Rush Limbaugh - 2.17.21 R.I.P.

[rockaction 27,163]

6 minutes ago, Alex P Keaton said:

Hopefully everyone learns to emulate the grace and Christian ethos you demonstrated in this post.

Condolences to the Limbaugh family.  Cancer sucks.

Touché. Well done.

[General Malaise 27,853]

Just now, rockaction said:

Nothing, Citizen Malaise. I was just more thinking about your added response in the woke thread today. I decided that this was a better place to respond because everybody is getting so darn personal about Rush that it seemed appropriate to leave my musings here.

Did I say anything in here about Rush that was over the line?  

[rockaction 27,163]

2 minutes ago, General Malaise said:

Did I say anything in here about Rush that was over the line?  

Nope. You just shared a personal anecdote is all. You seem to personalize everything political, is what I was getting at. Makes it hard to diffuse political arguments later on in the personal realm, which is something I think you'll find. I had friends in my twenties that did that all the time from the right. No biggie. Just maybe something to watch out for as spoken about by someone who is attuned to the difficulty of patching up political debates and hurts once they get personalized.

Edited February 18 by rockaction

[General Malaise 27,853]

2 minutes ago, rockaction said:

Nope. You just shared a personal anecdote is all. You seem to personalize everything political, is what I was getting at. Makes it hard to diffuse political arguments later on in the personal realm, which is something I think you'll find. I had friends in my twenties that did that all the time from the right. No biggie. Just maybe something to watch out for as spoken about by someone who is attuned to the difficulty of patching up political debates once they get personalized.

Was I the only one who shared a personal anecdote today?  Do you have some suggestions on how I could have posted differently in here today so as to not draw your attention?  

[rockaction 27,163]

2 minutes ago, General Malaise said:

Was I the only one who shared a personal anecdote today?  Do you have some suggestions on how I could have posted differently in here today so as to not draw your attention?  

No, I'd probably just switched threads with the same thought about personalizing politics. Just take it for what it's worth, I guess. Or don't. Up to you.

[tommyGunZ 4,762]

3 hours ago, rockaction said:

This thread sucks. I've noticed it on Twitter. Whole lot of left-wingers and do-gooders can't contain themselves and need indeed to shovel dirt on him before he's even in the grave. This is like the Scalia thread.

This is why, for all my disagreements with Trump and the new right, I'm sure glad I'm not the new left. Disgusting displays here today from the unexpected @timschochetthrough to the expected @dozer@Tom Skerritt @tommyGunZ. You guys really know how to how to be relentless in your criticism and expose yourselves for your cold-heartedness and small-mindedness, don't you? Typical.

These guys, besides tim, have been loud critics of me on the board and said some awful and jarring stuff, so it's no surprise. Like @General Malaise , they constantly personalize the political and make deep, personal traumas out of political sentiments and statements. Grow up, fellas. Life moves fast. Never know who will be speaking ill of your speaking ill when you're gone.

What did I post that was “disgusting”? 

[timschochet 35,359]

3 hours ago, rockaction said:

 Disgusting displays here today from the unexpected @timschochet

Sorry you found it such. I was actually trying to be fair in my assessment and offer an honest opinion- my original intent was to offer an even-handed approach in which I mentioned both the negative and the positive. But I should have realized that everyone would focus on the negative stuff and it was in really poor taste of me to post that so soon afterwards. Mea culpa. 
That being said, at some point in the future when it’s no longer considered classless to do so, I really would like to engage in a discussion with thoughtful people about Rush Limbaugh’s effect on our political discourse. Obviously I have some strong feelings on the subject and I suspect others do as well, both positive and negative. And I think it’s a worthwhile and important topic to consider. But because of my screw up today I won’t start that discussion; I’m hoping somebody else eventually does. 

[rockaction 27,163]

1 minute ago, tommyGunZ said:

What did I post that was “disgusting”? 

"A white christian male getting paid 10s of millions of dollars per year to cheerlead a mostly white male audience and minimize the voices of those who were suffering.  What did he have to complain about?"

