Christine Gregory of Beverly Hills wrote:
It is true that Bill Maher has insulted Sarah Palin, but she is a public figure who put herself into the public square — and condemnation and reverence comes with the territory.Are we really to believe that Fluke did not put herself into the public square? Where, when and to whom did she make the statement to which Limbaugh reacted?
What crossed the line is Rush Limbaugh calling a private woman who desires birth control a "slut" and a "prostitute."
Nor was Limbaugh criticizing her desire for birth control. He was criticizing her insistence that it must be provided by a Catholic university.
Likewise, Sidney Morrison of Los Angeles wrote:
But Limbaugh crossed the line when he attacked a private citizen, a young woman exercising her right to express her views.Doesn't the same right to express views apply to Limbaugh?
With freedom comes responsibility. Some has the freedom to choose contraceptives or abortive chemicals. Others should have the freedom to opt out of paying for it.
I haven’t seen the insult Bill Maher is supposed to have made against Sarah Palin, so I can’t speak about that - but I have seen Rush’s misogynistic rant against Sandra Fluke. And Rush was not criticizing her testimony, he was attacking and insulting her on a very personal level that did not accurately address the content of her testimony, and he generalized that attack to all women who use contraceptives.
ReplyDeleteAs you say, with freedom comes responsibility. And while, as an American, I can agree that Rush had a right to say what he said (and Bill Maher probably did, too), it did cross the line of common decency and honesty. As a feminist, I wonder how anyone can condone a personal attack of this nature on any woman. And as a Christian, I do not understand how anyone can fail to condemn such an attack on any other human. Rush’s attack was not intended to criticize her speech, nor was it humorous or entertaining. It was designed to hurt, to belittle, to disempower. To cause pain.
Yes, Rush had a right to say what he did. But there is no way to make such an abuse of freedom and responsibility right.
I think it's fair to say "two wrongs don't make a right."
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