Rush Limbaugh

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

In my sixty years of living, I have gone through several different cycles. I was a dope smoking, long hair in high school and college that chased birds in the woods and skirts in the bars. Then I cut my hair, traded a joint for a can of beer, got married, got a job, wore a suit, bought a house, had children, and forgot my liberal, tree hugging leanings and got conservative. That was just about the time that Rush Limbaugh hit the air waves.

In my early 30’s in the early 90’s Rush was not as toxic or as hateful as he was at his end. For a guy that spent all day in the car trying to pedal whatever I was selling at the time he was background noise as I sat in traffic heading to my next appointment. Being young and trying to climb the corporate ladder I had to meld my thinking to align not only with my conservative, white customers but also with my bosses. So, Rush gave me talking points whether I believed the bullshit or not.

But as I matured, started my own company, became involved with charitable organizations in my community, and watched my children change before my eyes I grew tired of Rush. His shtick had become more hateful, more contentious, less playful, and certainly less entertaining for me. What Rush was building in the early 2000’s, “Ditto Heads” would eventually morph into MAGA and Drump was smart enough (did I really say that?) to capitalized on this readymade base aptly named his “basket of deplorables”. And the rest, as they say, is history.

I agree with Mark Twain when he said, “I have never wished a man dead, but I have read some obituaries with great pleasure”. In the case of Rush Limbaugh, his obituary is certainly one I read with “great pleasure”. I don’t and won’t mourn his loss. Rush has done more than most to promote hate, discord, and distrust in American politics much like Franklin Graham has done with Christianity.

Limbaugh was described by the white, Christian, right as a patriot. A man who held, and advocated true red, white and blue values. But if you dug just a little bit you would learn he had been married four times, was drug addict, and was detained for trying to smuggle Viagra in from the Dominican Republic. I guess he had trouble raising the flag on his flagpole from time to time.

I have often wondered if guys like Limbaugh and Hannity really believe half of the shit they spew every day or if they do it just to cash those big checks. The funny thing is those checks aren’t doing Rush any good now and that same day is coming for Hannity just like it is coming for the rest of us.

Our time here is short, a blink of an eye. In my mind Rush wasted his time on this planet. He could have used his “golden microphone” for good but instead he used it for evil as defined by Jesus; “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” Rush showed no mercy because mercy didn’t get ratings. And if there is a God heaven, if there is a Jesus Christ waiting on us all at the Pearly Gates I hope they will let him know how much harm he caused and grant him the mercy he refused to give others. Surely they will be more compassionate to him than I would be.    

“Fear is the only true enemy, born of ignorance and the parent of anger and hate.” – Edward Albert