WHORES?! REALLY?!

Today I posted something on MMFA that got a response many times greater than anything else I've ever posted there. And I'd like to summarize it here, and invite you to comment either here or there.   This was in repsonse to Rush Limbaugh, that great defender of women, *barf*, making the statement that "the NAG'S [his nickname for NOW] are a bunch of WHORES, to liberalism."  Here's the clip:



Now... I am absolutely a defender of equality.  Without question.  I stand against all forms of discrimination whether it be on the basis of race, religion, nationality, sexuality, gender or gender expression.  All HUMAN BEINGS deserve equal treatment and respect.  That being said, NOW's position in this instance? Sure it's debatable.  Shoot, ALL "women's issues" are DEBATABLE: Abortion, Equal Pay, Serving in Combat, Maternity Leave, Societal Gender Roles... all of these things can be debated.  And I might disagree with everything [an asshole like Limbaugh] has to say on the topic,  but I won't deny his right to argue his position. In fact, it is critically important to our national, social and political discourse that we ALL do so! But calling them WHORES?  That's completely and utterly unacceptable.  And that should have NO PLACE in our  national, social and political discourse.

And what really pisses me off? (Unless society closed the gender gap when I wasn't looking?) You watch: This won't even be a news story.  He won't be held accountable by the market for this. You watch: No one will say "boo" about it!

Helen Thomas and Rick Sanchez got fired for making relatively innocuous remarks about Jews.

Don Imus and Laura Schlesinger were fired over very offensive remarks they made about Blacks.

And Mike Savage was fired for making offensive remarks about Gays.

And that's fine!  Thats' exactly as it should be! 

(OK, Thomas and Sanchez both got screwed, actually, but you know what I'm saying.)

But why are we so ready to get up in arms with our collective outrage when it's about Jews,  Blacks,  Gays, etc... (and as I said: that's GOOD) but not when it's about WOMEN?  I know there's a double standard in our society.  I'm well aware of that.  But come on: A guy with the public stature of Rush Limbaugh calling an organization that satnds up for strong, successfull women, in general, WHORES?  Why is that different from calling GLAAD a "bunch of faggots" or the NAACP a "bunch of niggers?"  Seriously!

Why are we so unwilling to feel the same outrage over hateful, abusive language when it's aimed at women?

Hey, maybe we are.  I could be wrong.  I'd certainly be happy to be wrong, in this case.  (Of course, I'm almost never wrong when I'd be happy to be so!)

And this isn't just about NOW. NOW is his target because they're Liberal, but he's talking about FEMINISTS in general.  And even women who DON'T fall in with the Liberal Feminists? Say... Sarah Palin, Michelle Bachman, Sharon Angle, Christine O'Donnell or Meg Whitman?  Were it not for the feminists who came before, were it not for the woman's movement in general, were it not for NOW and the hundreds and thousands of sisters before them who stood up to society, THOSE WOMEN WOULD BE HOME MAKING SANDWICHES RIGHT NOW!

It is becasue of NOW, and those that came before,  that ALL women have the opportunity to make of their lives what they choose!  And it's because of assholes like Limbaugh, and the society that tolerates (shit: REWARDS) them that they STILL have to work twice as hard as a man to do so!

And that's REALLY what's going on here.  Who's a WHORE? Anyone who's not some smiling, empty-headed, barbie-doll offering to get their husband something to eat or another beer.  NOW is a symbol of everything that's changed for women.  Of all the social progress that's been made.  Maybe not all women agree with everything they stand for.  That's fine.  But that doesn't give any MAN the right to call them WHORES, without someone calling him out for it!

So... that's what I'm doing I guess.  I'm standing up and calling him out.

I'm calling for Rush to recieve the same treatement, over his remarks about WOMEN that so many others have over their remarks about Gays, Blacks, Jews or any other group.  There should not be a place in our societal discourse for someone to call women "whores" over a political disagreement.

And I'm really getting sick and tired about all these Conservatives trying to make these sorts of things out to be some kind of first ammendment issue!  This is NOT a first ammendment issue! No one is suggesting that the GOVERNMENT pull him from the air.  I'm simply using MY firts ammendemnt rigths - and might moral judgement - to expres my DISGUST at it! 

To that? A bunch off perople told me to "just ignore him" or "just don't listen."

Um... UH-DUUUUUH! I don't! [listen to him]

But telling me that? In this context? Is really just telling me to "shut up." 

Well that's their right, but also it's mine to respond in kind: FUCK YOU.

Or, because NO ONE can fuck with me when it comes to twisting logic, fine, "Don't Listen." "Ignore him." 
Only while they're saying it to ME...  Me, I'm saying tio the whole damned country.  Let's NOT LISTEN. What's more... Let's STOP PAYING HIS SALARY! Let's BOYCOTT HIS SPONSORS!  If Corporations should be allowed to "speak" by spedning money, surely we are allowed to speak by choosing NOT TO, right?  Isn't that OUR 1st ammendment right?
Even calling for his ouster is not a 1st Ammendment issue.  No employer is required to retain an employe who is disceminating a message that they don't agree with, find offensive or that brings ahrm to the comapny.  You can say whatever you want, by not on the comapny's dime.  Free speech never promised anoyone a JOB or a SALARY for it!  Words have CONSEQUENCES.  A the free-market is a BITCH, baby! So do you know what Clear Chanel is saying by NOT taking action? That they endorse his message.  That they think it's OK to call women WHORES if they dare to have an opinon that's different from thiers.  With that thought in midn, it's about time this society sent CLEAR CHANNEL and every other peddler of misogyny a message.  It's about time that we boycott ANY company who sponors ANY SHOW on ANY Clear Channel network or affiliate.

What pisses me of the most?  Is that we won't.  The double standard will continue.

And I seriously CAN'T WAIT to be proven wrong.

But I'm not holding my breath.