As journalists we are often critical of politicians, their policies and ideologies. So Opposition Senator Sandrea Falconer, a former journalist, shouldn't be too shocked by what I am about to say about her recent speech where she sided with Leader of the Opposition Portia Simpson Miller and Prime Minister Bruce Golding on their stance with regards to the regulating and taxation of prostitution.

The rookie senator said words to the effect that we should not be seeking to profit from an immoral practice - prostitution. She said some other stuff too, which I have no problem with, like the fact that we need a moral revolution in this country. Anybody who reads this column knows that I have been calling for this very thing for years now.

However, on the issue of taxing prostitution, like Simpson Miller and Golding; Falconer, who was responding to recent calls by Dr Kevin Harvey and Dr Affette McCaw-Binns to legalise and tax the industry, is wrong, dead wrong.

Taxing prostitution is not tantamount to profiting from the 'industry' as Miss Falconer suggests; what it will do is help to provide the funding needed for condoms, doctor visits, testing for diseases, counselling, and all the other administrative costs that go along with regulating an industry that if allowed to remain unchecked can lead to the rampant spread of STDs and the continued abuse of the men and women involved. There is no profit to be made.

What Falconer and the leaders of the two parties are doing is sticking their heads in the sand hoping that if we ignore prostitution it will just go away. Here's the thing; it's not going anywhere, especially in the present economic climate.

Women and men who are hungry, desperate, unemployed or unemployable will sell anything they have that is of value just to be able to eat. For many of these people the only thing of value they have are their bodies and there always will be people willing to pay. That is why prostitution is considered the oldest of all professions. It's been around and it isn't going anywhere.

In St Maarten where I had been living for the past few years, they have brothels. They don't call them brothels but that is what they are. These houses of pleasure hire women from all over - the Dominican Republic, Colombia and several other countries in the region - to provide pleasure to men and women living on the island, who need to unwind after long, hard days at work. These houses also double as a safe place for these women to live.

These prostitutes, who in many instances use the money they earn to clothe and feed their children in their home countries, work on short-term contracts and they are tested either weekly or monthly for STDs and other communicable diseases.

As a result, the general population is protected and the women are protected from the general population as they operate in these controlled areas (the houses of pleasure) and they are issued condoms.

The owners of these 'brothels' pay fees for permits for these women and the money is used to cover among other things, the costs for tests, condoms and doctor visits.

This is a model that Jamaica can adopt because it puts the prostitutes in a controlled environment which gets them off the streets and immediately makes them safer from criminals or whoever would do harm to them. It also ensures that they are paid so they can provide for themselves and their families and minimizes the risk of the spread of infection.

What is immoral about that?

The senator needs to face the reality that not everyone has the means to attend university and land a decent job. She also needs to understand that when she is in her cushy home at nights, enjoying a lavish meal, there are people out there who call the sidewalks home and who are forced to rummage through garbage cans hoping to find something to eat. Some turn to prostitution to fulfil those needs.

What would be immoral would be to allow criminals to attack and kill prostitutes and to have an irresponsible prostitute who is HIV infected to sell his or her 'services' to unsuspecting customers that could eventually lead to a minor epidemic that could wipe out entire communities. It happened in Africa and it can happen here.

So, Madam Falconer you might think that prostitution is immoral and should be ignored but to whose peril? You said it in your speech Jamaica needs dynamic, strong and morally sound leadership. It's such a pity that you are not prepared to be one of those, preferring instead to follow the lead of people who are clearly misguided on this particular issue.

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