I'll tell you what. You can hire me to write your obit like that if you'd like. I'm sure you'll take me up on it. Nice to be remembered like that. As a dominant part of the culture maximizing suffering of others. Hogwash obit.

 

[General Malaise 27,853]

2 minutes ago, rockaction said:

No, I'd probably just switched threads with the same thought about personalizing politics. Just take it for what it's worth, I guess. Or don't. Up to you.

Okay, so I didn't cross a line and I wasn't the only one who shared an anecdote about Rush, but your need to call me out in this thread was because of past performance in other threads?  Just trying to get on your good side, sir.  Help me understand how to become a good FBG poster if you're feeling altruistic.

[Moe. 2,019]

I read earlier that when Jerry Garcia died Rush called him a deadbeat and said he was just another dead doper. I also read he used to have a segment called “AIDS update” where he’d talk about gay men who had recently passed from the disease. Anyone know if that stuff is true?

[rockaction 27,163]

10 minutes ago, General Malaise said:

Okay, so I didn't cross a line and I wasn't the only one who shared an anecdote about Rush, but your need to call me out in this thread was because of past performance in other threads?  Just trying to get on your good side, sir.  Help me understand how to become a good FBG poster if you're feeling altruistic.

I'd not personalize political arguments. That's all. I've been reading for months where you'll call out another poster and go after their politics by bringing personal animus and accusations into it. I remained silent because it was none of my business. But then you did it twice to me in less than a weekend. If you don't like my assessment, go back and read your posts. How come somebody like me can call Trump an "orange man who likes to play Twitter diktat" yet still not have a problem with people on the board that support him? Because I don't make their politics personal. Go back and read your posts and tell me you don't get personal with other peoples' politics. I think you'll butt up against a tall task. Look, it's just an observation I've now made four times. Any more times and it'll start to be a bore on both our ends. If you have a real problem with being called out for it, either change or just tell me to #### off and you're going to keep doing it to high hell. But now you know what I was thinking, and I've now had two such occasions with you doing just that within the week (this thread not included). Imagine how many others you've accrued in the months prior with other posters.

Edited February 18 by rockaction

[General Malaise 27,853]

5 minutes ago, rockaction said:

I'd not personalize political arguments. That's all. I've been reading for months where you'll call out another poster and go after their politics by bringing personal animus and accusations into it. I remained silent because it was none of my business. But then you did it twice to me in less than a weekend. If you don't like my assessment, go back and read your posts. How come somebody like me can call Trump an "orange man who likes to play Twitter diktat" yet still not have a problem with people on the board that support him? Because I don't make their politics personal. Go back and read your posts and tell me you don't get personal with other peoples' politics. I think you'll but up against a tall task. Look, it's just an observation I've now made four times. Any more times and it'll start to be a bore on both our ends. If you have a real problem with being called out for it, either change or just tell me to #### off and you're going to keep doing it to high hell. But now you know what I was thinking, and I've now had two such occasions with you doing within the week (this thread not included). Imagine how many others you've accrued in the months prior with other posters.

Fair enough. Thank you for the feedback.  Sorry that you were upset by anything I posted.  I will take this admonishment and strive to be better. 

[John Maddens Lunchbox 749]

How hard is it for people not to dance or at least tip toe on a mans grave or become holier than thou on the other side and chastize other posters relentlessly? 

Anyone want to post a good memory of the deceased? Is it that difficult to do?

[rockaction 27,163]

2 hours ago, John Maddens Lunchbox said:

How hard is it for people not to dance or at least tip toe on a mans grave or become holier than thou on the other side and chastize other posters relentlessly? 

Anyone want to post a good memory of the deceased? Is it that difficult to do?

Boef sidez

And I did already. Read my post on the first page about our little office in CT. Trampled by the crowd, of course, on their way to dance at the funeral.

