February 25, 2010 2:15 PM
The "r" word - why Rahm is guilty and Rush is not
From Sara:
With all due respect, Barbara, don't forget that Rush Limbaugh is also guilty of using the R word. I don't expect you to post this as a comment. :)
Sara,
I don't know exactly what you mean about not expecting me to "post this as a comment" - but you are right, I am posting this as an entry.
I can't tell you how glad I am that you have given me an opportunity to address this issue, which the media have distorted, leading gullible people to jump on a bogus bandwagon.
I heard the broadcast in which Rush used the "r" word repeatedly and I was jumping up in excitement akin to Henry V's men when they heard his St. Crispin's Day speech.
What Rush did that day was a brilliant piece of Alinsky-style politics - rubbing the face of Rahm Emanuel in his own disgusting character - as revealed in his words. As Rush often says, "Words mean things."
Rahm E's use of the "r" word as an epithet cut through he phony image of liberals as champions of the underdog and to the heart of their elitism, arrogance, and contempt for others. Just like Obama, when he let slip on Letterman the sneer at Special Olympics. Or Al Gore when he referred to Republicans as "that extra-chromosome crowd."
Funny how liberals get a pass on stuff like this.
So Sara, since you obviously didn't hear Rush that day, let me set the record clear.
What Rush was doing was refusing to give Rahm a pass, saying the word over and over to drive the ugliness home to his audience. He was being an advocate for our children. I loved him for that. This was not humor or satire, but holding a mirror up to the source.
Believe me, Sara, as someone who has been listening to Rush daily since 1990 - when the Democrats were trying to destroy Clarence Thomas - I feel like i can vouch for Rush as a respecter of individuals. He would never use the "r' word in the way Rahm Emanuel used it. Rush has great respect for individuals and for life.
But the media - who have a consistent record of taking Rush out of context to vilify him the next day - jumped on his using the word to take the focus off their liberal guy. And a lot of people fell for it.
Sara - and others caught in this misunderstanding - I hope you will listen to the entire broadcast rather than second-hand reports or out-of-context clips.
And thanks again for the opportunity to set the record straight!
Suggested read: What About the "R" Word - Does It Matter?
Posted in Down syndrome, Liberal Hypocrisy, Media Bias | Permalink
Comments
Doesn't this need to get a bigger voice? So many people out there, including parents of kids with Ds, think that Rush is the villan here. The bit of Kabuki theater in the White House, with special needs self advocates and advocacy representatives being invited to Rahm's very public "penance", was all they needed to fully forgive the democrats, yet Rush, who was hitting home hard about the ugliness of the word to all those who thought it such a minor faux pas gets hung out to dry. Disability advocates were soundly manipulated by a White House political strategy and absolutely cannot see it. I find it utterly pathetic.
Posted by: kelly | February 25, 2010 3:49 PM
Thanks Kelly -
I can't tell you how glad I am that someone else is awake and aware of the injustice. The disability community gets it wrong on these issues when they are led by their feelings and media manipulation. It has always bothered me that they don't understand that Democrats do not have their best interests at heart - the party of elitism only uses them as a voting bloc, but has no respect. As evidenced by what comes out of their mouths when not posing.
Love the Kabuki theater reference :) It was definitely contrived and manipulative and completely inauthentic.
I had a long email conversation with the author of this article: http://catholicexchange.com/2010/02/23/127413/ - but even though she had never heard Rush's remarks herself, she had her mind made up and refused to budge. As did most of those who commented on her article following another mom and I who tried to point out the media lie.
The last thing the disability community needs is to attack those who are their friends.
Posted by: Barbara | February 25, 2010 4:06 PM
Barbara,
That was me, kelly, in the original post...typo'd my own name!
Did they stop teaching critical thinking in the schools? That would be very handy for the liberals, wouldn't it?
Anyway, I recognized exactly what Limbaugh was doing because once, as a teen, I said something thoughtless and hurtful. That person repeated my exact words back to me and they cut like a knife. I went from thinking something was terribly funny to feeling like I was a heartless fool in a split second. Trust me, for the rest of my days nothing so thoughtless will ever come out of my mouth again. I never thanked the person who did that to me either. Just imagine if I had added insult to injury and berated the person for doing that, just like they are doing to Limbaugh!
Anyway, applying logic skills to the whole scenario, why would Rush do the exact same thing as the person he was villifying and degrade people with special needs a la Emmanuel?
Posted by: kelly | February 25, 2010 4:52 PM
Amen Barbara!
And to add -- I am so sick of the Ds advocates persecuting Palin. Follow a few on Twitter and know just how bad it is. She is new to the world we live in with our beloved children w/Ds. Trig is only 22 months of age. I remember where I was when my daughter was an infant/toddler - NOT the informed/educated parent I am today. What I knew about Ds was not backed up by life experience. I wish they would give Palin a break.
Posted by: Amy | February 25, 2010 8:38 PM
