Thou shalt not ogle

Going back to work on Radio KGEZ as a broadcaster and forgetting Monday was a holiday caused me to lose track of my writing schedule. That is why I’ve gone back to review a 1995 discussion on the evils of “lustful staring.”

A passage in the Bible states, “He who so ever looketh upon a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery in his heart … and that too is a sin.” Not a verbatim quote but it’s close (Matthew ?). That act of human weakness is the sin to which President Carter admitted guilt in his famous Playboy interview; and subsequently lost the White House to Ronald Reagan. Anyone seeking high political office should refrain from ogling. Clinton critics mentioned other moral problems, but we heard no public claim about Bill actually “ogling.”

The dictionary’s basic definition is “ … to keep looking with obvious desire.” Ogling is one of the oldest immoral activities known to man, surely preceding the “original sin.” The world will be freed from adultery, prostitution, unnumbered traffic accidents, and teenage pregnancies, once we get rid of it. “Political and moral correctness” has triggered a recent ban on that depraved activity for all City pavement workers in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Admittedly not a death blow to sins of the flesh, it is a start, and I say, “It’s about time.”

Minneapolis Public Works Official, Carl Markus, is the pure and sinless crusader who has at last had the guts to say, “Enough.” His orders read, “It has come to my attention that people in our crews working in the downtown area have been eyeing women walking by.” Anyone reading that simple declarative sentence can tell right off Markus may have some personal physical problems but is far above average in powers of observation. Markus then stated, “First-time violators will face verbal warnings and repeat offenders could get fired.” Go get ‘em Carl. God hates a coward.

In a generous effort to help, and surely motivated by reverential respect for the Minneapolis Crusader’s program, one of the construction workers, Brian Gisslen, erected “NO OGLING ZONE” signs at this job site … a thoughtful show of support for righteousness.

While admiring the inspired idea behind this plan, I feel it does not go far enough. Even the New Testament displays an alarming disregard for male equality by not mentioning “women oglers.” There is hardly anything worse to a pure hearted man than having a good lookin’ female give him a lustful look. That happened to me one time right there in Minneapolis, and I stumbled slam into a light pole. Later learned I shouldn’t have walked past the red light district wearing a new suit.

One other thing, it would certainly help those weaker members of the Minneapolis paving crews as well as all males and females if a national dress code was enacted. It is a proven fact that ogling hit an all time low during the very short life of the sack dress fad and it zoomed up as skirts got shorter. In all fairness, there should also be laws against men wearing muscle shirts and other … “revealing apparel.”

If Carl Markus does not achieve vast support for his crusade to end visual sinning it will be a shame; however if he should cause the ban to spread, I’d recommend buying stock in a sunglasses factory, because so many of us are weak … and just plain sneaky.

G. George Ostrom is a national award-winning Hungry Horse News columnist. He lives in Kalispell.