In the Jan. 9, 2001 edition of the Northeaster newpaper, on the front page,
is an article titled "Police bust NE massage parlour". This article angers
me for several reasons.
This first reason is that the perpetrators are using "therapeutic massage"
as a cover for prostitution. I find this troubling because my wife works as
a legitimate, licensed, trained professional massage therapist. The use of
therapeutic massage as a cover for prostitution puts her legitimate business
in suspicion by the police and others. She currently has a hard time working
in many suburbs because of their draconian licensing laws.
The second reason that this article angers me is the use of the term
"massage" in the title of the article. The article was about the arrest of
an individual for making an offer of sex for money, not about massage. The
article title would have been more accurate and less demeaning to legitimate
massage therapists if the title had been changed to something like "Police
bust NE prostitution parlour". It is the continued association of
prostitution with massage in such articles that perpetuates the myth that
massage is about sex. This continued association in newspaper articles must
stop. It is incorrect and irresponsible.
Massage therapy is about healing and relaxation. Many automobile accidents
and workplace accident victims use massage therapy in conjunction with
physical therapy and chiropractic care to recover from their injuries.
People without injuries also use massage therapy to relax and unwind from
the stresses of life. It is a beneficial practice with a legitimate place in
society.
Scott McGerik
Hawthorne
Minneapolis
http://www.visi.com/~scottlm/
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