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This is the Red Light District in Amsterdam.  I stayed there for 4 days and this was actually off of the back patio of the bar at my hostel.  I was absolutely not supposed to be taking pictures (notice the sign in the first window), or even be out there past dark, but rules are meant to be broken and I tend to snap them in half.  Especially if it means getting a great shot of sketchy dudes oogling prostitutes.

There are many reasons that I love Amsterdam, but their take on sex is most definitely one of them.  Yes, prostitution seems dirty, but it’s done illegally everywhere that it’s not legal.  And what is dirtier?  Some pimp selling off women on a street corner or legal regulation within the government to keep it safer and cleaner?  I’d go with the latter.

I also love that it’s put out there for everyone to see.  Sex shops, live porn shows, sex museums, and brothels are abundant.  In America, the vast majority of us grow up thinking that sex is dirty and bad and secretive and meant for *marriage*.  I really don’t understand why that is so.  Everyone does it, save certain individuals who abstain because of religious vows - and I can understand that to an extent.  But for the rest of us, what’s the big deal?  Life is meant to be enjoyed, and that is certainly one of the most enjoyable acts to engage in.

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 10th, 2008 at 11:13 am and is filed under Annoyances, Nonsense, Photography. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.