Sick Puppies

Rush Limbaugh, an extreme right-wing radio host here in America, is in the real news right now. At issue is the fact that Catholic institutions don’t want to give their employees health insurance that includes the contraceptive pill. The institutions claim religious freedom and the employees and much of the country claim the right to female reproductive health.

A female student from Georgetown University spoke at a hearing on the matter. (Georgetown University is Catholic, but many of its students aren’t. The hearing was organized by the democrats because the republicans refused to have a hearing that included women.) She explained that birth control–which is also used for other, medical, reasons–could cost more than $3,000 if it’s not covered.

Rush Limbaugh had this to say about it:

What does it say about the college coed Susan [sic] Fluke, who goes before a congressional committee and essentially says that she must be paid to have sex? What does that make her? It makes her a slut, right? It makes her a prostitute. She wants to be paid to have sex. She’s having so much sex, she can’t afford the contraception; she wants you and me – the taxpayers – to pay her.”

And the next day:

“If we are going to pay for your contraceptives, thus pay for you to have sex, we want something for it, and I’ll tell you what it is: We want you to post the videos online so we can all watch.”

What’s so disturbing about this, to me, is not that Rush Limbaugh said these things. What disturbs me is that he has a radio show, and that it has been the most listened to show for years. This means that a lot of people listen to him. Rush Limbaugh is one sick puppy, but apparently millions of people in this country agree with him.That’s a whole lot of sick puppies. And those people vote. About women’s health issues. Now that’s disturbing!

For some comic relief, click here for the video of Jon Stewart’s take on the whole thing.