Edited February 18 by rockaction

[rockaction 27,163]

3 hours ago, EYLive said:

Some people are using his death as a shield to freely talk trash. As if nobody is allowed to say anything negative about the man because - "too soon", so people that agreed with him can lob insults against the other side while pretending to protect his honor. You guys act like he was a saint, when in fact his acts of bigotry is a mile long. Remember how he would play celebratory music and gloat each time a person died of AIDS? Yet everyone must show respect when he passes? So slimy.

Basic decency. Impossible when the other side doesn't do it first. Great lesson.

Boef sidez again.

Edited February 18 by rockaction

[Snorkelson 4,455]

5 hours ago, Moe. said:

I read earlier that when Jerry Garcia died Rush called him a deadbeat and said he was just another dead doper. I also read he used to have a segment called “AIDS update” where he’d talk about gay men who had recently passed from the disease. Anyone know if that stuff is true?

The aids update is true. When jerry died in the 90s Rush may not have had his own run in with “recreational chemistry” yet, but I couldn’t find any info on that. Deadbeat will be the name of my next GD cover band though....quick side note: despite Jerry’s drug issues, deadbeat is wildly inaccurate. He pushed through, probably to his demise, so the people that depended on that band touring for a living could survive. They should have stopped touring and he maybe could have gotten healthy, but years of cheeseburgers and life on the road and a steady supply of heroin took its toll. 

 

While I think the respectable thing to do is not speak ill of someone who recently passed, I can understand why people are doing this. Rush very often would say vile and disgusting things and frame a bs narrative, often to simply make liberals mad. It’s probably best to say nothing, but I don’t blame anyone for it. That was his brand, and he would love reading how much everyone hated him. 

[jon_mx 9,456]

Nothing but confirmation after confirmation of every stereotype I hold about leftist.

[Ramblin Wreck 14,487]

5 hours ago, EYLive said:

Some people are using his death as a shield to freely talk trash. As if nobody is allowed to say anything negative about the man because - "too soon", so people that agreed with him can lob insults against the other side while pretending to protect his honor. You guys act like he was a saint, when in fact his acts of bigotry is a mile long. Remember how he would play celebratory music and gloat each time a person died of AIDS? Yet everyone must show respect when he passes? So slimy.

Your choices are to say nothing and be the bigger person or lower yourself to the level you think he was and have at it.   Which do you prefer to be?

 

[SoBeDad 2,417]

In case you don't understand the reaction from some people in the gay community:

What Rush Limbaugh Said About HIV-Positive People Is Unforgivable

[jon_mx 9,456]

3 minutes ago, SoBeDad said:

In case you don't understand the reaction from some people in the gay community:

What Rush Limbaugh Said About HIV-Positive People Is Unforgivable

I still don't understand the article because he provided zero quotes or zero evidence of any specific things Rush said.  The article did say classy things like this:

 

Quote

Limbaugh got sick. With lung cancer. It should have been brain cancer, since his mind was a sieve of slime.

Real nice link.  Rush's rhetoric crossed a lot of lines over his very long career, but so does every political pundit who has been on the air for many decades.  

[SoBeDad 2,417]

Just now, jon_mx said:

I still don't understand the article because he provided zero quotes or zero evidence of any specific things Rush said.  The article did say classy things like this:

 

Real nice link.  Rush's rhetoric crossed a lot of lines over his very long career, but so does every political pundit who has been on the air for many decades.  

The writer's reaction as a young gay man to Rush: "Why does he hate me so much."

From Snopes:

>> Did Rush Limbaugh’s ‘AIDS Update’ Mock the Deaths of Gay People?

Limbaugh would later say he regretted the segment as it made fun of people who were dying excruciating deaths.<<

 

[identikit 1,710]

12 hours ago, rockaction said:

This thread sucks. I've noticed it on Twitter. Whole lot of left-wingers and do-gooders can't contain themselves and need indeed to shovel dirt on him before he's even in the grave. This is like the Scalia thread.

