Class Sexual Exploitation."