The Ballad of Rush Limbaugh
Nona Hendryx
Nona Hendryx
There comes a time when enough is enough!
I am supportive of people having civil exchanges from opposing perspectives on a an issue. We are supposed to be a society that welcomes this type of interaction and exchange among us.
Rush Limbaugh has never been an individual who tempers his remarks while he's on the air. He has made remarks that have been totally outrageous and truly racist. Here;s a list compiled by NewsOne of the Ten Most Racist Remarks made by Rush Limbaugh.
He has never made it a secret that he does not like women who are liberal or progressive. This tendency to call us names did not just start last week. I don't know what a feminazi is by definition but the fact that acquaints us to one of the most vile human forces in the world's story is insulting.
But every situation has it's tipping point. Rush has brought his on by calling Sandra Fluke a slut and prostitute. Then he adds injury to the insult by daring to suggest that women post pornographic videos in exchange for coverage of birth control.
Between the racism and sexism, I have had enough of this man's spew!
He has the right to speak his mind on issues. There is no honest way to prevent him saying whatever he thinks to his listening audience. But there is also a price that becomes due when those remarks are just way over the top.
The loss of sponsorship and air time on stations that broadcast his show are the cost that he helped to create. I for one think that he could of kept his apology because he turns around today and tries to make it seem like the left was responsible for his remarks. Here is his response about the incident on his show today (Link).
My final thoughts on this particular incident are best summarized in this quotation.
"You are the master of the unspoken word until it is spoken.
Then you become it's slave."
7 comments:
Years ago I railed against this cerified nut,others use to say he had the right to free speech,I think your right to free speech ends when you talk and act as he does.
Rush is an idiot, but mostly he is a clown, whose probable goal in life is to entertain lonely Bubba truck drivers on AM radio. (don't get me wrong, one of my best friends was a truck driver) :-) The unfortunate thing is that some of the inbred class take him seriously. All in all, it's probably best to ignore him, (and his sponsors) as he makes his money from bad press. However, he and his ilk sure do piss me off!
I have to respectfully disagree with you.
As someone who listens to both sides of the talk radio spectrum I find the "hate" talk is pretty evenly distributed. Rush is a bigger radio personality and he hit a button and so we hear about it. Progressives say very objectionable things about Sarah Palin and Rush and George Bush and it doesn't cause a scene. (I am a fan of none of the above)
I say that as someone who is a bit old school and was somewhat offended by his comments.
It does bring up issues that annoy a lot of us who feel over regulated. For example, Why should I for this girl's birth control when work my arse off every day, am just above poverty level and I had to put my 10 year old daughter's medical expenses on a credit card? The girl is in school, essentially on my dime, studying to be a lawyer (which particularly offends me as I am trying to start a business and find the red tape and regulations are insane) and I object to paying for her sexual experimentation.
Now, I can see that above statement does not exactly address the issue, but that is what the argument has now become. The sentiment I hear is that some how it has become worse to call someone a "slut" than to actually be one.
And again, in my opinion, Rush's statement pretty much states what most men think, but would most would NEVER say to your face. Especially if they are using the "I'm a liberal, progressive, sensitive guy," in order to "score."
But, I suppose I have hired too many high school/college aged boys and listened to them talk.
The real issue is how this debate has taken us away from the crimes. $5 gas, the utterly bizarre foreign policy with Iran, Syria, inflation, this stupid healthcare plan that won't even matter if we don't have the money to pay for it.
Those morons can't even balance the budget. And the Republican morons can't come up with an alternative or even form a real opposition. What have they actually stopped?
Instead it is just a contest of who pays off who and endless studies and blah blah blah.
And we argue about some stupid talk show host and what was basically a "throwaway," one liner.
If you want to tell me off I will accept that, this is not meant as a personal attack on someone who gave me good advice for my aching back. However, I think it is helpful to understand different people's opinions.
Bud,
One of the things that is over looked in the Birth Control Pill debate is its actual medical value to women of various ages. The pill is often prescribed to help with with hormone issues. I started taking the pill longer before I became sexually active because I had crazy menstrual cycles and it was not covered by my parents insurance. Contrary to popular myth, that pill pack is not cheap.
I know that the left says equally disgusting things. However, I am a progressive. I have lit into them as well. I listen to both sides and I have to say as a woman of color the double whammy is just a bit much. We have dealt with the remarks that are racist and have been successful and not successful. This is how it goes in the nation. But it is time to let all the journalist know that we have expectations and rights. Rush just happened to be the one who stepped down on the landmine of public opinion. I don't expect people to agree with my stance of opposition against him. It is one that is individual and I know that his supporters are just as fired up to protect him.
I have been a long time advocate for insurance covering birth control. It is not accurate for people to believe that they will be paying for the coverage. Viagra is covered and I fail to see what actual medical value this particular pill has. It is potentially dangerous to males with different health conditions. Why should we pay for this particular item?
Budde makes some good points!
Our discussion highlights the problem. I basically restated Rush's statement in what was supposed to be less offensive language. In your response to me you presented the other view in non-confrontational terms.
To relate the issue to myself, I personally have conflicting opinions on the subject. I do not think Viagra should be covered. If birth control is needed for medical reasons i think it should be covered. (like you mentioned) Likewise I don't think a "boob job" should be covered but I think reconstructive surgery after a mastectomy is in a different category.
But was that what was being discussed? It sounded to me the testimony and the resulting comments were about recreational birth control. That is how most of the comments are addressed. Which I guess is the point that I missed.
I kind of got off subject I guess but it seems to me that in a public argument there is a dramatic yes and no and then the third discussion which is actually about the issue.
I also think we should remember to also point out that talk show hosts are entertainers and are in the business to sell advertising.
In my opinion it mostly it just makes them full of crap.
Rush Limbaugh is a bigoted oxygen thief. Anyone unwilling to see that really isn't listening to him. I do daily, usually just to laugh. But the man routinely says things that would give any rational person pause.
He's a blowhard that preaches nothing but hate. I remember hearing him once say that if all the drug addicts in the country left, the United States would be a far better place; and yet, when he had a drug problem........he downplayed it.
He's been married four times and yet he talks about family values as if he invented them.
He's an absolute oxygen thief.
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