This is why, for all my disagreements with Trump and the new right, I'm sure glad I'm not the new left. Disgusting displays here today from the unexpected @timschochetthrough to the expected @dozer@Tom Skerritt @tommyGunZ. You guys really know how to how to be relentless in your criticism and expose yourselves for your cold-heartedness and small-mindedness, don't you? Typical.

These guys, besides tim, have been loud critics of me on the board and said some awful and jarring stuff, so it's no surprise. Like @General Malaise , they constantly personalize the political and make deep, personal traumas out of political sentiments and statements. Grow up, fellas. Life moves fast. Never know who will be speaking ill of your speaking ill when you're gone.

Not unexpected for me.

At all.

It pretty much always goes that way in times like this.

Edited February 18 by identikit

[jon_mx 9,456]

7 minutes ago, SoBeDad said:

The writer's reaction as a young gay man to Rush: "Why does he hate me so much."

From Snopes:

>> Did Rush Limbaugh’s ‘AIDS Update’ Mock the Deaths of Gay People?

Limbaugh would later say he regretted the segment as it made fun of people who were dying excruciating deaths.<<

 

How many people who are so unforgivably upset actually heard the segment?  I would assume none and there is no actual documentation of it.  Rush show used a lot of mocking humor and crossed many lines as most comedians do.  But he was man enough to say  the segment one of “most regretful things I’ve ever done” because it was “making fun of people who were dying long, painful and excruciating deaths.” 

But I don't really buy into that as being the reason they hated Rush.  People like Nancy Reagan was one of the sweetest individuals who spoke very nicely about everyone, but yet I saw similar vile attacks on her character when she died because of her campaign of "Just Say No".  It is way more about politics.

[IvanKaramazov 23,186]

2 hours ago, Snorkelson said:

That was his brand, and he would love reading how much everyone hated him. 

This is an underrated point that it would be useful to keep in mind.  Regardless of what you think about Rush, everybody should be able to agree that he wouldn't sit around wringing his hands over people saying mean things about him.  I can't imagine that a few nasty posts would phase him at all.

The point of "don't dogpile people right after they die" isn't really about the effect that our words have on the dead.  It's about the effect that our words have on ourselves.  Celebrating the death of another human being makes you a more hateful person.  It doesn't simply indicate that you're a hateful person -- engaging in behavior like this changes you and actually results in you becoming increasingly more hateful over time.  Much of the bad behavior that people engage in on social media falls under the category of "actively training myself to be a worse person tomorrow than I was today."   

[quick-hands 538]

36 minutes ago, SoBeDad said:

In case you don't understand the reaction from some people in the gay community:

What Rush Limbaugh Said About HIV-Positive People Is Unforgivable

This is a really useless article.   The guy hated Limbaugh.   Why?   Don't know.   Because , reasons.

[identikit 1,710]

3 minutes ago, IvanKaramazov said:

This is an underrated point that it would be useful to keep in mind.  Regardless of what you think about Rush, everybody should be able to agree that he wouldn't sit around wringing his hands over people saying mean things about him.  I can't imagine that a few nasty posts would phase him at all.

The point of "don't dogpile people right after they die" isn't really about the effect that our words have on the dead.  It's about the effect that our words have on ourselves.  Celebrating the death of another human being makes you a more hateful person.  It doesn't simply indicate that you're a hateful person -- engaging in behavior like this changes you and actually results in you becoming increasingly more hateful over time.  Much of the bad behavior that people engage in on social media falls under the category of "actively training myself to be a worse person tomorrow than I was today."   

So true.

[CletiusMaximus 9,494]

4 minutes ago, IvanKaramazov said:

This is an underrated point that it would be useful to keep in mind.  Regardless of what you think about Rush, everybody should be able to agree that he wouldn't sit around wringing his hands over people saying mean things about him.  I can't imagine that a few nasty posts would phase him at all.

The point of "don't dogpile people right after they die" isn't really about the effect that our words have on the dead.  It's about the effect that our words have on ourselves.  Celebrating the death of another human being makes you a more hateful person.  It doesn't simply indicate that you're a hateful person -- engaging in behavior like this changes you and actually results in you becoming increasingly more hateful over time.  Much of the bad behavior that people engage in on social media falls under the category of "actively training myself to be a worse person tomorrow than I was today."   

