Dear Rush,
From one talk radio host to another, thank you so much for your recent attack on Sandra Fluke, the Georgetown Law Student who testified before Congress in favor of a policy that would include birth control as part of health care coverage. You called her a slut. You meant to insult Sandra. But because you called her a slut for exercising her right to speak up and demand birth control, you have stripped the word of its traditional, cruel meaning. I am now a slut too. All women who have ever attempted to decide when and how many children they would have, and with whom, are now sluts. I'm guessing your sister, if you have one, is a slut. Your three ex-wives are probably sluts as well. Might the newest Mrs. Limbaugh be one too?
Slut is a loaded word, a word used for many years to impugn women for exercising sexual freedom. Men are not sluts. We don't even have a word in English for men who like a lot of sex with different partners. What does that tell you about the corrosive effect of discriminatory language? We don't have a word for men who sleep around, therefore we don't even have a way to express the idea that such behavior might be as morally bad for men as it is judged to be for women. Of course, that is not surprising.
The thought that a woman might actually enjoy sex for its own sake is so scary to some men that they will do anything to shut us up, including wrapping a burka around us, body and soul. You even invent words to tell us how sinful our behavior is. Thank you so much today for removing one of the uglier of those words from our vocabulary. After today's tirade, the word slut has become a badge of honor, a rallying cry for all women who demand freedom.
I envision a march on Washington, joined by my fellow women, and the many men who love and like us, in which we link arms and wear sandwich boards declaring, "I am a slut too". Now that you have rendered the word "slut" impotent, perhaps you can refill your Viagra prescription. But since you don't approve of sex for fun, I know you won't mind our insistence that Viagra be banned from health insurance. After all, if we can't enjoy sex, neither can you.
Yours very truly,
Lisa Wexler
PS- If you want to hear my voice on this, here is the link to my radio show today. and-sluts" target="_hplink">http://lisawexler.com/index.php/shows/2012-shows/march/apal-rush-and-sluts
Follow Lisa Wexler on Twitter: www.twitter.com/lisawexler
In a year the Republicans should be smoking the liberals, they keep shooting themselves in the foot every chance they get.
Too bad none of the posters here were bent out of shape when Palin and Bachmann were called worse insults than sl*t by media pundits, comedians, etc.
Thank you~ This has nothing to do with anyone's religious views on birth control, this has to do with Rush Limbaughs VIEW OF WOMAN!
You are right that it has nothing to do with anyone's religious views on birth contol - it has everything to do with the GOVERNMENT intrusion on the views of religious organizations and whether or not any medcation should be free or paid for with co-pays like other medications.
A talk show host or an attorney know or should know the value and weight of words used and the impact those words can have and the use of words either like a scalpel or a cudgel.
Lisa is the scalpel of reason whereas Rush is the blunt instrument of misogyny.
Well done and thanks Lisa.
She did not "testif(y)before Congress in favor of a policy that would include birth control as part of health care coverage." She demanded that it be free of charge to her. She knew that Georgetown's plan did not cover birth control when she enrolled, as it is against the teachings of the church. To expect them to change their religious beliefs after 2,000 years of consistency is pretty arrogant.
Limbaugh never said she should be denied birth control (the whole commentary is on the internet). He only believes that Georgetown should be able to keep its religious beliefs and that individuals should be responsible for their sexual behaviour. Pretty much - if you want birth control, pay for it or abstain.
I do believe "sl*t" is too loaded of word and should not have been used. It is almost as offensive as Bill Maher calling Sarah Palin a c*nt on his HBO show, and that word is even more loaded. I just don't recall you getting bent out of shape and asking for a march on HBO when Maher made his comment. Maybe I missed the article.
Nobody is missing the boat except those who believe that Government trumps individual and religious freedoms guaranteed in the first amendment.