Should prostitution be decriminalized?

"Why should something be illegal to sell that is perfectly legal to give away?"

- George Carlin (American stand-up comic, 1937-2008)

Prostitution isn't showing signs of discontinuing or even slowing down – especially when it comes to politicians. Maybe we need to rethink our laws?

New Jersey Sen. Robert Mendendez is making headlines denying allegations he had sex with prostitutes in the Dominican Republic. He's certainly not the only recent politician to be linked to prostitution.

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Watch John Featherman and lawyer/columnist Christine Flowers debate the legalization of prostitution on Dom Giordano's cable show, "Dom Time," at 7 tonight on WMCN-44.

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In South Philly, they say there's no Democratic or Republican way to fix a pothole. Likewise, neither the Democratic nor the Republican parties have a lock on whose behavior is more disturbing. There's unfortunately a tie.

Which all brings us to this: Perhaps it's time to set aside the stigma of prostitution and just decriminalize it?

Decriminalization – as opposed to the free-for-all of legalization – is the process of taking something previously illegal and making it controlled, regulated and taxed. That's what was done with alcohol after Prohibition, and which still exists to this day – done by the federal government as well as our local government. It's what's beginning to occur with marijuana, as well, with some even claiming it could help solve the fiscal cliff.

I could smoke some of that.

A recent United Nations report advocated moving in the direction of decriminalizing prostitution. The same report urged more euphemistic terms to be used for those involved in the business, such as "sex workers." In a world in which the most populous country views prostitutes as more honest and decent than politicians, that seems to be a good idea.

I tell my thoughtful friends who oppose sex for pay that the world's oldest profession is not going away. Rather than creating financial incentives that encourage trafficking, slavery and coercion, we would be better off supporting decriminalization, which in turn can eliminate the criminal element and foster responsibility, empowerment and improved health and safety for the sex workers. Decriminalization would also make it more likely that the government would collect taxes from these workers.

That sounds like an effective government um …  err  … "stimulus" to me.