THE CHURCH OF PERPETUAL OFFENSE. First talk radio’s Laura Schlessenger, then former Senator and co-chairman of the President’s National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform Alan Simpson, and now a Colorado high school student have been brought up by the perpetually offended on charges of speaking plainly.

Sarah Palin has it partly correct: it’s past time to throw off the “shackles” of politically correct whining. I differ only in that I think it’s past time to publicly - and loudly - express our disgust at their chronic bellyaching.

Assuming for the moment that there’s a Constitutional right to not be offended, then we have the right - no, the obligation - to demand the perpetually hypersensitive to sit down, shut up, and quit infringing on our right not to be offended by their whining.