This is a good articulation of the thoughts I've had on this yesterday and today.  I never once listened to his show, mostly just because I've never really listened to any political radio shows. I'm not about to judge Rush Limbaugh or celebrate his death.  That said, my impression of the guy is that he wouldn't have it any other way.  I expect he would view his enemies' grave-dancing as confirmation that his life's work was a great success.  I don't think I have any enemies in my life, but if I did, I would surely want them to celebrate my death.  

 

[rockaction 27,163]

I'm not a ninny nor have I not heard stuff like this before. It's just that these threads bring out all the usual suspects and allows me to know who to take on the board seriously when it comes to sympathetic/empathetic claims to decency. It's always the usual few, and I just strike them off of my list.

And it doesn't actively make people bad, and on this I disagree with Ivan. You've already got to be pretty corrupted by the culture wars to pile on a man's death. You're already a bad person, and I'm not scared of saying that. Sorry to be the harbinger of truth to the proceedings, but people that pile upon people upon their death generally almost always suck in my experience. They're the the bloodthirsty mob calling for heads whenever they get in power. They're suspect in thought. I'd never trust them with my own mortality, because they're just doing it for the cause.

Did Rush do that? Maybe. Did I lionize or even suggest he was a good person? Never. I said RIP and moved along. Because that's what you do in a humane world. We don't kick the dead. You're an intellectual or social brute if you do. Even with the worst, we turn away and acknowledge death qua death and its power. To not do so shows a loss of humanity.

There. Said my last piece. We can all sleep easier now, I suppose.

[HellToupee 15,877]

All people want to be liked and certainly his family isn’t comforted by the ugliness . I don’t buy into  rationalizing that he would love it like he was a heel in wrestling  working a gimmick 

[knowledge dropper 6,864]

28 minutes ago, quick-hands said:

This is a really useless article.   The guy hated Limbaugh.   Why?   Don't know.   Because , reasons.

Where is the source patrol when you need them?   

[Joe Bryant 10,722]

19 hours ago, Tom Skerritt said:

But it’s okay for Trump to speak ill of just about everyone? Living, dead, women, men, abled, disabled? Why is everyone okay with that? Just curious. 

Far from "everyone" was okay with the way Trump did that. The reality is tons of people, maybe most people, were not ok with that. The election showed that. 

But you know that. Even if Whatabouts are fun for some people. 

Regardless, what other people are doing isn't our concern. 

Our concern is going to be trying to have a forum where people act more cool. That's what we'll try to do here. And we do it the same for anyone that dies. Please help us. Thanks. 

[AAABatteries 25,724]

37 minutes ago, CletiusMaximus said:

I don't think I have any enemies in my life, but if I did, I would surely want them to celebrate my death.  

 

I’m a big fan of The Avett Brothers and not too long ago thought about starting a thread based on their song No Hard Feelings.  Your post reminded me of the lyrics and gives me the opportunity to post them without starting a thread.  They are appropriate in a thread about the passing of someone.  The lyrics are fantastic, IMO, and worth a read.  The song is outstanding too.  I hope on my death bed I can say I have no enemies.

 

"No Hard Feelings"

When my body won't hold me anymore
And it finally lets me free
Will I be ready?
When my feet won't walk another mile
And my lips give their last kiss goodbye
Will my hands be steady?

When I lay down my fears
My hopes and my doubts
The rings on my fingers
And the keys to my house
With no hard feelings

When the sun hangs low in the west
And the light in my chest
Won't be kept held at bay any longer
When the jealousy fades away
And it's ash and dust for cash and lust
And it's just hallelujah
And love in thoughts and love in the words
Love in the songs they sing in the church
And no hard feelings

Lord knows they haven't done
Much good for anyone
Kept me afraid and cold
With so much to have and hold

When my body won't hold me anymore
And it finally lets me free
Where will I go?
Will the trade winds take me south
Through Georgia grain or tropical rain
Or snow from the heavens?

