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Russell W. Shurts of Centennial writes:

At work this week I told a representative of a human resource service company I would walk out the door if I was ever required to attend sexual harassment training. If you are like me and have felt revulsion at such ‘training’ requirements coming into your workplace, your feelings are appropriate because far from being the exercise in morality it purports to be, such training is in fact it’s exact opposite. Here’s why.
First, such training is a vile condemnation of my character because it implies I have defects for which I need to be punished by taking up my valuable time for ‘training’ before I have ever done anything wrong to anybody.
Second, sexual harassment as a ‘law’ is a violation of a business owner’s right to property because it, like all regulation, interferes with the business owner’s right to run his business the way he wants, i.e. to hire whomever he pleases for whatever reasons. However boorish and smarmy such behavior as requiring sexual favors for a job may be, so long as the business owner does not physically or fraudulently coerce someone it should not be any of the government’s business. Withholding a job is just that.
It is NOT physical coercion.
Lastly, such training is forced political indoctrination every bit as ominous as the kind of ideological indoctrination routinely practiced by Communist and Islamic totalitarian states. When the government, either through regulation or by prosecuting lawsuits, begins prescribing just what appropriate behavior is, it is only a very short step away from dictating what all behavior and thinking must be.

This letter has not been edited.

READER COMMENTS

Withholding a job may not be physical coercion, but it is certainly economic coercion. History is filled with examples of women who felt they had to "put out" to get a job they desperately wanted or needed. Sex harassment reduces women to a form of property or commodity.
I respect the view, though I disagree with it, that a business owner should have the right to run his/her business as s/he sees fit, period. But gender discrimination is the law, and legislatures and courts have ruled that sex harassment is a form of sex discrimination. If you don't like the law, change it. I hope your effort fails.
If you do "walk out the door", be prepared for your company to fire you for nonperformance. That's their right also, under both the law, and the libertarian principles you ascribe to.

Russell, bet you would scream bloody murder if your male boss expected you to "put out' to him for your job. But hey, all's fair in love, war, and employment, right?

Ol' Russ Shurts wants to be able to git him some tail at work without the gummint interferin'!

Poster child.

Take a deeeeep breath, there, Russ. Settle down, big guy.

I'm not sure when it was that business could do whatever they wanted whenever they wanted, but it sure wasn't in my lifetime.

Methinks he doth protest too much. Perchance he haveth an issue or two.

You're fired. For being stupid.

And I hope you'll be honest when interviewing for your next job by telling them you quit, or was fired, because you refused training.

And I'm glad you wont be taking unemployment compensation because paying you because someone is withholding a job from you is not the government's business.

Don't worry, most employers Google potential hires and they'll find a reason to steer clear of this guy when this letter comes up.

I'm not sure I agree with all of this letter, but I do agree with the first point.

Several years ago I was in a situation (not because of anything I did, BTW) in which I was basically ordered to attend a sexual harassment awareness class. I tried to go in there with as open a mind as possible, but I was pretty bothered by this constant, underlying implication in the "lessons" that as a male I was predatorial by nature and prone to harass or sexually assault a woman.

That kind of feeling can make you a reactionary type complaining about the oppressive p.c. culture pretty easily. In my opinion, these classes/seminars/whatever are generally horseshit that simply teach "lessons" any functioning person over 10 will know anyway.

What's more, a lot of those sexual harassment workshops and multiculturalism seminars in schools and workplaces created a huge backlash. Those things were big in the 90s, and it's no coincidence that their proliferation ran parallel to the rise of Rush Limbaugh.

Shut up! Russell...you are hot babe! I want me some of that!

Companies risk legal liability if they do not conduct training. Like it or not, that is the law. You would think by now men and women would be smart enough to avoid this behavior, but it still happens.

The fu--ing liberals in this country are fu--ing up everything.Hopefully the ignorant people of this country and the illegals won't elect clinton.

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