What I Learned

From Rush Limbaugh

To the Editor:

In a recent speech, President Obama referred to both the wonders and pitfalls of modern technology: “Today’s 24/7 echo chamber amplifies the most inflammatory sound bites louder and faster than ever before. It has also, however, given us unprecedented choice….” Ah, yes! The wonderful world of options. Who among us would deny the pleasure that being able to choose provides? Column A or Column B? Coke or Pepsi? The Beatles or the Stones? However, in order to truly savor the selection, one must at least be aware of the differences….

Further in his speech, Obama cautioned, “For if we choose only to expose ourselves to opinions and viewpoints that are in line with our own, studies suggest that we will become more polarized, more set in our ways. That will only reinforce and even deepen the political divides in this country. But if we choose to actively seek out information that challenges our assumptions and our beliefs, perhaps we can begin to understand where the people who disagree with us are coming from.”

Sounded good. I couldn’t have agreed more with him. He continued, “…we need a vibrant and thriving news business that is separate from opinion makers and talking heads. That’s why we need an educated citizenry that uses hard evidence and not just assertion.” The president then quoted senator, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, who once said, “Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts.”

It had been a while since I ventured into the unfamiliar — and for me, the unfriendly — territory of right-wing talk radio, so I found my way to YouTube to see what Rush Limbaugh had to say.

In the world according to Limbaugh, apparently, Native Americans are responsible for the huge numbers of smoking-related deaths in America. He said, “Let’s check the scoreboard. How many Native Americans were killed by the arrival of the white man through disease and war? How many people have died since the white man arrived due to lung cancer, thanks to the Indian invented custom of smoking tobacco? Who are the real killers here? So you tell me… how many Americans have died thanks to an Indian invention versus how many Indians have died because we got here? Now, you run the numbers on this …. Where are our reparations? I’m just saying.”

I admit that I’m no fan of Rush’s, but I’m open to opportunities to learn. There was a lesson in Limbaugh-land. Unexpected, however, was that it was in English grammar:

First, nouns: bigotry, racism, pontification, lies, hatred, ridicule, misogyny, dishonesty, condescension, mendacity, divisiveness, mean-spiritedness, partisanship, hostility, deceit, pretense, self-importance, vilification, slander, derision, disparagement

Next, adjectives: self-absorbed, supercilious, pompous, arrogant, patronizing, narcissistic, self-serving, pretentious, haughty, egotistical, demeaning, belittling, condescending scornful, disdainful contemptuous, denigrating.

Finally, verbs: malign, insult, criticize, antagonize, provoke, alienate, irritate, estrange, aggravate, annoy, infuriate.

Since I only have 500 words, I’ll have to stop here.

But, thanks, Rush. I believe I know where you’re coming from.

Michael Luzzi

Boggs Hill Road, Newtown                                       December 7, 2010