Will I join with the ocean blue
Or run into the savior true
And shake hands laughing
And walk through the night
Straight to the light
Holding the love I've known in my life
And no hard feelings

Lord knows they haven't done
Much good for anyone
Kept me afraid and cold
With so much to have and hold
Under the curving sky
I'm finally learning why
It matters for me and you
To say it and mean it too
For life and its loveliness
And all of its ugliness
Good as its been to me
I have no enemies
I have no enemies
I have no enemies
I have no enemies

[Joe Bryant 10,722]

23 minutes ago, AAABatteries said:

I’m a big fan of The Avett Brothers and not too long ago thought about starting a thread based on their song No Hard Feelings.  Your post reminded me of the lyrics and gives me the opportunity to post them without starting a thread.  They are appropriate in a thread about the passing of someone.  The lyrics are fantastic, IMO, and worth a read.  The song is outstanding too.  I hope on my death bed I can say I have no enemies.

 

"No Hard Feelings"

When my body won't hold me anymore
And it finally lets me free
Will I be ready?
When my feet won't walk another mile
And my lips give their last kiss goodbye
Will my hands be steady?

When I lay down my fears
My hopes and my doubts
The rings on my fingers
And the keys to my house
With no hard feelings

When the sun hangs low in the west
And the light in my chest
Won't be kept held at bay any longer
When the jealousy fades away
And it's ash and dust for cash and lust
And it's just hallelujah
And love in thoughts and love in the words
Love in the songs they sing in the church
And no hard feelings

Lord knows they haven't done
Much good for anyone
Kept me afraid and cold
With so much to have and hold

When my body won't hold me anymore
And it finally lets me free
Where will I go?
Will the trade winds take me south
Through Georgia grain or tropical rain
Or snow from the heavens?

Will I join with the ocean blue
Or run into the savior true
And shake hands laughing
And walk through the night
Straight to the light
Holding the love I've known in my life
And no hard feelings

Lord knows they haven't done
Much good for anyone
Kept me afraid and cold
With so much to have and hold
Under the curving sky
I'm finally learning why
It matters for me and you
To say it and mean it too
For life and its loveliness
And all of its ugliness
Good as its been to me
I have no enemies
I have no enemies
I have no enemies
I have no enemies

You can get most everything you need in life from the Avett Brothers, The Godfather and Forrest Gump. 

 

[fatguyinalittlecoat 12,178]

30 minutes ago, AAABatteries said:

I’m a big fan of The Avett Brothers and not too long ago thought about starting a thread based on their song No Hard Feelings.  Your post reminded me of the lyrics and gives me the opportunity to post them without starting a thread.  They are appropriate in a thread about the passing of someone.  The lyrics are fantastic, IMO, and worth a read.  The song is outstanding too.  I hope on my death bed I can say I have no enemies.

 

"No Hard Feelings"

 

Here's my attempt at the song

I love it too.

[Mjolnirs 1,036]

Anyone remember in the early days of his show when he caused a stir with the use of the word "fard"?
He did a bit about women farding in public, and about women farding in cars while driving.

Naturally people heard the word fart, and were shocked.

Fard = to apply cosmetics.

[shadrap 1,916]

16 hours ago, tommyGunZ said:

It’s not surprising that Rush felt that way about America. He never had to endure any of the hardships that those who are more critical of America are still fighting to overcome.  

A white christian male getting paid 10s of millions of dollars per year to cheerlead a mostly white male audience and minimize the voices of those who were suffering.  What did he have to complain about?  

 

Assuming your diatribe is that Rush is white & not black thus granting him an advantage.  Take a look at his bio.  Didn't graduate from college & was fired 2 or 3 times.

he did what he liked to do & was good at it,  but he was not as you insinuate born with a silver spoon in his mouth.  he wanted government out of the way so individualism could prosper based on work ethic.   not a bad idea.  

