What We Permit- We Promote

Normally I don't write about news events as they are happening. I prefer to think through an issue or event to be more confident that my thoughts are reasonable and sensible. But, for this one I don't need any more time. For this one my thoughts are crystal clear and have been since the moment I heard about this vile incident.

You may have noted that over the last few weeks the Republican candidates for President, several Republican state Legislatures, and our U.S. Senate have been arguing for legal controls on contraception and the ability of insurance companies to provide it. (some successfully- some not). If this wasn't an egregious enough assault on women's health care, the symbolic public leader of the Republican Party has called a woman who wanted to give congressional testimony supporting a woman's need for contraceptive and reproductive health care, a "slut". Rush Limbaugh used this vile language to describe a third year Georgetown law student as a slut and a prostitute because she thinks contraception is an important element in women's health care. He has gone on subsequently to say that if contraception is to be paid for on her behalf, that she should at least provide the public with sex tapes of her having sex- as some perverted form of pay-back.

There are so many things WRONG with Limbaugh's comments that I scarcely know where to begin. He has, in one fell swoop, insulted nearly every woman in this country. His misogynistic, hateful attack on this woman is an attack on all women. I can say that because we know that 99% of American women use or have used some form of contraception- and the overwhelming majority of all citizens believe it ought to be part of health care coverage. To say that makes you a promiscuous, slut is to say virtually all women are promiscuous sluts or whores. Aside from that, Limbaugh's attempt to once again cast women as the vessels of evil, has laughably demonstrated his lack of understanding about how contraception works. I won't quote him any more- for you can surely look it up on any news site to hear his hateful rant for yourself.

I don't think this about Limbaugh anymore. He has always been a racist, misogynistic, hateful man with questionable morals. The record on him is clear (but the reason for  his ratings still baffles me). Now this is about us. I ran across the phrase: What we permit- we promote, some time ago. This situation is one where the phrase fits very well. Now this is about whether we allow our political and social discourse to sink to this level without standing against it. If we permit this through our silence or our passive acquiescence, then aren't we promoting this kind of speech? I think we are. I will not accept that any one can bring our culture so low as to permit my wife, my daughters, my nieces, my cousins, or any woman to be called a slut because they seek  reproductive health care. Who are any of these men to make moral judgements anyway? Even if this woman was having  as much sexual conduct as the perverted mind of Limbaugh implied (just out of hatred) - why would it matter? We don't cast insults on men for their sexual activities. No problem getting Viagra through insurance for men- but let's use a woman's sexuality against her. Limbaugh has mastered this time-honored tactic used against women for ions. This hateful double-standard diminishes us all.

I have not seen one Republican leader fully denounce this attack. Speaker Boehner's spokesman made a luke-warm criticism. It's interesting that last Sunday Rick Santorum said that John F. Kennedy's landmark speech on church and state made him "want to vomit". Yet today Santorum causally dismissed the Limbaugh slur on women as, just entertainment. Romney-silence...  What is the matter with these men who want to lead us and the world? It is clear to me they do not have the courage or the common decency to seek our approval, or our vote. If this is a test of their character- their permission (through their silence) is surely a major failure of that test- and their promotion of the degradation of women. If this about moral questions on contraception, then are the Catholic Bishops willing to accept Limbaugh as their champion? They are standing silent too- while half their congregations are called sluts. Remember, 98% of Catholic women use contraception. Does the Church agree they are all sluts?


So, I urge people of conscience to take a stand. Do not promote this treatment of women by permitting it. Our First Amendment prohibits the government from impeding this kind of speech- but it doesn't stop us! We vote in lots of different ways. We vote with our ballots- we can also vote with our wallets- and with our ability to express ourselves publicly and privately. I, for one, will let my Republican Congresswoman know that I expect her to denounce these attacks. I, for one, will find out who sponsors his show and I will tell them I won't patronize their businesses. I, for one, will contact the local radio station that carries the show and ask them to remove it and contact any local sponsors and withdraw my patronage. Will my calls make a difference? NO! But many calls will make a difference.


This isn't about rabble-rousing. It is about making a statement in our democracy that says we're fed up. Over the last year a great deal has been accomplished by joining voices together and expressing our demand for change. I believe that our polarized political atmosphere will not produce the change we need on its own, so it's up to us to make change happen. If we can't get together on ridding our culture of the poison we saw this week, then we're in pretty bad shape. Remember- If we permit this, we promote it. Don't permit it!

Thanks for looking in.