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Peggy Noonan, Calendars, and Dirty Jokes. Oh my.

Peggy Noonan, Calendars, and Dirty Jokes. Oh my.

Writing on the recent avalanche of sexual harassment stories, Peggy Noonan of the Wall Street Journal welcomed this overdue housecleaning but shared the concern of the, “fear that things will get carried away—innocent men will be railroaded, the workplace will be swept with some crazy new Puritanism.” And she agreed it’s not wrong to fear that the workplace “will become a dry, repressed, politically correct zone, no longer human.”

Take the Chief of the Omaha Fire Department’s decision to put the kibosh on next year’s steamy firefighter’s calendar. The 2017 edition featured shirtless, beefy firemen holding puppies and it raised gobs of money for the local animal shelter. The Chief said it would no longer be appropriate to have such a calendar on an office wall or home refrigerator.

The women of II held a moment of silence upon hearing this news. Amy Cooke tearfully said, “One of the perks of riding the Courage Classic fundraiser for Children’s Hospital is so our team can admire some firemen! It’s not like we can do that when Caldara walks by.”

Please rest assured that our annual “Men of the Independence Institute Calendar” is still a go. As you may know, many schools use it in their abstinence training classes. Something about the picture of our “Mr. July,” David Kopel, wearing a Speedo and reenacting the iconic Coppertone beach ad keeps young women celibate for record periods.

I agree with Peggy that all this attention is a positive change and share her hope that it leaves the workplace “cleaner, not colder.” But how odd that the most “clean” and politically correct places are being outed – three top National Public Radio executives, Charlie Rose, Garrison Keillor. Who knew there’d be more skirt-chasing at NPR than at the Playboy Mansion. How fitting that these are the people who for decades have been preaching what sensitivity and tolerance should be.

I hope we at Independence have been demonstrating something very different. While the Left and NPR promote conservatives as “repressed,” we have been anything but. Many take offense to our sometime raunchy, but always irreverent style, and they are free to be offended. After all, we’re all about Freedom. I believe the fight for freedom against the growing collectivism will not be sustainable if it’s not fun. As with our famed Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Party, we celebrate the perks of adulthood. And I believe humor is the greatest of perks.

I hope we don’t lose humor in a coming purge of political correctness.

As Noonan said, “Common sense will help. Offices aren’t for 10-year-olds but for adults. Deep down you know what abuse is: You can tell when someone’s taking or demanding what isn’t his. By adulthood you should also know what friendliness, appreciation and attraction are. But it comes down to whether someone is taking or demanding what isn’t his.”

I hope you’ll join me for tonight’s Devil’s Advocating, 8:30 on Colorado Public Television Channel 12, as we continue this conversation with attorney Jessica Peck. We’ll explore the allegations of sexual harassment that are rocking the state capitol.

*** And now the ask*** If you think we are an important counter balance not only to the politics of the Left, but their hypocritical, sterilizing impact on culture, please help us with a Colorado Gives Day contribution. What would make media elites angrier than you freely supporting the most impactful and politically incorrect outfit in Colorado! Besides we need to make up what we’re losing in gifts from Matt Lauer.

Please be part of our mission now!

Think Freedom,

Jon