Is anyone safe from 40-year-old allegations?

We are out of control. The Saturday Review-Journal included a wire-service story, “GOP legislator accused of being crude.” It relates how the publisher of the Arizona Republic, Mi-Al Parrish, has called out GOP lawmaker Don Shooter for making an “inappropriate comment” to her more than a year ago.

As the article reports, Mr. Shooter apparently told Ms. Parrish he had done everything on his “bucket list except for those two Asian twins in Mexico.” For this, there is a groundswell of calls — from his holier-than-thou fellow legislators and business groups riding the current “I’m offended by damn near everything” tidal wave — for his resignation or removal from office.

It appears that almost any deed, statement, suggestion, attempt at courtship gone awry or innocent compliment is now fair game for accusations capable of ruining one’s career or worse, regardless of whether it was recent or as long as 40 years ago.

With the recent celebration of Veterans Day, I cannot help but think that almost all of my fellow military veterans are likely to be ineligible for public office. After all, someone might recall and accuse him (or her) of an “inappropriate” comment or stress-relieving joke (made perhaps while lugging a 100-pound pack up a hill or getting shot at while defending the rights of snowflakes such as Ms. Parrish).

For you law enforcement personnel, firefighters, construction workers, sports fans or anyone else who has ever, anytime in the past, discussed anything more controversial than flower arranging or figure skating in a mixed crowd, your future is toast. You are subject to ruin at the whim of someone who has suddenly undergone a moral epiphany at your expense. Public office? Forget it. You are effectively disenfranchised. Try a career at the Arizona Republic instead.