Newsflash: Legalized Prostitution & Drug Use Has Created a Crime Problem!

This story from the AP news service reports that the city of Amsterdam is trying to fight back against undesired intrusions by organized crime into the world of the city's legalized brothels and marijuana "coffee houses." These locations, where prostitution and marijuana purchase and use are allowed, have seen a spike in the presence of other criminal activity, from money laundering by drug dealers to violent crimes.

Amsterdam's solution is to close some of these locations, while leaving others open in certain specified districts. The aim is to reduce the city's image as "a free zone for criminals" to "a tolerant and crazy place," according to Lodewijk Asscher, a city council member.

Mr. Asscher is mistaken, and sadly so, if he believes that lessening legal bad behavior will lessen the presence of illegal bad behavior. Dabbling in sin never lessens its power. Cities where these activities are illegal and prosecuted still deal with criminality, but the problem would be exponentially worse if some forms of bad behavior are tolerated--it only creates an environment where other forms will thrive. Once there is no sense of morality (no God in reality), then anything becomes permissible.