[Ramblin Wreck 14,487]

9 minutes ago, tommyGunZ said:

I haven’t seen the grave dancing in this thread that others have. Big difference between celebrating someone’s death and refusing to engage in a false narrative after someone’s death.  

Keep it classy as always.

How about the option to just click out of the thread and not take a dump on a guy the day he passes away? 

[General Malaise 27,853]

45 minutes ago, Mjolnirs said:

Anyone remember in the early days of his show when he caused a stir with the use of the word "fard"?
He did a bit about women farding in public, and about women farding in cars while driving.

Naturally people heard the word fart, and were shocked.

Fard = to apply cosmetics.

Tom Lykis did that bit with the word 'masticating' which, means to chew even though it really doesn't sound like it. 

[General Malaise 27,853]

2 hours ago, IvanKaramazov said:

This is an underrated point that it would be useful to keep in mind.  Regardless of what you think about Rush, everybody should be able to agree that he wouldn't sit around wringing his hands over people saying mean things about him.  I can't imagine that a few nasty posts would phase him at all.

 

Read yesterday that he held a charity auction where the star item was a letter written by the democratic senators who blasted him over his comments about Iraqi vets who spoke out against the war (or something along those lines).  The letter was signed by Hilary and Harry Reid and the usual targets of his attacks.  The letter fetched $2 million and he matched that dollar for dollar.

Now that's funny!  And pretty cool, because the charity was the beneficiary of his self deprecation.  So to your point, he not only relished in the angst from the dems, but he found a way to use their scorn as a net positive.  

[jm192 2,127]

2 hours ago, IvanKaramazov said:

This is an underrated point that it would be useful to keep in mind.  Regardless of what you think about Rush, everybody should be able to agree that he wouldn't sit around wringing his hands over people saying mean things about him.  I can't imagine that a few nasty posts would phase him at all.

The point of "don't dogpile people right after they die" isn't really about the effect that our words have on the dead.  It's about the effect that our words have on ourselves.  Celebrating the death of another human being makes you a more hateful person.  It doesn't simply indicate that you're a hateful person -- engaging in behavior like this changes you and actually results in you becoming increasingly more hateful over time.  Much of the bad behavior that people engage in on social media falls under the category of "actively training myself to be a worse person tomorrow than I was today."   

This is just a fantastic post.  Agree with every point.

[jm192 2,127]

Just more of it to share:

I listen to a show called Kentucky Sports Radio a lot of weekdays.  It's what you'd think it is,   But a 2 hour talk radio show can only talk about how you just barely beat Vanderbilt for so long.  They get into current events and quite often politics.  For background info, Matt Jones, the host is a Democrat.  He was in talks to run against McConnell for Senate.  He was a tremendous supporter of Charles Booker's campaign.  Kentucky is largely  Republican, but Matt is not.  I'm sure Matt has had negative things to say about Rush in the past.  

Yesterday Matt Tweeted out "RIP Rush Limbaugh.  His skills as a radio host are unparalleled  Along with Howard Stern, he made talk radio into an important part of the national landscape.  There will never be a radio host with a more important following.  Prayers to his family."

Today on the show he shared that a lot of people were irate at the Tweet.  How dare you say good things about Rush?!  I  don't have the exact words.  He said something to the effect of "I think we're supposed to show people grace, even if we didn't agree with them or think they were bad people.  The way you combat hate with love, not more hate."  

People on Twitter don't want you to say as much as RIP.  Talk about a cess pool.

Edited February 18 by jm192

[shadrap 1,916]

15 minutes ago, tommyGunZ said:

I know Rush’s bio, and about his lack of education.  My point wasn’t that he was born with a silver spoon, it was that his personal demographics mean he never had to deal with the issues that many of the people he demonized were fighting for.  Thus it’s not surprising that his view of America is more positive than others, as another poster suggested.  

I guess I find his view of American exceptionalism to be exceptional.  he preached stand on your legs & do the best you can with what you have.  Ya, he never had to personally deal with some of the downtrodden stuff, but my previous sentence is Rush in a nutshell.  Be the best you can be.

