Pubdate: Sat, 18 Oct 2003 Source: North County Times (CA) Copyright: 2003 North County Times Contact: http://www.nctimes.com Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1080 Author: Carole Shanahan THE HYPOCRISY OF THE RUSH SUPPORTERS What with the steady diet of far-right radio talk shows in this area, many locals will believe that Rush Limbaugh is more to be pitied than censored. While this may be true, until now Rush and those same talk show hosts have had no pity for anyone using any kind of drugs, for any reason. I might say that they and Limbaugh have had no compassion for others, period. Theirs is a philosophy of each man, woman or child for themselves, and those who fall behind in the race deserve to be trampled on. The barrage of poor-Rush speeches coming from the right is beginning to make me feel ill. Limbaugh was in pain. So have been a lot of others. Could weight loss have been a motivating factor as well? Then again, perhaps that part of his brain he has tied behind his back died from lack of use and he couldn't think straight anymore. Rush deserves sympathy and good wishes, but only if those offering them also extend sympathy, help and good wishes to all those who are dependent on drugs, prescription or otherwise. Drug addiction is a sickness; to punish one user with a prison sentence and gush over another with sympathy, pretending that physical pain is understandable while emotional pain is not, is hypocrisy. Carole Shanahan Vist - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman