An Open Letter to Clear Channel Communications
I am very confused. Last week, your stations nationwide aired several misogynistic, vitriolic and just plain disgusting tirades by Rush Limbaugh. He personally attacked not only Sandra Fluke, a Georgetown law student, but also every woman in America to include our mothers, wives, sisters and daughters. He capped his comments off by requesting that Ms. Fluke and her fellow female classmates post videos of themselves having sex on the internet for him and the world to view (sounds like he voiced his inside fantasies outside ).
My questions to you are these: Why do you deem this acceptable behavior? Why was this violent diatribe not immediately rebuked by your company? Why was Limbaugh allowed to continue spewing his throw-up for several days? And lastly, why have you still not come out publicly and, at the very least, denounced him or at the best, fired him?
There have been many instances over the years of public figures saying stupid, insulting and degrading things about various segments in our society because they became blinded by their own egos. In most cases, these people were penalized by a loss of their position. No one has ever spouted off the hate that Rush did with impunity.
Ms. Fluke was exercising her freedom of speech after being silenced by a congressional subcommittee that didn’t think a woman should weigh-in on the contraceptive topic. Well, you may say, that is exactly what Rush was doing. Wrong. Rush was yelling “Fire” in a crowded movie theater. He was inciting hatred and violence against women and anyone else who disagrees with him.
When Hank Williams, Jr. compared Barak Obama to Hitler, his song was immediately pulled from Monday Night Football. When Limbaugh calls women "feminazis", he is hailed. And who, sir are the real Nazis? The women who are fighting for respect and equality or the men who want to verbally and physically rape and demean them and take their voices away.
During a recent tour of the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C., I listened to the haunting voices of concentration camp survivors. After the liberation of one camp, American servicemen gently and respectfully helped the women to freedom. As she was being led, one woman began crying and whispered softly to her liberator “This is the first time that I have been treated as a human in many years.” Yes, Limbaugh and his ilk are very reminiscent of the Nazis.
But, he apologized, you say. “I think it is absolutely absurd that during these very serious political times, we are discussing personal sexual recreational activities before members of Congress. I personally do not agree that American citizens should pay for these social activities. What happened to personal responsibility and accountability?” said Limbaugh in his statement.
Millions of Americans are taking daily medications because they have not taken personal responsibility for their health and they have decided it is easier to take a pill than make changes such as adding exercise and getting better eating habits. And let us not forget Viagra. Limbaugh doesn’t seem to take issue with insurance companies paying for that little drug that is purely a quality of life medication. Oh but wait, it benefits men and therefore should be considered a necessity. It is quite clear that personal responsibility has nothing to do with whether a drug should be covered or not.
The only thing Limbaugh got right in his apology was the fact that there are many more important issues that we should be debating right now. The fact that we are still discussing women’s health issues, their access to medication and their right to decide what they can do with their bodies is frightening. These issues have already been decided…decades ago. But, like the Taliban did in Afghanistan, the rabid right wing are using fear and hate to further their agenda and turn our country back into the dark ages.
Perhaps this firestorm is exactly what Limbaugh wanted. And that is sick unto itself. While a big part of me does not want to give him the attention he craves, a bigger part wants to see him gone. This war on women must stop. Using weak words like “inappropriate” and “poor choice of words” to describe his ignorance and perversion are not “adequate”.
Hush Rush. He must go. Or we will.
Sincerely,
A former listener