 

[Godsbrother 7,256]

2 hours ago, quick-hands said:

This is a really useless article.   The guy hated Limbaugh.   Why?   Don't know.   Because , reasons.

Agreed.  Aside from the article being crude and heartless, it doesn't detail what Rush said that was offensive.

Don't get me wrong, it wouldn't surprise me at all to learn that Rush said hateful things about gay people over the years but I sure couldn't tell from that article.

[Sand 6,299]

2 hours ago, IvanKaramazov said:

The point of "don't dogpile people right after they die" isn't really about the effect that our words have on the dead.  It's about the effect that our words have on ourselves.  Celebrating the death of another human being makes you a more hateful person.  It doesn't simply indicate that you're a hateful person -- engaging in behavior like this changes you and actually results in you becoming increasingly more hateful over time.  Much of the bad behavior that people engage in on social media falls under the category of "actively training myself to be a worse person tomorrow than I was today."   

Spot on, and it doesn't help when this is amplified by the fourth estate writing with their barrels of blue ink.  Take the NYT obit:

"Rush Limbaugh Dies at 70; Turned Talk Radio Into a Right-Wing Attack Machine

With a following of 15 million and a divisive style of mockery, grievance and denigrating language, he was a force in reshaping American conservatism."

And that's just the start of it - it blathers on for a while in the same tone.  Pure hate, vitriol.  Amplification of what you just spoke of - steroids for turning people into more hateful versions of themselves.  The NYT has literally hit a new low.

[rockaction 27,163]

Just now, Sand said:

Spot on, and it doesn't help when this is amplified by the fourth estate writing with their barrels of blue ink.  Take the NYT obit:

"Rush Limbaugh Dies at 70; Turned Talk Radio Into a Right-Wing Attack Machine

With a following of 15 million and a divisive style of mockery, grievance and denigrating language, he was a force in reshaping American conservatism."

And that's just the start of it - it blathers on for a while in the same tone.  Pure hate, vitriol.  Amplification of what you just spoke of - steroids for turning people into more hateful versions of themselves.  The NYT has literally hit a new low.

I love how they're going to sneakily attribute those traits to American conservatism. (Not our readers, though!)

[fatguyinalittlecoat 12,178]

I agree with the general sentiment here that it’s poor form to speak I’ll of the dead right after they die.  But I don’t agree that courtesy extends to newspaper obituaries of famous people.

[rockaction 27,163]

I wouldn't trust the NY Times to babysit my sixteen year-old nephew. They'd probably prevent him from eating while yapping about the glory of the Chinese Cultural Revolution and #### like that.

What an odious collection of pages it is. And what a waste of those barrels of ink! Papers of records are never as such as they claim, though they do provide a window into the political climate of their eras, now in the obit pages instead of the front ones.

Edited February 18 by rockaction

[rockaction 27,163]

2 minutes ago, fatguyinalittlecoat said:

I agree with the general sentiment here that it’s poor form to speak I’ll of the dead right after they die.  But I don’t agree that courtesy extends to newspaper obituaries of famous people.

Yeah, but if it's a tenuous claim under some sort of heralded tendentious within the obit you're writing, maybe want to think about it before you do. If it's obvious, like a murderer's death, you're obliged to point it out. Other than that, value-neutrality is probably a policy best used, leaving judgments to history.

Edited February 18 by rockaction

[fatguyinalittlecoat 12,178]

1 minute ago, rockaction said:

leaving judgments to history.

Seems to me like an obit is part of that historical record.  

[jon_mx 9,456]

2 minutes ago, fatguyinalittlecoat said:

I agree with the general sentiment here that it’s poor form to speak I’ll of the dead right after they die.  But I don’t agree that courtesy extends to newspaper obituaries of famous people.

It is if a paper wishes to be taken seriously as a non-biased source of information.  Just reason 1,358,452 why the NY Times isn't trusted by many..