[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 2]
[House]
[Page 1743]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         AMSTERDAM PROSTITUTION

  (Mr. PITTS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, the coarsening of culture doesn't happen 
overnight. It is a slow, steady process that chips away at our moral 
compass; but every now and then something comes along that puts things 
in perspective and shows us how far the slide has gone.
  I read recently that city officials in Amsterdam have approved 
putting up a statue of a prostitute as a tribute to prostitutes 
worldwide. Sadly, this strikes me as one of those times when we are 
able to step back and see just how far we have regressed. The last 
thing the world's prostitutes need is a statue commemorating the sex 
industry. The sex industry in places like Amsterdam and countless other 
cities worldwide is not something to be celebrated. It is a tragedy 
marked by forced sexual servitude, demeaning human exploitation, and 
unspeakable brokenness.
  Each year, countless numbers of girls are kidnapped and forced into 
sexual slavery. They lose not only their basic human dignity; many will 
lose their lives.
  Mr. Speaker, these people don't need a statue. We need to help them 
get out of this exploitative lifestyle.

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