By Chris Graham
Associate Editor
The First Amendment is one of the greatest and most consistent battles within our country. Everyone loves to support the message behind it because it is ingenious — allowing people to express their views, thoughts and opinions however they want, whenever they want.
As much as the masses support it, there is always a person who uses it, not for public discourse, but to attack others and hide behind the amendment. The latest culprit should come as no surprise, as conservative radio talk-show host Rush Limbaugh has created controversy yet again.
In late February, Limbaugh went on the offensive against Georgetown law student Sandra Fluke, who was scheduled to be a democratic witness at a congressional hearing to speak on the Obama administration’s contraception policy, according to a Feb. 29 Huffington Post article.
While Fluke was initially denied the right to speak at the hearing, she was eventually given the floor, and she spoke about the need for birth control for reproductive and broader medical reasons, according to the same article.
Upon hearing this, Limbaugh went on his radio program and call Fluke a “slut” and a “prostitute,” according to the same article.
After the asinine comments from Limbaugh, he issued an apology, but the damage to his show was already done and should continue to drive home a point to the arrogant host.
A March 12 article on thinkprogress.org said 140 companies had dropped advertisements for Limbaugh’s show.
These companies have some sense that Limbaugh’s reign of insults and incendiary comments must stop.
Limbaugh isn’t a first-time offender, and he needs to pay severely for using the First Amendment to monger hate. The more advertisers that pull out, the better the chances it is Limbaugh may finally be pulled from the air.
I wish Limbaugh would stop with these attacks, but he has such a profound history of it that there is no chance it is going to happen. The hope would be someone stepping in and removing Limbaugh from the airways because he is not helping the public discourse. He’s only setting it back. He has had his time to wrongfully take advantage of the First Amendment, and his message — if he has one — is one everyone is sick of hearing.
If the advertisers keep backing out, then the airways could be Limbaugh-free at some point. Then, Limbaugh can go back to his home and shoot his mouth off. The advantage for all of us is we won’t hear his idiotic commentary from his humble abode, or so we hope.
grahamcw@bonaventure.edu
